Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1910-10-18
THE LAND OF THE MIDNIGHT
SUN.

Last evening, w. W. Albers gave
an address before the Mems league
of the Presbyterian church. Hi:
theme was ''The Land of the Mid
night Sum-" There was a large at
tendance, and the address was one Of
the most interesting and instructive
ones ever given before the club, AND
all present enjoyed rich treat.
Mr.. and Mrs. Albers spent the sum.
mer in Europe. 1t is their third TRIP
abroad and this time in their travels
they went up to the highest point OF
Norway and viewed the setting of the
midnight sun. Mr.. Albers gave q
brief description of that beautiful
country, of its plateaus, valleys, gorges
and lakes, rivers and water falls, and
of its coast with indented fjords.
Mr.. and Mrs. Albers left Copenhagen
on July 1st for the northern coast OF
| Norway. The description of their
travels was, at times, very amusing.
They reached the Norwegian frontier
on the night of the same day. They
spent some time in the city of Chris
tiana, capital of Norway, visiting
many noted places. On the morning
of July 4th they left that city for
Myrdal. Mr.. Albers told of the ways
of travel in Norway, stating that you
have 20 get reserved seat in the din
ing car; the various conyeyances for
getting about, the principal one being
Stolkjaerre, which is a little two
wheel gig, its seat being about as wide
as that OF an ordinary buggy and quite
comfortable for two persons. 1t is
drawn by Norwegian ponies. Another
| carriage is CaleSche, which is similar
to one of our hacks; the roads of Nor
way are the finest in the world and
are about like our macadamiZed
| streets. He said the real Norwegian
scenery was wild and wierd beyond
| description. He told of their trip to
| the north along the coast of Norway,
in steamers and by railroad and teams
| on land, stopping at the large cities
and taking short drives to points of
| interest; ascending mountains and
going through beautiful valleys. He
| dwelt upon the country life of the
Norwegians; of the way in which the
land is utilized; how harvests are
aeaped; country schools, etc. On
Thursday, July It'll, they started from
Tronhbyem on seven days cruise 10
North Cape and return. They made
numerous stops, one at Hammerfest,
the northernmost city of the world,
and where the sun does not set be-
tween May 18th and the 10Th of July.
1t is impossible to do justice to this
excellent address by any sort of a syn
opsis and the PILOT can only give the
closing paragraphs in full, which de-
scribes the setting of the midnight
sun at North Cape:
CARRYING at North Cape about nine
O'Clock P. NJ, the steamer anchored
toward the east side and the pasSen-
gers were taken to shore in small
boats. Here began an arduous climb
of about one thousand feet; but we
were fully rewarded for our eXertions.
We had our photograph taken by
the light of the sun shining directly
from the north at midnighG.
"The sight that ismost eagerly looked
forward to by tourists to the North
Cape is that celestial display-the
midnight sun. Nothing can distract
the mind in the strange hour of mid
night-the hour between sleep and
waking-while contemplating that ex-
panse of water and sky over which
the sun holds sway. Many traveller
has sought to paint in words the wierd
splendor of the scene, when at mid
night the glorious orb of day in purple
hue, hangs above the horizon, diffus-
ing over all a rich yet mysterious glow,
which has about it an affect that
words cannot describe.
''The light is that of day, but it is
not day, and all nature seems to sleep
as though shrouded in darkness. The
impression cannot be communicated,
but the mere picture has been define
ated by many enthusiasts, but by
nobody better than Bayard Taylor
who writes thus:
'Eddies of returning birds cleaned
golden in the nocturnal sun, like
drifts of birch leaves in the October
air. Far to the north the sun lay in
bed of saffron light over the clear
horizon of the Arctic ocean. A few
bars of dazzling orange clouds fioated
above me, and still higher in the sky,
where the saffron melted through
delicate rose colors into blue, light
wreaths of vapor touched with pearly
opaline Pushes of pink and golden
grey.
""The sea was web of pale slate
color, shot through and through with
threads of orange and saffron, from
the dance of a myriad Of shifting and
twinkling ripples. The air was filled
and permeated with the soft, mysteri-
Gus glow, and between the headlands
stood the midnight sun shining on us
with subdued fires and with the
| UOrUnOuS rOlOrinp of an hour for