Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-09-13
RAIN FAILS TO- KEEP
VISITORS FROM
MEETINGS
TO SEE STATE PARK
TRIP THRU ILLINOIS MOST seen.
Ic AND HISTORIC SPOT WILL BE
MADE 6Y GUESTS HERE TO At
TEND GATHERING.

Rain did not deter visitors to the
Stavanger Laget homecoming this
morning. when another vast crowd at,
tended the convention at Chautauqua
park Yesterdays attendance came
high into the hundreds, surprising the
fOndest hopes of those constituting the
local committee on arrangements a,d
giving the society its record first day
turn out of visitors.
The exercises at the auditorium
were intensely interesting. speakers
filling their audience with Datriotic
enthusiasm. The speaking was IL
vided between the Norwegian and Eng
lish languages, some using the native
tongue. while others selected the
tongue of their adopted country.
Mayor Bradford and President Clar-
ence Griggs. who fail to trace their
ancestry to the Norsemen. of course
confined their discourse3 of welcome
to the choicest kind of English. Both
were loudly applauded, the mayor
sptaking for the city and Mr. Griggs
for the Chamber of Commerce.
The program as published in the
Free Trader-Journal was carried out
In its entirety. The musical numbers
by the orchestra. Miss Ida Warwick,
Prof. Relmstad. Miss Iney Johnson and
the hand were warmly received, while
the talks by Birger Osland, Peter Bal
chen and John Storenes and Rev. Gus
tav Ofstedal were closely followed
The disconrses were brief and to the
point, and were confined largely. with
the exceptions OF Mr.. Islands address,
to interesting anecdotes so dear to the
hearts of natives and descendants of
Stavanger city and surrounding com
munity
Last nights meeting was given over
to impromptu addresses by a number
OF prominent visitors. representing
the various provinces In and about
Stavanger.
This morning practically all the ex-
ercises were conducted in Norwegian.
Two local men, Judge II. w. John
son and Prof ]. O. Laugman were on
the program. Their remarks eXacted
loud bursts of applause from the visit
tors.
This afternoon was given owe" TO
the business meeting and sec1oha'
meetings closing with several very
we'll rendered selections by the Story
CITY band. of story City, Iowa, when
ia In attendance at the convention ana
will remain until the close of the ses'
Cions
Clarence Griggs in his address 9a'd,
Mr.. Griggs conveyed to the 'oclet'
the welcome of the Ottawa Chambel
Of Commerce and the pleasure 1t gave
All our people to welcome to our city
a society with such splendid organ
izatiOn and noble aims. he sated
that John l.. Stoddard, the distinguish
ed lecturer, had written of Norway, as
many may realize, as the most hon
derful country in the world, on ac
count oi the unusual beauty W III
scenery. etc. Mr. Griggs compliment
cd most highly the character OF th'
Norwegian people and stated tina
thay were the Yankees of the OF
world and that had Norway possessed
a soil of the fertility of Germany
France and England, the Norwegian
would have been the greatest peopl'
in Europe. He stated that jndgin'
from the Norwegians In this CON
munity, they were men OF character
frugality and integrity That the
we're good citizens, that while the
retained as they should. the love Q
for the home land, they were first Q
all good American citizens. Thei
history reads like romance.
The speaker referred briefly TO tn
career of Judge Johnson, as typical
his countrymen In America, who Will
he was circuit clerk. read law wit
thA speaker and prepared himself fc
4ithe bar while performing his dutie
as CIRCUIT clerk, and how Judge ,'1' ,on'
son rose thru his country judgeshi
his career in the state senate al
bank presidency and presidency OF IL
Central Life Insurance Companv'
The speaker closed his address VII
n uotation from the closing lines
the Saga of King Olaf" which II
written centuries ago, would be time
In the present troublesome times:
The dawn Is not distant,
Nor Ia the night starless---
glove Ia eternal.