Willmar tribune., 1916-05-03
MOCKFJxRD's NIAGARA
Mats WaIner Writes About the Falls
In the DaI River In the Old
Home Parish,

agara that was to write. The roar
of this Niagara" is no more, it echoes
not over hill and dale. How we'll I
remember when as a boy l stood in
silent awe and watched the whirling
waters and heard the deafening roar.
Now 1t Is all old memories only.
Mockfjards old Niagara lay only
about 500 feet from a part of my old
parental home farmstead. One uncle
OF mine lost his life in these falls. We
leave this old historical place and go
about 1000 feet farther up the Shore
seeing the sights would pause here.
Our road leads us upon an exception.
ally beautiful bridge, resting on a for
ty-foot dam, all built of granite, CO.
ment and steel. It is constructed with
number of waste-ways so that in the
case of flood the water would find
it's way down the old channel. The
bulkheads are raised and lowered bv
electric power. The dam is SIS feet
long.
We go further, stopping in front of
large brick building, on the doors
OF which we read, mo Admittance."
We apply to the chief engineer, who
details a monitor" to show us thru
the first story. Here one Of the
twentieth century's greatest triumphs
meets our eyes. Knowing we'll the
limitations of ones own knowledge,
one must nevertheless feel moved by
such human master minds that could
design and bring forth such greatness.
Another monitor takes us up to the
second floor. Here everything is 'as
quiet as in a Swedish watchmaker's
SHOP" Again we have descriptions of
cause and effect which we cannot un-
derstand. A third monitor takes US
IN hand and we get aboard peculiar
car (elevator) and down the incline
we go. We are 80 feet nearer Am
erica, when we stop before a large
steel door. If our sight was feasted
before, our hearing was now the sense
that was most appealed to. Here 80
feet down in the solid granite, is a
room 80 feet wide, 100 feet long and
30 feet high. Here are four dynamo.
each not less than ten feet in diam.
eter. Here we hear talk of volts, kilo-
volts, kilowats, etc. All l understand
is that here are four turbine water
wheels which the West Dar river pull
and generate electric power to the
amount of twenty thousand horse
power. Tired of the deafening noise,
| make start up and begin to clam
Der up the 137 steps of the stairway.
Pretty soon the elevator comes up and
the monitor tips his hat as the car
passes me. I can now boast, how
ever, of having walked up the long
stairway. We politely lift our hat
and give our hearty thanks for the
pains taken to show us the plant.
Now we ask ourself, what becomes
OF the Dalriver water? That is was
on the way to America I never doubt
ed, but how and where? I was in
formed that it comes back into the
old channel in turn of the river af-
ter passing two tunnels 15x18 feet in
diameter and five thousand feet in
length. The total cost of this cleo.
trical plant was 3,059, ,O59.93 riks doll
ars (the term riks dollar is used a
good deal here instead of kronor.)
We say goodbye to niagara" and
visit a historic place from my boy
hood days. The swimming place
where us boys learned how to keep
our heads above the water. The old
farmers sawmill is now gone, but the
dam, the creek and the highway bridge
are still here. An eighty-foot Chin
ney, heavy whistle which calls an
odd forty laboring men to their daily
labor bears witness that all is life and
activity around the old "high-moun>
tain." Here is now modern steam
saw mill, dressing plant, etc., which
runs night and day. The sawmill
handles between two and three mil
lion feet of lumber annually. l have
sold 5,665 trees the logs of which are
now being hauled there and sawed
into lumber. From this power plant
many wires lead to homes about for
electric Fight. Mockfjard, with it's
wonderful scenery and many large
waterfalls, has beyond doubt many
great advantages, but we may prob
ably come again and tell more about
this subject.
I hear some one ask, how we are
getting along here? "Vi ma som perla
i guild" We have everything neces-
sary for our keep and comfort. We
don't have an auto "stink-stanka,"O
but am using cane instead. Wheth- |
er our girth will increase or not the
future alone will show. There is on.
ly one thing which we lack. xvi ar
Ell hemma har, vi blott Mockfjard
gasta." Here is winter. Snow falls
upon snow. During the whole of Feb
ruary the thermometer was kind
enough to stay above zero. One day
in March it fell to 10 below. We have
no storms here, and hence no large
snow drifts. The snow lays several
feet deep, just as even as a quilt.
Jan. 1, 1916, MocHjard was listed
to furnish twenty-five horses for mob
ilization. Now they have raised the
number to forty. l have asked N.Y.
self why they have not required one
from the farm where l am staying.
Perhaps the fact that am an Ameri- |
can, with passports in my pocket, and
am here temporarily as administrator
has something to do with it. I am
told the law will not permit one to
sell or trade away a horse that has
been listed for mobilization.
Here is war" in the air, and rum
ors of war. Mostly in the papers, how.
ever. There are Rights, Let's and
Social Democrats. On all hands one
hear> that the welfare of the country
depends upon this party or that par
ty. 1t is not necessary to be a Swed-
ish citizen to be able to see through