The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1909-12-10

an OBJECT OF lQlo curiosity W tno
country swains and occasional vis-
itors from the cities and villages.
/. Then came Hjalmar Rued Rol-
land. He was a young scholar of
Norwegian ancestry and full of en-
thusiasm for Norwegian lore and
literature. He had taken a keen
interest in the discussion pertain
ing to the Kensington rune stone
from the start, and believed with
the majority that it was spurious.
A few years ago he became "Saga-
skriver" (historian) for the Nor
wegian Society of America, organ
lied in Minneapolis ii 1908, and
in, that capacity travelled about in
Norwegian American settlements
in quest of historic data pertain
ing to Norwegian pioneers.
About four years ago he visited
this section of Minnesota, and, be-
ing curious, proceeded to the
Gilman farm. He spent several
hours with Ohman, questioned
him as to all the particulars con-
nected with the finding of the
stone and as to his scholaristic at
tainments. Mr.. Holland had
heard about a mysterious Black
Book (svarteboken) which Gilman
had in his possession, from which
his Scandinavian neighbors
believed he had derived the
learning that enabled him to
carve such an inscription on the
fat trap-rook; this book he was
given permission to examine, and
found it to be nothing but an old
Swedish reader, which contained a
few runish characters, which, how
ever, were decidedly different from
those on the Kensington rune
stone.
There was something sturdy
and straightforward about Olaf
Gilman that appealed strongly to
Mr.. Holland, and he became con-
vinced that this man was honest
that he would never think of per-
petrating a fraud upon>the public
even though able to prepare such
an inscription, which seemed high
" absurd.
Gilman also took kindly to Mr..
Holland, and made him q present
of the stone, and it has been in
his keeping till a week or so ago,
when the owner turned it over to
the Minnesota Historical society
in consideration of a promise that
it's officers would devote some
time and means to an investiga-
ton.
Mr.. holland had given some at
tention to Old Morse runes, and
after obtaining possession Of the
Kensington stone prosecuted
further studies along the same
lines with a persistence and vigor
characteristic Of the man 80 that
in year or moro he became some.
what Of an ''expert" or authority
on such matters. The better
versed he became in runic insorip-
tions the more convinced he was
that the Kensington stone is gen.
uine.
In happy moment the thought
occurred to him that the language
Of the inscription is not Old Morse
of the tenth, eleventh or twelfth
century, but Swedish southern
Swedish of the thirteenth or four
teenth century; and on investiga-
tion he found a marked similarity
between the language on the rune
stone and that in letters written in
southern Sweden at the time mem
toned.
Upon the advancement Of this
theory, the scotfsrs listened, first
with lively interest and later with
no little creduslity. Holland visit
ed this section If Minnesota again
in the winter Of 1908 and at Elbow:
\ Lake discovered another rune
stone, which formed part of tho.
foundation Of 4 granary g i y
wide. fat stone, with runic char
acters forming : circle around the