Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1914-08-26
Jens o. Kallevang Writes About Hiac
Impressions of His Norway
Trip This Summer.
FIRST VISIT THERE
IN FIFTY.TWO YEAR6
Well Received i'm His Old Home PARE
ish Which He Readily RecOg-
nized After So Long An
Absence.

Mucn mas OF late Deen WrlLJem
about Norway, their exposition, the
Norwegian-American singers, the
many festivities and grand cereDra-
tions throughout the whole land OF
Norway. Such has the Norwegian
press of America been full of during
the last four months, and much of it
has also found it's way into the Eng
lish press, especially the local press
in Norwegian communities. The
Scandinavian-American Foundation
of New York estimated that zoo, 900
orwegian-Americans would visit
Norway and their exposition dur1ng
the Jubilee year.
When Consul Tove came to Chris
tiania he brought this estimate down
to 10000, but in the meantime many
people of small means had given up
their modest homes and rented large
dwellings which they had fitted up
for boarding and lodging in which
they would receive the Americans
and make money, and many of tha
hotels throughout the land increased
their capacity fer receiving and ac-
comodating visitors, With some, I
presume 1t was profitable invest
ment, but to a great many the net
result was overspeculation and loss.
heard the Decorah band play one
evening on st. Hans Haugen, and
being no Judge of music, to me, it
all went in a roar, and / heard sew
eral people say that they had expect
ed to hear some church music. but
so it should not be. also heard the
players on the Fourth of July at the
dedication of the Lincoln statue
the same roar. 1t also there occurred
to me that the simple-hearted peO-
pie of North Dakota, had never
dreamt that the Lincoln statue would
be placed in an outskirt of the city.
On this occasion also talked with
some Of the native men who were
supposed to know something, butt
they knew nothing of Abraham Lin
coin, but they had heard about two
great men in America, who were born
in Voss, Norway-Knute Nelson and
Uncle Sam.
The exposition buildings weressbe-
yond all expectations. they were
large, of fine architecture and well
built. The Norwegian exhibits We're
many and fine. Their exhibits OF
handwork we're exquisite. Hat it
there was anything great, it was from
America, amongst which We're the
Deering binder, mower and hay rake.
Woods binder and mower, American
plows and many other practical and
well-made implements from America.
To cross the Atlantic in the colos-
sal ships of the present time is COM
paratively a pleasure trip. On the
homeward journey We stopped over
for three days at Liverpool, and saw
the larger part of the city, and also
their large museum; the building
alone, of which, has cost seventeen
million pounds. =
The journey over went without any
mishap and | came to Bergen in fair
ly good shape and from there pro-
ceeded directly to my old home par
ish. where / was we'll received and
recognized the place after an absence
Of 50 years. The mountains seemed
higher, and the houses seemed small
Ter, but still the same, as t.ey had
never been painted. The changes
were not great except that the peas
ants had fewer cows, sheep, goats
and horses. This year is an off sea-
son and they will have a poor crop
as they had had little or no ram. The
seed had laid in the ground in many
places for several weeks without
sprouting. The taxes were large,
and labor high and hard to get. How
many of the poor will pull through
this year is more than l can under
stand. Those who write about Nor
ways wealth and progress are tnose
who go by railroad and automobile
from one hotel to another, with their
pockets full of money.
1t is however true that many OF
Norway's excellent waterfalls have
been harnessed, and at these works.
CONTINUED on last page.)