The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1904-03-12

sou. the "Grand Old Man - Nurwa}.
has gone into practical retirement Ca
hia farm at Aaieatsd ia the heart =
Norway. and except Tor occRrtonat
visroflc outburwta in the currvapand-
enee columns ~ Inc newspaper. hs
has abandoned HE positiou a. the
leader q The strenuous hfe Ia aean-
diuaVla.
In January nisFuaou- celebrated hts
list birthday anniversary, aua then
resolved 10 reserve the remainder q
his lifs for the bueolic Joys of plant
ing beans and milking cows. hfotH-
scr can DO almost anything excepi
keep aut u fight. and the old beiil-
casr desires attn erop ewt nmd urge
him 10 hit a head whenever hn sees
0ne.
nlsrusou started life BY a failure.
lie was sent % g ChFis9iania uut-
vsrsity. where he vas one q tfs worst
students that ever matFlc asaasd. aud
finally ne left the university withnat
finishing hie course az being . iah
Too bix for him 70 accomplish Ito
driftad lnto theatrical management
ard newspaper work. ard found there
fun scope Tor hln poetic uatuFe. and
his mastery over realism.
Besides rditink newspapers and pro-
daclaE plays Biofnaaa found titac 80
write books study nearly all the lar
xuaEea % Europe. write dramas. bs-
carns a revolutlnulst ard republican.
and travel constantly over the cnnti-
nenL Fer % years ~ has been the
busiest man On Scandinavia. ard me
most revilea with the possible sx-
euptioa Of Ibser. Ever since his first
newspaper employment HIernsou has
been constantly writing Tor the press.
One dAy writing o. Norwegian papers
against Sweden. then iu EWrainh pa
psrs against Russia. ard again In Ger
mar papers against France. Between
time. h has kept np a Newspaper ar
ramsut with his critics. who object 20
his free ard easy Views on religion
and other ortheiox topics.
For ali Hiornsous violent temper,
he II ore Of the mpst tender hearted
Of men II IL related that on one oc-
castor he was shown a drRwtnE o. an
eagle about to swoop down on q flock
% small birds. The great eramztlsts
eyes filled with tears until he saw
there was no title 20 the picture. Then
he smiled happily and with a pencil
wrote under the drawing Bat They
Escaped" and banded It back to the
artist
Bfornsou's wife IL the only person
who has any control over him Friends
Of the family sal that many years ago
B{ornson fell IN love with a local
beauty. ard wanted % divorce his wlfe
IN order 20 marry the other woman.
Mrs. Blofnson. however. put her hns-
band 10 bed. pat chopped Ice on his
head. and said she would keep him
there until the fever left him The
cure was very rapid. and made Born
son immune forever after.
King Oscar Of Norway and Sweden
has . great admiration for Btafnson.
despite the lstter's republican views.
for n Oscar were not a king u In
probable he would be a republican
himself Bioruson never coneeals his
distaste for monarchy from the King.
and goes to the palace only on rare
occasions. a short time ago. Born
son was invited 20 a royal reception.
but went instead 10 the uuveliins of a
statute. The next day Biofusou had
an audience OF Oscar and explained
his nan-appsaranee AZ the reception.
'fYou all drank my health at the
banquet. I hope" said the king.
No" replied Bjornson. we were
rather drunk. I admit. but not drunk
enough for that"
BIornson'a recent winning o. the
Swedish Nobel prize Of f2s.00 has
brought down on him the anger Of his
Norwegian compatriots. who charge
I him with having deserted hts priu-
ciplss Of Norway's Independence In
order to Eet the money. Bjornson IL