Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1916-06-01
IN FAR NORThLlND|
important Events In Sweden,
Norway and Denmark.
BRIEFS FROM OLD COUNTRY
Interesting items From The Three
orsat kInsdoms Of tho North %.
lsctsd for Soandlnavians and
Their Descendants.
BY MARTIN w. oDLAND.
Norway.

Norway.
News comes from Christiania that
Consul Chr. Heistein of Christianssand
has recently closed contract for tho
purchase OF fleet OF about fifty
French sailing ships, with total ton
mage OF 10000 tons. The majority
of the ships Of the feet are barks
OF about 5000 tons. All Of them are
less than twenty years old and the
majority are ten to fifteen years. Most
OF them are engaged In freight service
In different parts or the globe. The
purchase price Is said to have been
In the neighborhood of l6 million
crowns. II liz believed that Consul
Heistein will transfer the ships to the
registry of one Of the smaller neutral
nations, probably Norway. Transfer
at this time from the registry OF Z
belligerent nation to that of a neutral
nation is entailed with some difiiculty,
as international law provides that In
order that the ships may be immune
from attack they must not be immune
ferred for the purpose OF avoiding the
risks Of war.
II has been announced that Captain
ROAD Amuudsens new polar expedi-
ton. which will leave on It's search for
the North pole next year, will be-
equipped and provisioned for six years.
1t will be composed of a crew OF eight
men, and twelve or fifteen dogs win
be taken along. The members OF the
expedition have with two or three ex-
ceptions been picked from the old Fran
crew. who accompanied Amundsen to
the South pole. The new polar ship
which Amundsen now has under con-
struction will be 100 feet long and win
have a draft Of only eight or nine feet.
On the other hand. IL will be OF un.
usual width as compared with the
length. being SO feet wide. Amundsen
plans to leave Christiania on Midsum-
mer day in 1917. He will take the
route OF Siberia and will enter the
drafting ice fields east OF Benefits
land In September
Consul Christian Bors. who died In
Christiania in 1916, left large estate
and his widow. who died recently,
made the following requests: A mag
nificent property with an endowment
Of 10000 crowns ~ home for deacon
esses who need rest; to the Norwegian
Lutheran Deaconess home and hospital
in Brooklyn. N. Y, $4,000 crowns; for
inner mission In Norway, 10000
crowns: for Norwegian foreign mis-
sions, 10000 crowns; to several small
congregations In Christiania. In equal
parts, 10000 crowns: for home for
aged female servants, to be known
as the Mrs. Collet Bors home, 10000
crowns. This home is to be estab-
lished In Christiania, and the female
servants of Consul and Mrs. Bors are
to be allowed to stay there the rest
OF their natural lives.
The European war 10 not only MAX
ing 1t uncomfortable for the foreign
missionaries who were In the field.
and hindering their work. but II Is
also interfering with the enlargement
OF the work. The Norwegian Mis-
sionary society in stavanger, Norway,
has decided to postpone ut least
the sending of several mission
aries to Madagascar, who have been
ready to start for some time. Six mis-.
sioparies who had started out some
time ago for Madagascar, but were
unable to get farther than Marseilles,
have been recalled. says the Lutheran
Herald.
Now that It looks 40 II the vast coal
fields OF Spitzbergen will be secured
for Norway 1t Ia interesting to recall
the first attempt made by Norwegians
to mine coal In Spitzbergen. In 1900
few workingmen In Trondhtem
fitted out an expedition which began
to dig coal in Spitzbergen. The at
tempt soon attracted attention abroad.
and the men were offered handsome
bonuses for their claims. But they
declined all offers and tried to or
ganize a Norwegian syndicate with a
capital Of $4,000. But they did not
succeed In raising the money In Nor
way, and they began to negotiate with
an American named Longyear. They
agreed that he was to operate the
mines as an experiment, and II the re-
suit was satisfactory he was to buy
the coal fields for 500 900. The deal
was closed i'm May, 1906. and the Arc
tic Coal company has worked the
mines several years. But now the
Norwegians have bought out his In.
terests and secured the property for
Norway.
Norway imported over million dol
lars worth Of goods, mostly -four. from
Canada. and exported to Canada $685.
500 during the past year.
The street railways of christiania
have begun employing girls as conduc-
tors, and class OF IL girls are taking