Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1905-09-21
celebrated her 1o2nd anniversary
NORWAY.
Chr,stiania.


A book entitled Free Norway" has
Just been published in Berlin. The
author is August Strindberg. the great
author and tadicalist of Sweden. The
Social Democrat quotes the following
from the preface: lin my youth the
idea prevailed among my contempor-
aries that Norway was an oppressed
country, unjustly treated by Sweden.
We agitated for free Norway and
Bjornson was our chosen hero, who
was to accomplish that end. In the
course of time Norway had apparent
ly sunk into abject submission TO Swe-
den, in spite OF the equality nominally
guaranteed to il by the union pact.
The Swedish government had by
series of pertidious acts broken the
agreement. The Swedish people en-
deayored TO remedy this by constant
sympathy for the injured nation. We
who insisted on justice for Norway
were decried as traitors In Sweden.
and we had a bad time OF ii during
the years of 1880 to 1884. Now the
work of liberation is done, and II is
see one OF the ideals OF our youthful
dreams attained, while II grieyes us
TO note that Bjornson himself now de-
plores the accomplished fact. 1t was
all done without him and contrary to
his wishes-peace be unto his ashes!
But free Norway in these latter days
teaches us many thugs. We see a
tfa,s
the ministry, without monarch, with
out republican president, without an
interregnum. And all runs smoothly,
without a hitch. So easily are the ma
tons managed. Think what lot of
old fashioned apparatus we can dis
pense with in the shape of courts and
kings and presidentsl 1t was. indeed,
q huge joke when the Norwegians re-
quested that they be given Swedish
prince for ruler This is what they
had TO choose from--an inspector OF
cavalry, prince CarD, landscape
painted. prince Engene), and a naval
cadet prince Wilhelm). Let us Inn
agine old, recalcitrant Norway ruled
by young naval cadet! Still the mat
Very seriously. | hoisted "clean"
Swedish flag over my rented summer
cottage a few days ago. one without
the sign OF the union, for the one
brother has now ceased striking the
other At least. we hope So"
1t is surprising to any one familiar
with the situation that the press OF
the world will accept and print alarm
ing dispatches from Chrstiania hold
ing forth the imminent danger OF war
while the negotiations have barely be-
gun, and absolutely nothing Is known
from the preliminary sessions held In
Karlstad up to Sept. Z, when the COM
missioners by previous agreement adj
journed for one week. II ought TO be
plain to all that the question of peace
or war does not lie with the commits
sioners but with the Norwegian
storthlng and the Swedish riksdag;
and until they reassemble TO deal
with the commissioners proposals.
nothing can be decided finally one
way or the other. The commissioners
on both sides positively asserted that
they stand ready TO make reasonable
concessions in the interest Of peace
and that neither side has submitted
anything in the nature OF an ultima
tum. The latest rumors OF army
notifications on both sides OF the
border have the same complexion MS
those current last spring, and, more
over, there IS not one word OF official
information on which TO base bellicose
predictions
Hans Mathissen, young physician
OF Christiania, has been arrested ~
counterfeter. His friends allege that
he is feeble-mnded and should be
placed in an asylum and not I'm pris-
on. Mathissen has genius for
mechanics and is said TO have brooded
over the mistake made In his calling
mail clerk on the steamer Arendal
has been arrested at Bergen for steal
ing letters from the American mails.
Eighteen hundred letters were found.
opened, In his possession; most of
these, doubtless, contained remit
tances, but the amount stolen cannot
be ascertained.
a Swedish emlgrant who, with wife
and three children, has put up at
hotel in Trondhjem, disappeared dur
ing the night and was found In an
clubhouse with his throat cut. He was
a common laborer, and leaves his
family in desperate straits.