Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1914-08-06
in FAR NORTHLAND'
important Events in Sweden,
Norway and Denmark.
HS.'EFs FROM OLD COUNTRY
Interesting Items From the Three
Great Kingdoms Of the North Sc
iected for scandInavians and
Their Descendants.
BY MARTIN w. oDLAND.
Norway

Norway.
A London dispatch brings the inter
esting information that Prof. Olof
Birkeland of the University of Chris
tiania, famous as inventor and scient-
list, has just returned from Egypt and
the Sudan, where he spent six months
in taking series of observations of
the zodiacal light. Professor Birke-
lands observations are most interest
ing. and they promise to throw much
light on the hitherto unsolved prob
lem Of the zodiacal and northern
lights. by numerous good photo
graphs and exact drawings" said Pro-
lessor Birkeland, I'VE proved that this
light, visible in the western sky after
sunset and in the eastern sky before
sunrise, is more than thirty times the
radius of the earth away from our
planet. Thus it appears certain that
the phenomenon is not specifically a
terrestrial one, but belongs more to
the sun. While l was in the Sudan
observations of the northern light were
made at my polar aurora observatory
near North Cape, Norway. Both the
zodiacal lights and the northern lights,
] believe, are due to the radiation of
electrons and radiated matter from the
sun. It appears that these radiations
are principally gathered in the plane
of the suns magnetic equator in an
alogy with what happens when mag
netic cathode sends out electric radia-
tors in a great vacuum vessel. II this
is so, the zodiacal light arises from the
diffusion OF solar light reflected from
thin plane OF radiant matter around
the sun, in much the same way as thin
cigarette smoke becomes brilliant
when it enters a well-defned sunbeam
in an otherwise dark ROOM" Professor
Birkeland has led three expeditions
into the arctic regions for the study
Of the aurora borealis, and is the CO.
inventor with Samuel Eyde of the
process of manufacturing saltpeter and
fertilizer from the atmosphere.
1t is reported from London that Capt.
A. N. Holland OF the Norwegian navy
announces the invention Of a device
that assures the secrecy Of commune
cation by wireless telegraphy. The
machine, according to the press re-
ports, is one for transmission and au-
tomato receipt of printed messages in
the manner of typewriting. The in
ventor claims to have typed messages
by wireless waves between Berlin
and the big relay station at Nauen,
distance Of "a miles. He says he has
perfected a relay which so amplifies
wireless signals that the typewriting
device may be operated over greater
distances. The secrecy feature of the
invention is established by the fact
that the sending apparatus may be ad-
justed at moments notice so as to
employ any Of 720 different code ar
rangements Of the alphabet, while the
receiving device will automa tically reg
lister the messages in decided and
aegible form. Only dots are used in
the transmission and by their spacing
the mechanism of the receiving appa-
ratus is controlled SO as to recon
struct the message. Captain Holland
declares that the apparatus can be
worked in any wireless system and
that it will render wireless tapping"
impossible.
The "Mindegaye" has been sent to
Norway by L. o. Thorpe of Willmar,
MINI, treasurer Of the "Mindegave"
COMMITTEE It was sent in the form
OF draft, payable to Jorgen Love-
land, president of the storthing, and
WAS for 235,000 crowns or about $685.
l450. Money may still be contributed
toward the "Mindegave" fund. but it
lis very doubtful If much will be forth
coming. The enthusiasm for the me-
mortal gift has not been nearly SO
lgreat as was anticipated several years
ago, when the idea was first suggest
led. at that time 1t was expected that
q million dollars would be raised by
Norway's sons and daughters in Amer
ica. but the enthusiasm and inter
est have declined instead OF In
creased with each succeeding month
Then, too, the movement for making
separate gifts to the various local.
ties Of "Bygds" interfered with the
campaign for the "Mindegaye."
Exports from Norway to Mexico now
amount to about . million kroner, OF
$250,O0O. annually, according to the
most recent report of Minister Lie, the
Norwegian representative in Mexico
City. The exports consist mainly Of
fish and canned goods, cod liver oil
nails, wood pulp and paper. machiner,
and artificial fertilizer.
No End to It.
II have written. novel entitled
What Woman Wants Can YOU
publish IT."
Fl fear not. We are not undertake
Ing anything that runs over 6O'
pages"
Thinkinu of the Slow Ones.