Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1918-05-23
A Communication

some time ago MT. Il. y. fcuerSen OF ASkOV,
filed for State Representative for the counties
of Pine and Chisago. 1t was only after requests
from his many friends that he consented to file
for the position, and now it seems to me that it
is only our plain duty to work for his election.
The office Of State Representative is very
important one for the district concerned, and
voters should consider well the character and
ableness of the man for whom they are going to
cast their votes.
As the territory comprising this district is
very large, making it quite difficult for man
to come around to every precinct to get ac-
quainted with the voters, it seems to me that
it would be very proper that /, and others, who
have known Mr. Petersen for very long time,
should state few facts as to his ability and
character.
have known Mr.. L. C. Petersen for more
than twenty years, having been his partner in
business since 1903. First at Tyler, Mimi,
where we were in the general store business,
and for the last seven years at Askov. in the
banking and real estate business.
might say right here that since then many
a partnership has been started and closed while
ours has gone on smoothly as the first day it
was begun and that have never had any cause
for regret in our relationship.
First of all Mr.. Petersen is a man of re-
sources If he starts working for cause he
will attain it. He may be held down for time;
but not for long If one plan fails his mind will
work out another, and another, until success
crowns his efforts. He simply refuses to be
discouraged or downed or to give up. He has
high ideals and he is willing to forget his own
interest in order to attain them
AS an illustration let me be allowed to relate
an incident or two in the life of Mr. Petersen:
In the late nineties at a certain Minnesota
town. he started in the stock shipping business
for the farmers. He was not a rich man, and
the banker Of the town did not like the idea of
furnishing him with the money he needed in
the business unless Petersen would agree to pay
fee Of 10 cents for every check cashed for him.
Petersen objected to this and wrote letter to
his commission Arm and told them the circum-
stances and also asked them to advance him
thousand dollars. The following day he re-
ceived letter and package from the commits
sion firm. The letter stated it seemed to be
one-horse bank in that town and so they had
sent some one-horse money that he might place
to his credit there. The "one-horse" money
consisted of thousand dollars in one dollar
bills
While buying live stock he was out in all
kinds of weather, and it did happen that he
wore fur coat and rubber boots some beautiful,
warm. and balmy days, while we frequently saw
him wear light shoes and no coat at all on cold
rainy days early in spring or late in fall. The
result of this was that Mr. Petersen became
severely beset by rheumatism. The attacks
finally became so severe that he was unable to
walk erect. and he was forced to discontinue
his business relations and seek relief.
One afternoon he came half crawling thru
the back door of the store in which was work
ing at that time. His posture resembled that of
a square set on ends. He wanted pair of shoes
as he was going away to get rid of that rheuma-
tism. I asked him why he came thru the alley
as the walking there seemed to me great deal
worse than walking on the side walk. He ans
wered that the reason was. he did not care TO
have people pity him.
When he was gone thought that had seen
L. c. Petersen for the last time; but was mis-
taken. Six months afterward L. c. again ap-
peared on the street, little leaner perhaps,
but erect. He had quit eating and drinking and
|, smoking in order to get we'll. To quit smoking.
especially, must have been hard for him for he
was an inveterate smoker. I have heard some
of his best friends claim that he slept with a
cigar in his mouth. For several years he SUBJ
sisted entirely on vegetable food Now, be-
lieve he eats almost anything but his strongest
drink is coffee, and he has never smoked pipe
or cigar since.
He has always been a successful business
man. His ideal has never been to make lot of
money for himself; but only to get just re-
turn for his labor. and try to make life little
easier for his less fortunate fellow being
He is what YOU might call comfortably fixed