Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1915-01-22
'LUDEFISK KING"
CAIRNEY'S TITLE
LARGEST SELLER OF Sue
CULENT SEA-BIRD
Irishman, Not Norwegian, Takes
Trophy in Supplying Norway's
Favorite Food to People in
Stevens County

Of the twelve thousand pounds of
ludefisk brought into Stevens county
over the Great Northern railway with
in the past eight weeks more than
half was handled by grocers and butch
ers in this city. And of this amount
one butcher sold 1000 pounds to his
customers and he is still handling it.
He is an Irishman and not a Norwe-
gian as many might we'll suppose.
He has rightfully earned the title of
"Ludefsk King although he had
so such aspirations when he entered
the contest in the ludefsk field. He
is none other than J. ] Carney.
and he cheated the beef trust out Of
exactly $4OO worth of business since
he began handling ludefisk this season.
L0defisk is the standard winter food
of the Norwegian and Swede, and
from about the 10th of Nov. on for
period of three months ludefisk is
great seller in the northwest In late
years the German and the lrishman
have cultivated fondness tor this
Norwegian dainty. Americans who
have always had liking for cod fish
switched, onto the ludefisk soon after
it began to arrive il the Country in
large quantities; No Scandinavian
would think of sitting down to any
other Christmas dinner than that of
his native north sea-bird, the ludeisk.
Not that he eats him to be especially
thrifty. bat the difference between
ludefisk at ten cents and turkey at
thirty cents the pound is not matter
ito be lightly despised whether or not
there is mortgage on the family
farm or lot. The sale of ludefisk in
Morris is not confined to the Scandin-
avian alone. 1t is estimated there
are more Germans and Irish in Ste
vens county and they are all pretty
good buyers. 81 sell lots of ludefisk
to the Americans. Irish and Germans.
and sold more this year than l did
last said Mr.. Carney the other
day.
In his happy childhood Gays the
ludefsk swims happily along the rug.
| ged coast of Norway. He is a brother
Of the cod that turks along the New
England coast who was brought into
fame through picture of an adult
member of the family being carried
around on a mans back, who wore,
the man, not the cod. sou 'wester'
hat and PAIR of badly wrinkl led trou-
sers. Before being "luded" the fish
is netted and dried on the rocks in
northern Norway where the air ia free
from insects and flies. When dry he
is packed into bales like shavings OF
excelsior, and shipped to this country.
Here he is placed in vat with many
of his brothers and soaked in a solu-
tion where he remains several weeks.
This makes him "soaker" and ready
for the pan He is not. as many
might think. relation of the devil.
fish either before or after mis- reinc srn
nations Four million pounds Il him
are consumed in this country annually
and Minneapolis man has the di 1tinc-
tion of ueing the heaviest importer,
and is the real ludefisk king of the
northwest He is j. E. Hedlund, q
young man 81 years of age. who COM
menced his ludeisk importation in a
small way but within few years has
bdiltit up to the largest sucn concern
in the United States.
t Splitstoser Bros. and Grocer Daniel-
stn are the only other frms in Morris
which handle ludefisk and are close
rivals for MIR. Cairney's honors. Each
succeeding year sees their sales in.
creasing and the chances are that
ludefisk will soon be Morris standard