Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1911-10-25
WRITES LET Ter !
].
FROM SWEDEN

FROM SWEDEN
Charles Lonn Tells Of His Trip
10 Stockholm and Other
Points.
Bronas, Sweden, Sept. 80.
Editor Tribune:
Well, here I am back to Bronas
again. Referring to my first letter
published in the Tribune, will say I
stayed in Smaland about a month
Had a good time visiting relatives
and number of Swedish Americans
who have bought farms here. One
OF the unusual things to me was the
lobster industry. Using bicycle
lamp for a torch, one can wade in
the water and pick them up with
ones hands. For the novelty of the
thing | joined two others on a lob
ster hunting expedition. We were
out until quite late and caught 1875
big Holsters. Some of these were
served the next day at picnic party
held in the pine woods by Misses
Hulda and Julia Lagerquist. At 9TH
er times took part in the work in the
rye and hay fields, went boat riding
and went swimming in the Lake Sa-
land. There is not as large farms
here as in Vesterg0tland. Farming
IS done on smaller scale. I saw
quite few oxen used for work. A
good deal of numbering is done here
and there are number of furniture
manufacturers here and paper and
saw mills and most Of the product is
sent to foreign countries. Near
Hvetlanda is built a big dam and
power station costing over a million
crowns, which transmits electric
power to towns around it. It fur
nishes over 5000 horse power. The
water is retained by dam and led
thru tunnel cut thru the solid rock,
the fall being q meters. The cur
rent is used for light in town about
33 miles away. On July End 1 went
to the Hvetlanda church. I found it
a very fine and substantial building.
It has been rebuilt lately and is new
ly painted. Inside there is lot of
pictures painted on the walls and
ceiling, representing bible scenes.
There is a fine pipe organ. | found
the churches in Smaland in better
shape than those in Vasterg0tland
that l saw, especially the one at
North Harene and Asaka. On Au-
gust 9th I took in a funeral at Hvet-
landa. Hare invitations are issued
to funeral. They send you an IA
vitation card and usually dinner is
served at the house. At this time we
were served at a kind Of restaurant.
Every man wears 4 high silk hat and
the friends cring flowers.
On August 9Th I went to town and
ordered a tailor made suit. This
cost me 48 crowns or about $500.
The same suit would cost about $50
in America. On the Ind Of August
I went from Smaland to Stockholm.
Ny uncle, Gustaf, went with me as
far as Sandsj0 to see his daughter
who lives there. We stopped over
one night. Sandsj0 is known for it's
furniture manufacturing. Both my
father and myself were born in this
community. The following day we
left for the capital city. Passing
thru Osterg0tland on the 23rd we
saw the farmers reaping the grain
with binders and reapers. This look
ed better to me than in stony Sma-
land with it's stumps. Here I saw
them threshing in the fields, with
straw stacks and hay stacks out
doors. In Smaland in most places
all the grain is threshed inside with
horse power or motors. AS we came
near Stockholm the scenery is beau
tiful. It is certainly a fine city To-
Gated as it is on islands and PENN
sulas. Good lodging may be had in
Stockholm for 111a crowns or 40c a
day and good meal could be had
for one crown, which consists Of cof-
fee, milk, tea or chocolate, potatoes,
gravy, beef steak, eggs, butter and
bread. On. the 25th I attended the
Royal Opera and had a grand time,
There were about 200 performers on
the stage. Tickets cost from 1112 to
Is crowns. On the 28th I was to
Skansen all day. Here were so many
things to. see it would require your
whole paper to describe it. On the
29th l took in the Northern Museum
which is filed with interesting things
For instance here you might see the
horse on which Gustavus Adolphus
rode when he was killed at Lutzer
and the clothes that he wore at tht
time. Another object that interested
me was a pistol presented to the King
.lby President Lincoln. On the 29tl
we were to Saltsj0baden, which is 10.
|cated some distance out Of town. w,
made the trip on a fine steamer, pass.