The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-10-22
AN
IMPETUOUS YOUTH
Famous Norwegian's Student
Days Well Remembered BY a
Prominent Madison Lawyer.
Special to The Journal.

Special to The Journal. ~~
Madison, Wis, Oct. 21.-Jacob See
man, prominent retired lawyer of this
city, has probably known Bjornstjerne
Bjornson, the great Norwegian poet and
patriot, better than any other man in
this country. For three years Bjornson
was engaged to Seeman's elder sister,
and during that time and afterward the
two young men were very intimate and
congenial. -.'.,
Seeman's father was German, and
came to Norway from Germany as an
engineer to build the first windmill in
Norway. Afterwards he settled there,
turned merchant and became very pros
porous. An unwise speculation and the
Endorsement of a friend s note cost him
$4,000 and left him bankrupt. The
children were obliged to 90 to work, and
the elder daughter, seeing an advertise
ment for a governess by Rev. Peter
Bjornson, 'journeyed a distance of 100
miles to near Christiania and obtained
the position. in the pastor s family. -
One Of the children was the future
poet and dramatist, then university stu
dent. Fru Seeman had studied music
in Copenhagen and Germany, and be-
ing an exceptionally fine pianist, the
young man spent much of his time in
her company and the two were soon en-
gagged 6 aLever piornson m.s Than .nn+ j.
poor student and could rot think of
marriage till after graduation. In a
year the young woman returned home
and thereafter Bjornson spent his sum-
mer vacations at her father s place. Mr..
Seeman describes him Their as large,
handsome, fine fellow, whose outspoken
impulsive nature often made him an I'M
comfortable companion but knit men
strongly to him. He was of highly
emotional and responsive nature, as an
incident amusing enough proved. One
afternoon the family was startled by
hearing the sound Of uproarious laugh:
something heavy falling. Mrs. Seemar
and the children rushed to the room, to
find young Bjornsen sprawling over the
keyboard of the piano and laughing as
if possessed. He was affected with g
skin disease at the time and his face
was covered with blotches.
In the rush Of blood to his face thru
the laughing fit these blotches turned
black and seemed threatening to burst
giving him wild, almost diabolical
appearance. Not knowing whether il
was a mere laughing tit or an apopleptit
attack of some kind. Mrs. Seeman was
Ojl HtiiS to1ll VI. apply Ing SoIuo ISIIGu>
when Bjornson managed to stammer ou1
that he had simply read passage il
| Dickens and had been overcome by it'
| humor.
! The book was tsPickwick Papers, ;
| which had just been translated ant
placed on the Norwegian market. Short
| ly afterward, while temporarily ava,
from his sweetheart's home, Bjornsoi
| burst a blood-vessel in his exuberanc,
of spirits, ard word was sent he
that he was dying. She hurried to hi
bedside and helped nurse him back t,
strength.
/ While at the home of his betrothed
/ Bjornson, because Of his wildness an,
/ impetuous nature, became involved il
much trouble with his neighbors an,
/ wrote many sartiricaI articles an,
pamphlets. His sweetheart tired of tn
constant turmoil and the scrapes int,
which her gifted but cratic lover wa
/ always plunging, and finally broke of
i the engagement. Later she was mar
ried to surgeon in the Norwegian
army, son of the commander of Fred
| ricksten', one of the frontier fortresses
4 which, under the dissolution treaty jus
| formed with Sweden. must now be par
TALLY destroyed. She has been dea,
for years.
Bjornson went his way, became ia