The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1908-01-03
NORWAY.

SOASA AOuICu. lOl IuS use VI Luc ldlulllcS
of the sailoors who persisted ON the
ill.starred Fritchof by one of the Ger
man passengers on board the Laura,
to rescue which the unfortunate crew
sailed forth. The prince of Morocco
has contributed 1000 crowns for the
same purpose.
The government of Norway is do
ing it's share in fighting tuberculosis,
which has made inroads into that
country as well as elsewhere in spite
Of it's bracing climate. About 100000
crowns of the governments money
was contributed to hospitals and sani-
tariums for the care Of consumptives
IN 1906.
There is almost as keen mourning
throughout Norway as in Sweden over
che death of King Oscar. The people
nave not forgotten the noble stand
taken by the late king in the crisis of
1905, and they regard his rule in gen.
eral as just and generous to both
countries. All the leading papers have
published tributes to his memory.
The Mission Society of Norway has
issued it's report for the year 1906.
The income of the society was $4,000
crowns-a sum so large that the So
ciety was able to wipe out deficiency
of 100000 crowns from the preceding
year and still have a surplus of 24,15O
crowns in it's treasury, after the pay
ment of all expenses. 1t appears that
229 persons were converted by the mis-
sionaries of the society in Zulu, 7,O45
in Madagascar, and AZ in China.
The number of letters handled by
the postofices of Norway is rapidly
increasing. Last year 71,499,OOO let
tiers were distributed, which is 3,0O0,-
900 in excess of the number handled
in 1905, 100000 more than in 1904,
and 10000 more than in 1903. Ten
years ago only about 35,OOO,O0O letters
passed through the mails of Norway
and twenty years ago the number did
not exceed 22,000,000. The receipts
of the postoffice department in 1906
were 6,705,00O crowns and the dis
bursements were 5,844,OO0 crowns.
The official opening of the Bergen
Christiania railway, which was to have
taken place Dec. 16, was indefinitely
postponed on account of a heavy snow
storm, which caused an extended
blockade up in the mountainous por-
ton, where the road is over 1000 feet
above the sea level.
This railway will be of the greatest
importance to Norway, uniting as it
does the two principal commercial
centers of the country and Eastern
and Western Norway, which have
hitherto been connected only by the
sea, commercially speaking.
Mrs. Eva Sars hansen, the wife of
DR.. Fritchof Nansen, the famous ex-
plorer and diplomat, died at her home
in Christiania. She leaves a family of
five young children, besides her hus-
band, and her death is peculiarly
sad one. She was the daughter of
Prof. Sars, the we'll known scholar,
and lady of rare culture and refine
ment. Her home was one of the
brightest in the land, and the sympa-
thy of the people goes out to the be-
reaved husband, who had planned to
resign his position as ambassador to
Great Britain in order to return to
Norway and spend the rest of his life
in the bosom of his family. DR.. Nan
sen was not present at his wifcs
death.
Bjornstjerne Bjornson, Norway's
famous poet, celebrated the seventy
fifth anniversary of his birthday on
the 9th of this month, and the day was
duly commemorated in the principal
cities of the country, as well is by
various literary societies in foreign
countries. AS will be remembered, he
celebrated his golden jubilee as an au-
thor last summer and he was then the
recipient of gifts and kilograms of
congratulations from all parts of Eu.
rope. A memorial edition of his CON-
plete works has been issued by the
Publishing house of Copen-
hagen, which has had the honor of
giving, to the world ali the poets
works from 1857 to the present, begin
ming with ''Synnove Solbakken." The
venerable poet is still active and Wig
orous. He takes deep interest in all
the political and sociological questions
Of the day. One of his latest PROPOSE
lions is to establish new university
in Norway, the old University of
Christiania having incurred his dis
pleasure by its recognition Of the
peasant tongue, the adoption of which,
as the official literary language Of the
country, he vigorously opposes.