Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1911-03-01

Coming from America the first city
you strike in Norway is Christiansand
After very pleasant journey over the
ocean and the North sea, we arrived
about 10 o'clock in the evening at
Chrissiansand in the broad daylight on
July Sd. The pier was crowded with
people eager to see all the tourists from
England and America. Christiansand
is quite city, having a great traffic
with other lands as il is the most south
ern port of Norway. AS we go along
the coast passing the cities of Arendai.
kragero and Laurvig, we pass into the
Christiania ford, q narrow bay eighty
four miles long. We pass pretty vii
lagos on both sides of this bay, Horton,
Moss and Drobak.
Coming nearer Christiania we know
every bay and island, having rowed and
sailed there from childhood till we were
twenty-four years old. 1t was with
tears in our eyes that we passed our
childhood homes, Blegoen and Karls-
borg. The valley that surrounds Chris
tiania is one of the most fertile and
charming of Norway and has a merited
reputation even in foreign countries.
Tourists speak with rapture and admir-
alton of the charming surroundings of
Christiania. The rich grain fields and
meadows, the numerous heights, every
one of which has its tidy country home
or snug farm surrounded by flower gar
dens and orchards. The numerous hand
some summer residences that adorn
both sides of the bay, surrounded by
ridge of hills wood-clad to their tops
that in the form of an amphitheatre
close round the smiling country, which
rises in gentle slopes towards them,
whilst in the middle of it the bay
spreads its brilliant surface dotted with
numerous islands and ships, form a pic
ture well calculated to make the most
| agreeable impression on the spectator,
that will last long after he has left the
place. We sailed whole day in a yacht
between these islands where we know
every shoal and shallow. The evenings
are so light that you seldom go to bed
before midnight.
We took trip to Holmenkollen,
tourist hotel a short distance from
Christiania, but 915 feet above sea lev
ell. There were steep hills to climb but
from the verandas of this hotel you
have the grandest view over the whole
Christiana valley and the ford with it's
villa-dotted islands. Another day we
took steamer to Drobak, noted for its
roses, and drove from there to see Aas
agricultural college. We went through
fertile farmland full of fruit trees, ber-
ries and flowers. The hedges of spruce,
spiraa and whitethorn, green, straight
and tall, were very attractive. The
timothy was heavier than here and the
clover as good az our best. Cows and
horses were small but fat. American
farm machines were seen everywhere.
On this trip we visited some dear
| friends, Rev. and Mrs. Schive who for
merly resided in New Lisbon, Wiscon-
sin. They live in coy old parsonage
and are very comfortable and very hap
Ply to live in their fatherland. Both
look stronger and healthier than before;
consequently are glad that they moved
back where the climate agrees with
them. They wanted to be remembered
to friends here.
Coming back to Christiania we visited
the National theater, an elegant build
| ing decorated with busts and statues of
our noted men and poets. In the sum-
mer the Ibsen and Bjornson dramas are
not played as some of the actors have
vacations, but we enjoyed the lighter
pieces that were given. The university
and the kings residence are near the
theater and the end of our pretty Karl
Joban's street. The university looks
small as too little land Ia reserved for
expansion and the buildings are crowd
into small space of land. Around the
kings residence is park very prettily
kept, with stately old trees. The
queens garden with it's little lakes full
of swans, and well kept flower beds, Is
very romantic place. The National
theater is looked upon more as an edu-
cational than a money-making institu-
ton. Consequently no trash is ever Of
| fered the public there. Lovers of this
lind of art have to fall back on music
/, halls and vaudevilles. All artists are
engaged by the year, and their contin-
uOus playing together under the same
instructor, makes the acting more even
in comparison with the American stage
that 30 often presents a star with third
and fourth raters as support. We have
many very able artists in Norway and
the best of their works are collected in
the National gallery, where you can
wander for hours admiring sculpture
and paintings. Another collection is in
the Art-umari where members and their
| friends go every Sunday. Each year
the paintings are raffied off among the
members and new paintings are bought.
private exhibitions and once in while
| there is an auction.
There are two railway stations in
Christiania, which are net connected.
The city has grown fast the latter
years. 1t has now 225, 900 inhabitants.
Forty years ago when | went to schoo.
it had only 81, 900. Christiania has an
excellent street car service maintained
by two companies The fare is only
three cents with free transfers except
when going from the line of one com
pany to the other; then one and half
cents extra is paid. The electric cars
do not stop at every corner, but at GER
tain places labeled with big printed
placards. Most Of the public schools
have manual training, and domestic
science has for years been very popu-
lar. Carving in wood is taken up by
the boys, and art-weaYing and making