The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-07-07
OF INTEREST TO
SCAND|NAv|ANS
Recent Happenings in This Coun-
Try and Abroad.
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There are large number of Nor
wegian-Americans at home in good
old Norway for a visit this summer
They come from all parts of the
United States. but principally from the
DakOtas, Minnesota and the Western
states. There are especially a large
number of Dakotans and Minnesotans
there this season. Dakota, especial
ly North Dakota, has the largest per-
centage of Norwegians of any state
in the Union and naturally a large
number of the home returning. visitors
are from that state. A great many
of the visitors have been gone in
or more and it is natural that they
find great many changes even in and
around their homes in the country dis
tricts. The home visits of Norwegian
Americans always results in score
for America, for in nearly every in
stance Norwegian-American seldom
visits his mother land without bring
ing some one with him when he re-
turns.
Norwegians need not fear that the
claims of the Danes that Gagner Rolf
was Dane has any effect on the peo-
pie of France. The French will not
let agitation interfere with their one
thousand years celebration at Rouen
and they proceed on the old theory
that Gagner Rolf was a Norwegian,
born near Aalesund, Norway. A big
granite monument has been shipped
from Norway as token of friendship
and good feeling, to be erected In
ROuen and that city in turn has sent
a monument of Gagner Rolf, to be
erected at his birthplace in Aalesund.
The time originally fixed for the big
celebration was postponed on account
Of the killing of the French minister
of war in balloon wreck and at the
present time it is not known just .ex-
will open.
The United Norwegian church has
just completed it's twenty-second an
nual meeting in st. Paul, MINI. The
following are the new officers: Pres
ident, Rev. T. H. Dahl; vice president,
Rev. N. ]. Ellestad; secretary, Rev. ].
G. ROseland; treasurer, Erik Waldo
land. There were thirty-three new
congregations admitted. Most of these
are in Canada. Eighteen graduates
of the seminary at st. Anthony were
ordained. Within the space of one
year almost 100000 has been raised
towards the ministerial Annuity
Fund" This synod is very active in
it's mission work, having raised for
the home and mission fund during the
past year the sum of $142,733.17.
There is a good deal of opposition
in Norway to the public school sys-
tenn, that is the educational methods
that have been in vogue for many
years and which even obtain at the
present time. 1t is claimed by good
many persons that so called book
knowledge units the children for prac-
tical life. So much interest is taken
in this question that a great many of
the Norwegian papers are printing ex-
tensive articles on the subject.
A labor union male chorus from
Stockholm visited Christiania about
two weeks ago and gave concert in
the Meyer Street Mission House,
which was filed to its utmost capac-
ity. This is the first time in many
years that a Swedish male chorus has
visited the Norwegian capital. The
chorus is unusually well received in
Norway and has been giving concerts
in Bergen, Trondhjem and other cities
of the country
Norway will benefit from the recent
reduction in tariffs on her exported
articles to Germany. There will be
substantial reduction on lingon ber-
ries, window frames, doors, traps,
pulp, all kinds of stone and marble
works, horseshoe nails, etc.
A new treaty between Norway and
Japan has just been closed, making
trade relations between the two coun-
tries far more practical than they
have been hitherto.
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When Bishop Won Scheele was in
Palestine in 1898, as a travelling
companion of Emperor William, he
felt sorry that "the most evangelical
of all Protestant nations, the Swedish
people," had no share in the evange-
lization of the Holy Land. On his re-
turn he laid the matter before King
Oscar, who, in May, 1900, accepted
the protectorship of the Swedish
Jerusalem Society" The object was
to win over the native population OF
Palestine to Christianity by means OF
educational and charitable institu-
lions. Work began in 1903, with
primary day school at Jerusalem,
whose teacher was German deacon
ess until 1910, when the daughter OF
q Swedish pastor took her place. In
1904 a medical mission was estab.
lished at Bethlehem in connection
with the English and German mis-
sions there. DR.. G. Won Ribbing
l. h