Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1916-03-23
Norway.


ing up" Norway for his paper. has the
following with reference to the devsl.
opment OF the nitrate industry at the
Rjukan falls and the wonderful
change wrought in the Rjukan valley
by that industry: There were less
than fifty persons living in the Rjukan
valley In Telemarken little over ten
years ago-mostly old women whose
sons had emigrated to the United
States long before. The great Rjukan.
fos, or reeking falls, poured its
wealth Of water over a cliff 345 feet
high in picturesque fashion, and once
in long whiis tourists would make
the hard trip OF two days and two
nights from Christiania and compare
the fall with the notes about Ii In
the red-covered guidehook. Today
Rjukan valley Is the home of 10000
industrious. contented and well-paid
workmen. living in new, comfortable
homes that many Of them own, and
Rjukanfos is throwing it's tremendous
power into turbines OF such capacity
that Rjukan has become the greatest
water power station In the world.
The story OF Norways great industrial
awakening must begin with the manu-.
facture Of nitrates and nitric acid &C.
cording to the Birkeland Eyde proc
ess, discovered by Prof. Kristian
Birkeland Of the University of Nor
way in February, 1908, and put into
practical operation by DR.. Samuel
Eyde. the man who had faith In Nor.
way to such an extent that the enter.
prises of which he Is general director
represent an investment of over $40,.
5000; make use of 400, 1000 horse
power, which Is only small part of
the wealth with which nature has en-
dowed Norway, and provide employ
ment to approximately 10000 persons
who were compelled to seek their live.
lihood In foreign lands In former
times. AS l sat today before Doctor
Eyde at his Offices In the Solligade
and heard him tell In his bright.
snappy manner of the miracle Of
Rjukan | realized that this man Ia an
optimist who represents the new Nor.
way--the Norway that Is to turn bar.
rem valleys into busting industrial
communities. that is to become CON-
mercially independent and take its
place as one of the great producing
nations OF the world We get 800, 900
horse power up here in the Rjukan
valley said Doctor Eyde, running his
pencil over a map, and at it's back lies
the Moesvand lake with 500 ,000. 900
cubic meters of water. Farther down
at Notodden. we have harnessed up
100000 horse power. Ten years ago
there was nothing there. Today Ii In
prosperous and growing. Our nitrates
for soil fertilization are going In great
Quantities to France, and In fact
am indebted not little to France for
help in developing these plants. They
had faith in me, you know. Lots Of
people laughed when they heard what
| meant to do. They said: Just listen
to Eyde! He wants to build a plant
to take something out of the air. Too
bad about him--he used to be pretty
sane sort of a man. too!"''
The custom or tariff receipts of the
government of Norway in January
1916. were 1888, $50 crowns, as com.
pared with 11.696,677 crowns in Jan
uary, 1915, and 6,97s,651 crowns In
January. 1914. According to these fig
ures, the receipts for January this
year are 100000 crowns below those
Of the corresponding month last year,
but the conditions were abnormal last
year, owing to the mad endeavor of
commercial houses to lay in supplies
Of various kinds of merchandise for
fear that 1t might be later impossible
to obtain them on account of the war.
Men competent to Judge declare that
tho showing made this year Is all
that could be reasonably expected.
1t liz stated that Mrs Margrethe
Kristine Lavik will probably be the
second woman to take a seat In the
WI "SSlaii pal phN 10
from the Sandviken district. and the
regular representative has sought q
leave of absence. Mrs. Lavik has for
number of years been the manager
of mission hotel In Bergen
Axel Paulsen, the well-known Nor
wegian skater, who was champion Of
Norway from 1907 to 1911. has come
to America to give exhibitions of fancy
skating at ice palaces here. He Ia ac-
companied by his fiancee, Miss Prem
low, teacher of skating at Christiania,
and by Alfred Ness, also a Norwe-
gian.
A Christiania dispatch says that the
special tax on war profits, that is, on
business that has enjoyed increased
profits by reason of the war, will more
than cover the extra cost to the Nor.
wegian government of maintaining
armed neutrality. The income from
war taxes up to January / was est.
mated at 65,O00O00 kroner, and the
additional expenses OF the military e.
on account Of the war
have amounted to only about 80 900.