Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1911-08-02
NOUS RUh EST0 ONE
Falls 70 Appeal 70 tho Scientific Men
h: sof Europe. Nilnchsll Defends
7. Its Authenticity.

q AW0 ~ lapp0dy ~ lJs0 0Ct0sIlSusC ~
~ Of Europe. vvlnchell Defends
It's Authenticity.
The following dispatch appeared
in Thursday nights Minneapolis
Journal:
Christiania, Norway, July 81
Norway refuses to accept as genuine
the "rune stone" from Kensington,
Mimi, which has been on exhibition
for q few days at the Christiania
university.
Professor Hiegstad Of the univer-
| sity an expert in the runic letters
and in the old Morse language, took
the floor after a lecture by H. R..
Holland, who brought the stone here,
and pointed out reasons why, he as
serted, the stone could not be genu-
inc. DR.. Heigstad declared that it
must have been made as late as 1865.
The similar endings Of the verbs
in the singular plural was unknown
in the olden times, Professor Heig-
stad said, but have resulted from
modernization Of the language in the
last century. The expression "op-
dagelses expedition" expedition Of
discovery, was unknown 400 years
ago, he declared and had not been
used earlier than tho year 1900. For
these and several other reasons
Professor Heigstad pronounced that
stone a fraud and requested that no..
thing he had said be used to convey
the idea for even minute he had be-
lieved the stone to be genuine.
Other points were raised by DR..
Wallem, in attacking the claims made
in regard to the stone, and these
points We're not cleared by Mr.. Ho-
land to the satisfaction Of the scien-
lists attending the meeting.
In his lecture, Mr.. Holland told Of
1.-THE discovery on Minnesota farm
land gave his reading Of the in
Iscription, which sets forth that a
Norwegian expedition Of discovery
reached Minnesota from the old
country in 1862. "a
Mr.. Holland, has been the object
Iof much interest here and has Sc
cured much publicity. He has vis-
lifted the newspapers and given inter
view after interview about the stone,
lsaying it has been accepted as genu-
line by the Minnesota Historical So
ciety and by large majority Of Am
erican scientists. " .- s.5: W..
The press has treated Mr.. Holland
land the Kensingston stone with
Iskepticism from the start and it is
now asserted that the story will new
Fer be accepted in this country. Mr..
Holland did not lose courage, and is
. returning to the United States with
the stone, saying that his country
men in Norway are .prejudiced
against him. ,... :. s.s..
Fridays Journal contained the fol-
lowing communication, supposedly
from the pen of N. H. Winchell.
Minnesota State Geologist:
THE RHINESTONE IN NORWAY.
To the Editor Of The Journal:
Il / read the "Speciap in last nights
: Journal with much interest and yer,
q soon reached the conclusion that il
Twas sent by some one who could civ,
! only an exparte opinion.
i: Personal information concerning
1.-The temper of the "scientists' VIII,
" were present at the meeting in tn
g University Of Christiania, when TIL
rhinestone was :. considered, gives
[,lquite different impression of tn,
. result. Professor Hagstad, VIII
|spoke against the stone, like PROBES
!, |sor B., is an old enemy Of the stone
: and attempted to justify his position
u but exhibited such nonfamiliarit,
! with the subject that the audience
i |greeted his statements with kissing
!. Professor Koht thought the inscrip
l ton must be genuine if the stone wa
in stu in 1890. The other profes
|, lsors would not express any opinion
although some Of them had like Pro
}, fessors B and Hagstad, previousl,
|, Icondemned the stone without investi
igation. If the remarks Of Professo
/, Hagstad, which were Missed by hi.
: own people, and the silence Of all tn,
/; lother professors Of the University Q:
|, Christiana, can be interpreted, as tn,
q voice Of Norway against the stone
!, as appears to be the opinion Of tn,
d correspondent who sent the "spec.
i, iap' message to The Journal, it il
e plain that the scholars Of Norwa,
h are not in good standing with tn,
rlgreat audience which gathered al
5 the university. It is best for tn,
scholars of America to hesitate il
!. forming their opinion Of the scholars
Of Norway until they hear othe1
than exparte reports. IN. H. W..
Minneapolis, July %.
It was to be. expected that this
rhinestone would meet with the same
skepticism in the old countries as il
did at first in America, and even
more so on account Of the tendency