The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1906-08-24
The SCaodioaviaos in America.

Herbert N. Casson has an article
on "The Scandinavians in America'
in the current issue of Munsey's
Magazine. tits short and gives 6
truly flattering statement of the
Scandinavian population in this
country, and especially Minnesota
Each of the three Scandinavian ma
tions is given separate mention, in
which the national traits are de.
scribed and the leading men are
named. OF the Danes it is said:
"The Danes are a peace-1oving
good natured people. You will
search through many public in.
stitution before you find one. They
are seldom winners of the big prizes
in the race for wealth, not because
they lack force, but because their
energies are used for higher things
Their bumps of acquisitiveness are
low" E.<sz=y. r, +#s
The Norwegians get this bouquet
>"Next come the *l1igh spirited Nor,
wegians. They number about twice
as many as the Danes and two-thirds
as many as the Swedes. No race
makes a~nobler type of American
than these proud, free-natured peo.
pie. In the isolated valleys of bheir
homeland they have learned to be
independent OF authority,
"rhey think their own thoughts
and live their own lives. They have
fought for centuries with the noun
tains and the sea, and finally have
developed a type of national char
acter which all the world respects.
In the cold, clear air of Norway the
germ of servility sickens and dies"
And the third branch of the ia m
lily gets this:
"Passing on to the Swedes, we find
"a great army of 100000, half of
whom were born in Sweden. Next
to Stockholm, Chicago has more
Swedes than any other city: in the
world. New York has nearly $4,000
as many as its total population a
century ago. And Minneapolis has
10000 or more. :. 1t is a simple fact;
and not flattery, to say that pros
perity follows the Swedes. They are
neither lazy and seldom unskilled.
They mix brains and muscle. No
people produces a smaller proper.
tiou of drudges and kickers. They
go at their work with vim and cheer:
fulness, whether|the pay envelope
be thick or thin" -. ~.. .>>> 3
In conclusion the writer sums up
all thepraise for the subject of his
article in the following laudatory
Climax: Ia sz<S. r.. F.: 81 III. I:
"Such are the Scandinavians-the
artistic Danes, the practical Swedes,
and independent Norweg,;ans. They
have won the highest respect from
all other Americans, by deserving
it. They are honest, industrious,
wholesome people. They make no
trouble. There is not Scandinav-
j ian sslnm in any American city.
In morality and ii intelligence
they rankwith the best sof ua, They
are al. readers,not only ofztheir own
nlewspap apers, Of which they have 14o
but ofspapers and magazines IA gen. en-
exal. !, q. @ 5a:..s,: 80 - -
q Eve have been obliged to- raise
the-barriers against certainsclasses
of foreign immigrants; but so far
as the scandinavians are CONCERNED
the they have a standing invitation 10
I come pm across the water and join the
100000 Of their own people. who ii (, are 4
here now. In fact, il is safe TO say
that 4 the whole three nations de:
cided TO move; bagsand baggage. "a
the United5 States, we would throw
alIgatee wide open and give them
81 hearty welcome.