The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1916-10-07
IN FAR N0RTHlAND
important Events In Sweden,
Norway and Denmark.
BRIEFS FROM OLD COUNTRY
Interesting Items From the Three
Great Kingdoms Of the North. Sc
lected for Scandinavians and
Their Descendants.
BY MARTIN w. oDlAND.
Norway.

by MAN IN W. SSSN''S.
Norway.
The celebration of the nine hun
dredth anniversary of the founding or
Sarpsborg, Norway. now progressive
manufacturing city of 10000 people,
was notable event, attended by
thousands of persons, INCLUDING many
Of NOrway's foremost men. The king
was not among those present. however,
as the socialists of Sarpsborg. who are
very numerous, threatened to boycott
the celebration If his majesty was In
ylted. and no invitation was extended
to him. Sarpsborg was founded by
King Olaf, the saint, and has Mt vari-
Gus times played prominent part In
the politics of the nation. When King
Olaf founded the city he caused
rampant to be built across the tongue
Of land In the wide Glommen river, on
which Sarpsborg Is situated, and
moat was dug In front Of the rampant
for defense. Within he built "Kongs-
gard" his royal residence, and st.
Mary's church. Al first the city was
known as Borg, but since the thir-
teenth century has been called by its
present name. II was at Sarpsborg.
as recent correspondent reminds us,
that Erling Shake, the ambitious
and intriguing nObleman, after having
crowned his son Magnus as king of
Norway, summoned the yeomanry OF
the surrounding districts to declare
themselves whether they would serve
the king OF the Danes or that king
which has now been crowned and con
secrated to this Kingdom" with one
voice the populace unanimously re-
piled that, "In no wise will we become
the men of the Dane-king so long as
one of the Vikvaerings Is alive.
Sarpsborg was one of the strongholds
against Swedish invasions, and was
the scene of conferences with Swedish
kings.
Norwegian courts, says CORE
spondent, are beginning TO adopt the
American practice of holding transpor-
tation companies liable for all acct
dents that occur In their business. In
the past the courts of this country have
held to the principle that contributory
negligence on the part of the en-
ployee or passenger cXempts the trans
other countries, however, especially in
America, the tendency has been TO
charge the companies with all risks
and responsibilities peculiar to their
business. A precedent In this direction
was set recently by II court in Bergen.
which awarded the widow of man
killed In an automobile accident 1880
kroner In compensation, although
neither the driver nor his machine was
directly responsible for the accident.
MY contemplated expedition to the
North pole" said Captaig Amundsen
to q visitor, will undoubtedly start
early next year; and we will be
equipped for six years, but | hope to
accomplish the task In three years.
There will be ten men In the party,
to be selected from q large list Of APP
plicants. Seven so far have been
chosen They are: First mate, Hell
mer Hansen; second mate, Oscar
Wrestling; cook, Adolph Herman West
ing; sailmaker, Martin Rome; all
around man. Sigurd Rodsten. In ad-
dition, Bernhar Birkeland Is selected
as Call-around scientist. There re-
main to be selected three more" He
stated point-bank that he does not
believe that Peary has been at the
North pole.
Norway, like Sweden, has had trou-
Bile in securing enough wood for fuel.
80 the government offered exemption
from military service to all able-bodied
men who volunteer for service In cut
ting wood in the state forests, and al
ready 1850 have volunteered. AS only
100 men are needed, the services Of
several hundred were refused
To prevent artificial nitrate produced
in Norway from falling into the hands
of the Germans, the government of
Great Britain has contracted for the
country's entire output. Nitrate Is In
dispensable material in the manufac-
ture of explosives, and therefore of
the utmost Importance to Germany
now.
The Methodists of Norway now num-
Der about 5000, and they have So
houses of worship.
The Norwegian steamship Isdalen,
formerly the Tyr, has been sunk. Its
crew was saved.
About eighty women are now en-
ployed as conductors on the street
railways oe Christiania. Whatever
breaches Of etiquette to which they
are subjected come mostly from elder
ly women, II is stnted on the authority
of verdens Gang.
Morse capitalists are organizing a