The pioneer express., 1909-06-18
NORWAY.

There were ten inches of snow at
Terningmoen May 8. Not bare
spot was to be seen anywhere.
The Norwegian submarine boat
Kobben, which was built at Kiel, Ger
many. was launched May S.
It is reported that the condition of
Bishop Bangs health is not favorable,
having recently changed for the
worse.
Bishop Wexelsen has issued a cir
cular letter to the various congrega-
tions of his diocese, urging a more
practical Christianity.
Carl Lumholtz is to undertake an
other expedition to Mexico. He will
not be accompanied by any of his
countrymen, but will employ native
Mexican guides.
Rev. o. Puntervold, the seamen's
pastor. has been appointed director of
the soldiers home at Jordtadsmoen,
and will also serve as pastor for the
| soldiers stationed in that military dis
trict.
The Norwegian sailors employed in
foreign waters show disposition to
save their earnings, az is shown by
the fact that since the opening of
this year, they have already sent
some $4,000 crowns to the officers Of
the Norwegian Seamen's society.
In the hope Of putting an end to
the theft of evergreens for use as
Christmas trees, the directors of the
Akershus Society of Foresters are
thinking Of buying or leasing parcel
of land to be planted to evergreens
with which to supply the demand for
Christmas trees.
The saw mills in the vicinity of
/ Fredrikstad are now running at full
blast and are expected to turn out an
unusually large supply of lumber
during the season. The demand for
Norwegian woodwork is steadily in
creasing in all European countries,
where orders have already been
placed.
I mentioned the fact last week
that about three times as many emf
grants left Norway by tie way of
Trondhjem in February, 1909, as dur
ing February, 1908. 1t is now an
nounced that 1,249 emigrants left by
the way Of Christiania in April, 1909,
us against 643 during the same month
a year ago. OF these 217 were resi-
dents of the capital city. AS stated
last week, the cause of the marked
, Increase in the number of emigrants
is the return of prosperity in
America. A year ago the reports
that reached Norway from America.
as to business conditions, were very
dsscouraging, and, in consequence, a
! large percentage of the prospective
emigrants remained in Norway. Now
they are leaving, as the reports from
America are favorable. It seems that
the efforts of the Anti-emigration So
ciety of Norway are not meeting with
success.
The battle between the "rigsmaal"
(the Danno- Norwegian language), and
the "landsmaal' (the Norwegian
peasant dialect), to which have
made repeated reference in the past,
still goes merrily on, with Former
Premier Lovland as the leader of the
"maalstraevere." He delivered a
lecture in favor of the ."landsmaal' at
Larvik, early in May, but found such
strong sentiment for the "rigsmaal"
in that section. that he spoke in
more guarded and moderate tone
than usual.
In this connection it may be timely
to say that efforts have been made by
certain leaders to get the "Norske
selskab Amerika" (the Norwegian
Society of America), to go on record
against the "landsmaal," but this
move met with such strenuous oppo-
sition within the society that the
idea has been abandoned. The mat
ter was up for consideration at a
meeting of the society at Moorhead.
Mimi, May II last.
SWEDEN.