The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1907-11-21
Recent Occurrences Of Interest
in Sweden, Norway and
Denmark.
DEATH CALLS OTTO sAL0M0N
Originator of the Worlds Greatest
School for Sloyd Dies at Mas
His characteristics.
SWEDEN.
Stockholm.

Otto Solomon, founder OF the famous
pioneer school Of instruction in sloyd,
or manual training at Mas, and inter-
nationally kown as an expert in the
system, is dead. He was born in 1S49
and his school was founded in 1868.
Thousands of pupils are now studying
| sloyd in various parts of the world.
Says The Journal (Minneapolis) regard
ing the great Swedish educator: "Herr
Otto Solomon, the unsalaried director
of the worlds greatest school for
sloyd, situated deep in the forest at
Mas, Sweden, is dead. There has
thus passed from earth one Of the
who leaves his impress on the educa-
tiGnal system Of nearly every civilized
country of the world, and whose name
takes it's glorious place alongside those
Of Froebel and PestalozZi. If not the
originator Of sloyd, an honor which
perhaps belongs to his uncle, Abraham
Solomon, who bought the medieval
castle and estate at Mas and set his
nephew to teaching manual training,
he was the man who taught the world
the necessity of training the hands Of
the child. He soon saw that school
to train teachers was better than a
mere school of manual training for
children. This he established near
his castle, and he made the course so
attractive and the expense 50 light
that he was soon sending forth into
the schools of Sweden we'll equipped
teachers of 'sloyd,' which is the Swed-
ish word for skill and finds it's Eng.
fish equivalent in the word 'sleight,'
now almost exclusively used in the ex
preston 'sleight of hand 1t was pos
sible for a poor teacher to take a full
six weeks course at Mas at total
expense Of SIS. Sloyd soon spread
through all Sweden, and then demands
began to come from other countries
for some of Salomon's teachers. Manu-,
al training is today vital feature of
the educational systems of many coun.
for this fact is due to the wealthy and
cultured Swedish Jew who has just
closed bis long career Of usefulness.
It has been said of him that he was
in instinct an aristocrat, but in peda-
gogy democrat. The peasants who
worked his estates for him crooked
the knee reverently when his carriag &c
passed. just as their ancestors did for
the lord Of Mas in the seventeenth
century. Feudalism still survives in
the country districts Of Sweden. And
yet the coat of arms which adorned
his carriage andwas emblazoned every
where consisted of hammer, a spoke
shave and a compass. Absolute
equality was insisted upon in his
school, to which of late years have
journey pilgrims from all countries III
search of training in sloyd. The fare
was so severely plain and simple that
American pupils often asked him to
furnish better food and charge more.
But he answered that the school was
primarily for poor Swedish teachers.
who could not afford better fare and
he would have no distinctions among
bis pupils Doubtless Herr Salomon's
sons will carry on the work at Mas.
just as his disciples are carrying it on
In schools all over the world"
A few days ago the promoting firm
Of Watson & Co. failed with liabilities
of nearly 100000 crowns $1,25O OOO>.
Stock took decided slump and the
Karl Malmberg company, owning
three sugar factories, and the largest
pork exporting firm in Sweden. with
a capital of 100000 crowns (S2.5OO.
OOO) was reported to be in difficulties.
This resulted in scare and other
firms were reported to be close to
bankruptcy.
The German minister in Stockholm.
Won Muller, has been transferred to
The Hague and his successor in Stock
holm will be Count Won Puckler. who
is envoy at Luxembourg at present The
secretary at the German legation
Baron H. Won Benchendorf, will also
leave Stockholm in the near future.
having been appointed secretary to
Prussian legation in Munchen, succeed
ing the late Baron Won Werthen.
DIR. Helmar Key, the we'll known
and popular editor of the Svenska
Dagbladet, will in the near future re-
sign from his position as editor-in-
chief of that paper and will be sue
ceeded by Mr.. G. Zethelius, who is one
Of the heaviest stockholders of the
Svenska Dagbladet.
A new tenor of first magnitude has
made his debut at the Royal Opera in
the person of Hugo Waldorf. His
singing has created much attention
among the Stockholm theater-goine
public and most brilliant future is
predicted for this talented young
singer
The author and Journalist, Wilhelm
Granath, died in Stockholm last month.
He was born in 1866 and a wife and
son survive him. He has written =
number of historic novels which
proved Immensely popular.
NORWAY.