The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1913-12-19

the Moe boys was one of these
pioneers; he, with his family was
then located in Fillmore county, and
had lately arrived from the father
land, rugged and weatherbeaten old
Norway.
He saw that for new beginner to
stay in settled community meant to
work for others, without much hope of
ever owning his own place, and leaving
a home for his children; and though
he had not much of this world goods,
he had the very thing needed for a
pioneer, an unconquerable spirit, a
laudable ambition, and what most of
pioneer people in all lands have, a
good health and a clear conscience.
So he set out on the long journey
with his one OK team to take him and
his family to the place that after
wards became his home and which to-
day is the home of his children and
his grandchildren.
It was no pleasure ride they were
having, and particularly hard on the
women and children it must have
been, but they knew the object of their
travel, they hoped and expected to
find what they found, a home which
they could call their own on the fer
tile and boundless prairies yet un-
touched by mortal hand.
And north they came, up to what
is now Meeker county, and there
where the land was to be had simply
for the asking, they established the
future home. No one who has not
gone through with the experience can
imagine what this home building
meant to the new corners. On the
one hand faith and hope, on the other
struggles, fear9 end apprehension. Of
things known spd unknown And Che
everlasting solitude -prairie, prairie,
wherever theysmay look; wilderness
in all directions of the compass; nei-
Their church nor school house for old
and young; nothing but Gods nature
in the state in which it had been for
thousands and perhaps millions of
years.
But instead Of despairing they set
to work to accomplish the very thing
for which they set out; the yoke of
oxen were hitched to the plow, the
virgin soil was broken and fields of
grain waved in the sunshine and clear
sky, testifying to the energy and grit
of the men and women who had come
from Northland.
It is but natural that the Moe boys
should have inherited some of the ad'
venturous spirit from their forebears;
the grandsire inherited it from the
early Vikings of the north, who with
merry hearts set sail from the native
shores to 60 forth to meet unknown
dangers; to conquer or be conquered;
to return laden with rich spoils or to
|Ibe put to death on the foreign shores
by the exasperated enemy.
The spirit of adventure which
causes the infusion of new blood into
growing and coming generations;
which prevents degeneracy Of the
specie through inbreeding and makes
men with red blood in their veins was
in the grandsire, and the same spirit
fingers in his descendants; the long
ing to find and know that which is
hidden; to encounter obstacles and
overcome them; to do something thai
no other man has done before.
This was the spirit of the early Vik'
ings of the northland, and it was moi
confined to the male; that a weak anc
timid mother could never bear anc
raise strong and courageous men wa:
the belief of the Norsemen, and ma
ture has always proved the theory tt
be correct.
The savage spirit of the Viking, tx
STAY and to plumber, has been temper
ed by the teachings of Christianit,
and other influences of civilization
The lust to conquer for plumber has
disappeared, but the spirit to over
come obstacles is still alive.
+ The state of Minnesota has not los
by the coming Of the sons Of north
land, though tits unfortunately true
that some have. come who would have
pleased us more with their absence
but the good and true more than make
lup for the bad. . :, z :. ..:. +, :;
The Scandinavians of Minnesota
have much to do with the building W
of the wild territory into POVERTY;
and prosperous state, and though
often the Ole boys are laughed at ane
ridiculed, they have played many i'm,
portant parts IN the industrial and po
litical history 81, the state. 81 q.
In Minnesota, as in. many othe1
states, it has been the practice in th.
Good Old Days, to soft soap thu
Scandinavian people for their votes
and they often got more than /. Their i