The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-09-16

:. LARS DAVIDSON REaUE.
I.xx:s
Special to The Journal,
Hudson, Wis, Sept. 2.-According
to Professor Rasmus B. Anderson, a |
high authority on Norwegian immig ra-
ton. the first Of living Norsemen to set
tie in Wisconsin was Lars Davidson Re
que OF Deerfeld, a small village in Dan'ea
county, twenty miles east Of Madison.
Only small number of emigrants from
fore he did and they have all passed
away.
Rogue was one Of the nine Norwe-
CLANS who, according to the government
records, purchased land in 1910 from
Uncle Sam in the Koshkonong settle
ment in Dane county, the other eight
being Aamund Anderson, Biorn Ander-
son, Lars Olson Dugstad, Thorsten Of
son Bjaadland, Nels Larson Bolstad,
Magne Bottolfson Bystol, .Gunnul Olson
Vindeg and Nels Severson Gilderhus.
These were the first Norwegian settlers
in Dane county, and the founders Of the
Koshkonong settlement, the mother col
ony Of the innumerable Morse settle
ments Of the northwest. All have died
except Reque,
His Happy Old Age.
Rogue is over SO, but is still strong
and active, his body being as erect and
solid as a pillar Of stone. He is we'll
TODD ard leads happy life among his
children and grandchildren, within a
few miles of the land he purchased six
ty-fve years ago.. Every autumn the
Norwegian pioneers of Deerfeld and vi
cinity. hold grape festival in honor of
Left Ericsson, the Morse discoverer Of
America, and Mr.. Rogue is the guest of
honor. He is presented to. the assem-
| Norwegians now Alive tdT settle in the
state, and, amid cheers. and tokens Of
reverence, expresses his gratitude for
| the honor shown him.
The story Of Mr.. Reque's coming to
America in 1889 and of his early adj
ventures and hardships in the tsnew
| world,' as he calls our country, is. full
of interest, and throws food of light
upon western life in those romantic but
trying days.
ssIn April, 1897 he says, ct left
my fathers home in Norway, green and
inexperienced, to seek my fortune in
the new world. T. still see the tears
trickle down my mother s cheeks, and l
hear her simple words Of advice, whic h
have been Of strength and comfort to
me ever since.
Nine Weeks Coming Over.
"After a trying voyage /, Of .o nins
weeks, in small schooner, which n tossed
reached New York city. It happened
to be on the morning Of July and
cannon were booming all around the
harbor. None of us Norwegians aboard
knew anything about American Fourth
of July celebrations, and therefore die
not understand the purpose of the
shooting. We thought they were fir
ing at our ship and were 50 glad be
cause none of the shots took effect. Oh
course. our fears were soon dispelled
and the people treated us kindly wher
we landed. n
| "I had never seen a locomotive o.
steamship in my fatherland, and was
filed with wonder at the steamers il
New York harbor. What wonderful
country I have come to! | thought
How can I, innocent and green as am
make my way in such landY l Eel
utterly lost.
.eAnother thing that filed me will
wonder-not to say superstltlous fear
was the matches used IN New YORK. -
had never seen anything 50 strange be
FORE In Norway we made fire by fin
and steel.
t"In those days Norwegian immi
grants. turned their faces toward Illi
nois, and they all went by way Of tn
Erie canal and the lakes. That wa
the route I took I went up the Hud
son river to Albany in a steamboat
from there to Schenectady by train.
what wonderful ride that wasl F.ro1
Schenectady I went to Buffalo in
canal boat, drawn by mules and horses
Chicago in 1889.
cat last I came to Chicago, where
was met by friend from NORWAY
who had settled. there while befor,
The trip had cost me $50, not countln
the food, and I was almost pennies
Neither had / learned to speak a wor
of English So you can imagine m
predicament and how downcast | fel
.sYou know what Chicago was
s. 1S39-nothing but a nasty marsh and
few houses built of logs or boards. N
body dreamed it was going to become
city Of any Importance. It was ve1
unhealthy place, and strangers coul
not stay there long without beir
stricken by malaria or the ague.
HNils Rothe, my friend, who was tt
first immigrant to America from Vos
Norway, took me into his house and !
B. me have a meal of milk and mush f
nothing-the only meal I had for not
- ing in the first five years OF my stay
+ America.
i sssJuly 26, few days after my ar
IS val in Chicago, there came man nam,
ef Halster, who wanted to hire me. T
e. offered me dollar a day and boar
s How glad / was Of the chance to wo:
e, for such splendid wagesl I thought
q would soon grow rich.
n His First Job.
e. with six other unmarried NorW
s. gian newcomers, / went thirteen mil
r from Chicago to work E,' on canal, tive
1e and sultry, almost suffocating, and few
1t lowered over the marsh. Planks we
IN laid zigzag into the canal, and ,
n wheeled the. earth out on them in bs
ne rows. None Of us had used barro1
Of before, and you can imagine how ha
twas for us to keep on the planks. @
II