The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-29
sWEOES' HABITS CAUSE LONG LIFE
 SAYS CARPENTER
treat Iron Mines Are Located Almost Under North Pole. LapIand Has Electric
 Railroad
By FRANK G. CARPENTER

h' hARlN tr. CARPENTER
 Carpenter's World Travels. Copy right 1923, by Frank G. Carpenter
 STOCKHOLM, Sweden, July 2S.- More than a thousand miles north or Boston, about 4,OOO miles east of New York, and 150 miles nearer the Nofth Pole than Sitka, Alaska, lies city of islands. It is founded on granite, ground smooth by the gla- clers when all nothern Europe was covered with ice, and the rocks upon Wnlch 1t is built are divided by nlghty rivers. It has GO miles of lSlahds between 1t and one of the greatest salt seas of the world, and pehlnd 1t is fresh water lake whose Islands by actual count number 1 1,63O. The islands in front extend on to the Baltic and they run north and south and eastward to Finland the peninsula which forms the newest and most northerly republic of Eu- rope: In addition, the city has pen insulas bathed by salt water and fresh, making a mass of picturesque scenery created by God and improved by man that has its counterpart mo- where else in the world.
 This island city has been given the overworked title, "The Venice of the North The same name has been lacked upon Amsterdam, Bangkok, Siam and Soochow in China, and
 
 has dozen or more dinky water ways in it. The city l write of has no river less wide than the Grand canal at Venice and the streams that roll around it and through it are so broad and so deep that steamers blow their. course to US heart. The name of this city Is Stockholm, the capital of Sweden. Founded On Everlasting Rock.
 Venice stands on marsh Amster- dam rests upon piles which sinking have made it's houses lean backward and forward as though they were drunk; Bangkok. made up of the windings of the Menam, has houses which float, and the same is true also of Petrograd which, owing to the lack of care of the bolshevik the morass out of which it rose at the command of Peter the Great There is no question about the fCun- dation of Stockholm. It's granite base dates back 5000 years to when the great ice sheet melted and left these rocks bare. Therefore the buildings are massive. Those near the water are so heavy they could not exist in any of the half-floa ting cities here mentioned. The palace of the King is huge structure of granite. It covers more than three acres,
 
 shape. Completed 16 years before we declared our independence of Eng land, it is reached from the main land by a bridge of seven huge arches of granite, under which deep waters flowF
 Every Man Gave shinsle.
 On another island. a pstol-shot away, are the houses of Parliament, which cost several million dollars. s.1 T one on which is a new city hall with a high tower surmounted by a Greek temple of copper ending in a great ball of gold, which hangs like a full moon in the sky. Above this golden balI on a golden staff, stands the three golden crowns that form the coat of arms of the nation.
 The city hall is still building, and when completed it will have cost over S10,000,000. It is a massive structure of red brick with a roof of bright copper. here and there turned green by the weather. The copper is laid on in plates, each Of which represents the patriotic spirit of the citizens During the war, when taxes rose and the price of copper went to the skies, the city council decided that the red metal roof must be abandoned on account or the cost, Thereupon the Stockholders began to subscribe. Individual after indi- vidual put his hand in his pocket and brought out $6 to buy one of these copper shingles, as we might call the plates wLich cover the building. No body was allowed to give more than one plate, but thousands subscribed, and thus the building was roofed. As a testimonial of appreciation the name of teach donor is engraved on the plate paid for by him.
 Soo:nr SfocI.h holm Nv Motor Boat.
 It was in the motor launch Of the United States minister, With the American flag flying at the stern, that I plowed my way through this city of islands Suppose you sit down beside me and we shall make part of the journey over again. The launch is what is called an outside archipei- ago boat. This means that 1t is big enough and strong enough to travel the seas, and that one could, if he would, venture across the Baltic to Finland. The launch is about 40 feet long, 10 or more feet in width with a gasoline engine not far from the cen ter. It uses it's 60-cent gasoline without a carburetor, and it is run by a Swedish engineer.
 We start at the Grand Hotel Royal, an immense building facing the quay, and go upstream past the palace. We pass a dozen little steamers in from the Baltic and under the arches of granite of the bridge to the island of Staden just grazing the boat of fisherman who by means of wind lass is casting net 10 feet in diam eter into the water. Scores of men like him may be seen fishing here at any hour of the day. On the right we can see the Royal opera house, where