The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-07-09
CLIMAX OF SAENfRFESI
TWELVE THOUSAND ATTENDED
THE PICNIC AT SMELLING
YESTERDAY
CAFE CLAIMANT LAST NIGHT
Convention Wound Up With a Va
rIety Show by Clever Mem
bers end General So
ciRI Time.

About 1900 people from Minneapolis
and St. Paul attended the picnic given by
the Northwestern Scandinavian Singers
association at Harris park. Fort Smell
Ing, yesterday afternoon. Everybody
was happy and good Eatured and all en-
jOyed themselves to their hearts con-
tent with dancing. listening to the sing
ing, or passing the time il tae many
other diversions provided.
1t was a beautiful afternoon and just
the kind Of a day for picnic. The cool
breaZe made every part of the grounds
comfortable, and every part was occupied
so completely t3tat one could move about
only with difficulty This WAS the only
feature Of the cutting that was not all
that could be desired. The picnic was 4
little too much OF success in the way
of attendance. Seibert's orchestra
furnished excellent music for the dancing.
a chorus OF IU0 voices sang several
songs, after which Mr. c. II BiOln, OF
St Paul, delivered a stirring speech He
sGid:
when the Northwestern Scandinavian
singers assembled under the standard of
the Scandinavian song, giving expression
10 dts bcauty, there Crept o er Us ali
k1101le1 1eG4L2 OF DrOtAefiE IONG, and We
were made to leel that the countries rep
resented hire, though they have met i'll
battle from time to time, and ti.eir Nix
Ing kings have sat alternately UPON each
! others thrones, yet these nations belong
! in fact as d brotherhood in the family
! of nations, because they have the same
! traditions aspirations and Song. Their
1 singing has played upon the finest chorus
of the human soul, Hing cur life with
new beauty, OUT hearts with good cheer,
and our minds with higher aims.
The Gagas tell US that the singing of
the maid at the churn caught The ear of
Haral HaarderaaGe and made her queen.
Since then MANY queens OF song have
come from the Scandinavian peninsula.
| Today there is scarcely hamlet in the
Northwest but has reared in its midst
an altar to the goddess OF seng. In In =
days of old the 'skald,' or singer, Was
The chosen faY0Tite of the king Under
the banner OF his chief we ind him in the
times of battle, and in the banquet hail
he had the place of honor. He recorded
the brave deeds of the warrior, and sang
/ their 'dTapa' over their graves. History
was made by his song. AS a singer Was
! appreciated then, so he is appreciated
4 now, but song stands today upon d high
! er plane than of yore.
I'VE are living in a transitory age.
/ Time VIII soon come in this country when
! the Danish, Swedish and The Norwegian
/ languages Will be forgotten. We are
! passing over into what is termed an
/ American civilization, and in doing So
4 we should take with US all that is beau
/ tiful and good in our literature, music
J and SOng-tranSfer il as q glitIering Jewel
4 Of Scandinavian culture TO the diadem of
! American ciViliZauon-that II, like ,dia-
mond OF the pureSt water, may reflect
1 the light of Scandinavian culture to COM
ing generations.
| One of the leading papers Of this city
said editorially at the opening of this
convention: The best demonstration OF
the best benefits derived from the emil
grafton from the northern peninsula OF
Europe TO the Northwest, is that which
begins today, the Sangerfest. The people,
1 the singing societies present, represent
! the culture of the Northwest. 1t is a fine
/ degree of culture, and st. Paul IS proud
| to acknowledge the debt Of today and of
! the future to the Scandinavian music and
musicians.
we need your songs to give US a pres
tfge with the people of this country but
you can do more. Sing from the classical
heights OF the classical parnassus that
our countrymen may look up from the
materiadstic grind OF daily routine, and
become cnnobled by the association with
the fine art. Sing till the discordant
/ sounds that exist in the nations of the
North may vanish and harmony reign.
Your work may be arduous. Disin-
tereStedneSS may creep into the ranks
but be true to your aim; never give up.
The tide CT appreciation for your efforts
Will turn, and the phoenix of Scandi-
naVian song win rise, as you win be ap-
preciated by d people who, by reason of
your efforts, have been cultiVa ted enough
to und nrStand their value
Senator Nlels Juul, of Chicago, former
ly president of the United Scandinavian
Singers of America, who is here ON the
| invitation Of the committee, also made
brief speech. He said in part:
Before many years the Scand.navians
VIII have been absorbed into the great
American nation, and Of the early settlers
OF this vast. glorious Northwestern coun-
try only our Scandinavian names will re-
main. 1t has never been the desire of
any descendant Of the northern races to
create a state within the state but We
have aimed through our singing, literary
and art societies to create such an inter
est in the Scandinavian race and its
achievements that our descendants will
point with the same pride to their pros
5enstOTS as do the descendants of the
early settlers of the Eastern states.
so continue to sing. Let the languages
OF BJOfnSCn, 1bSen, Hans Christian An
derson and TeSnir float over the bound
less prairies, borne upon ever-restless
waves of melody produced by Grieg,
Hartman and BellMan until eft our land
ing and settling here only our children's
memory and our history remain
Inc picnic was also financial success,
and the singers can feel proud that they
had the banner crowd Of the season. The
committees lii charge handled the affair
in an excellent manner, and much of the
success is due to their untiring work.
1t was nearly s o'clock last evening
when the singers abandoned the picnic
grounds and sought Mozart hall for the
Cafe Chantant' at o'clock.
The picnic committees were: Arrange
ments, David Waibloqn, chairman; l.
J. Brack, j. c. Dahlquist, L. Turner and
J. e. Border; refreshments Mrs. H Lob
baEr Mrs. Ed Norleen, Mrs Julius f.
vine and Mrs. M. Johnson.