Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1911-08-04
An Interesting Letter From A. B..
Carlson.
Berlin, July Is, 1911.
MY Dear Mr.. Linn:


where we arrived very much behind
our schedule. But travelling, writing
and resting do not combine well with
me. In fact no two of them do
though our entire party is having an
elegant trip. Your LEADERS were
like hearing from home, tho we have
met American friends everywhere, so
it has not seemed at any time that
we we're so very far away. The most
pleasant of all such experiences was
at Oxford with Joe" Tetlie. | say
joe because when we called him
that he struck his knee with his hand
and exclaimed "Oh, that sounds good!
| haven't been called Joe since |
left home" Joe is doing finely and
Canton can well be proud Of him.
Now he said 'if only we could
have some of Mrs. Sogn's spring
chicken'-then / choked him off
those things make me homeslck.
We are now In Berlin and There is
no use attempting to describe this
city nor our trip. We would have to
buy someone's space and time. There
is so much to be said about the whole,
but tho we have admired other places
and other cities, we must take OH our
hats to this country and this city,
but with some reservations that 1t
would take long time to explain.
London, where we spent two weeks,
a proaf-jn DHftS,
other parts are disgrace to humanl-
ty. Other cities were excellent ana
kept us longer than we had intended,
but Berlin discounts the whole. 1t IS
a wonder and a revelation, but we
have made it point to study rural
conditions also and for that reason we
are not entirely carried away by the
magnitcence of this capitol. There
certainly Is an enormous amount OF
money spent in building these beau
titul streets, erecting the collosal
monuments, supporting all thl
grandeur, but someone must bear the
burden and that certainly does not
fall finally upon the Inhabitants or
this city. Yet so long as the soil
produces, and the laborer is willing,
why not build to the glory of the past
and to the pleasure of the present!
You can not have such magniticence
without someone footing the bill, and
what though the grain must be cut
with the reaper or the scythe, ana
the good man binds it by hand and
the faithful wife works in the held
with the fork while she might be
properly employed in the home, yet
all this magnificence must be support
ed and hence ''suffer, ye unfavored. :"
Well anyone could tell that we are
not fit for, to say nothing about be-
ing members of monarchy. An
archists would be mild name for us,
but enough OF this.
Iwas Just going to tell you that we
enjoyed our visit with the lrlshman,
happy and friendly in all his mlser-
able poverty, and we were glad to
escape alive from the crafty mongrels
who inhabit the beautiful land OF
Scott, whose boast now seems to be
it's few remnants of the grand old
people who were so justly admired;
we met some of the old type, they are
grand-but few now.
We we're loath to leave Old England
for we really wanted to be convinced
that they we're not the concerted,
Jealous, arrogant snobs of whom we
read, who love themselves so we'll
that they have no affection left for
others. There are all kinds OF
Englishmen and Americans. We
stayed long enough III Belgium to ad
mire their elegantly dressed men and
women and wondered at their leisure
and pleasure and apparent munltl-
cence, but when we were finally in
formed that all their elegant attire
was likely to be deposited in the
pawnbrokers shop to raise the necessl-
ties for family expenses for the en-
suing week, we betook US to the good
old fashioned, hard working, royal
Hollanders and of all people we have
seen we admire these the most. Next
to them come the Danes. but they
had supplied us with such abominable
weather that we could have enjoyed
our stay with them more. For in
dustry, sobriety, patient struggling
against hard, unfavorable environ
ments we doff our hat to the Holland
er, the Dane and the Norwegian.
The Norwegians! After visiting
their barren mainland, their impover-
ished fields; seeing the bitter obstacles
under which they have labored and
having seen what they have accomp-
lished, we understand why they were
called the "hardy Norseman," and,
too, why they love their country SO
we'll. l wish, Colonel, you could see
the young children growing up there.
They are the brightest, fullest OF
energy that we have seen anywhere
they seem to be growing up to be
magnificent. The middle aged seem
more depressed, and so on to maturi'
ty. stultified by lack of opportunity
so it impressed US. If they only hao
chance.
Thru Sweden we took long triE
,ua 7 waS ahoIIr to be very favOraDlI