The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-06-08

those generations of the intellectual
twilight; but we know too little o
the part which Iceland performed a
an outpost of the sturdy norther,
culture in bridging over the gulf o
darkness between the ancient ant
modern eras Of history.
| These sons of Thor and Odin ant
the great free North shape them
selves in the minds eye as yer,
princes of high and hardy adven
ture. From Norway to Iceland, from
Iceland to Greenland, from Greenland
to the mainland, step by step the,
worked their way across the NORTH
Atlantic. They found the western
ocean, and it was Norseman VIII {
first traversed Bering Strait anG
demonstrated that there was no land
connection between Asia and North
America. One wonders whittier these
Mortimer would turn for adventure
if the earth should ever be so COM
pletely charted that exploration Of
fered no more challenges. Within
very few years one of them first
traversed the northwest passage from
Atlantic to Pacific; and the same
one, Amundsen, carried the flag of
Norway to the South Pole; and now,
within few days past, he has been
the first to make large explorations
in the region Of the North Pole in
an airplane, tempting a fate which,
as | write, is unknown.
One likes to linger over these tales
of adventure and exploration. One
of them has a special significance
in connection with this celebration
which entities it to more particular
reference. This. of course, is the
voyage of the little sloop Rcstau-
rationen, which in 1925 brought the
first organized party of Norwegian
immigrants to this country. One
reared on the New England tradition
Of the Mayflower will find all the
materials for a new legend of pio-
neering in the voyage of the Res
taurationen. She was sloop of as
tons, whereas the Mayflower was
rated as 1870 tons. The Restauration-
en- sailed from Stavanger, Norway,
on July 4, 1925. with a desperately
heavy cargo of iron and party Of
81 people. She came safely into the
port Of New York after voyage of
ii weeks, which compares with 3
weeks required for the historic pass
age of the Mayflower.
Arrival of Restaurationen
The arrival Of the Restaurationen
created sensation among those
Injured to the sea. 1t was claimed
that she was the smallest vessel
that had ever made the trans-Atan-
tic crossing. The New York author
tiles threatened to deny her the
privileges of the port on the ground
that she carried too many passen-
gers and too much cargo. She was
ultimately released. apparently
through the influence of the Society
Of Friends. Most Of her passengers
seemed to have been members Of a
Norwegian religious community in
timately related to the Quakers, and
it appears that one of their reasons
for coming to this country was that
they had not enjoyed entire liberty
of religious opinion at home. Thus
the parallel between the voyages of
the Mayflower and of the Restau-
rationen, despite that they were
separated by more than 200 years,
is impressive in several ways.
Almost without money or supplies,
the little company of immigrants
were taken in charge of the New
York Quakers who raised funds to
send them to Kendall, Orleans
County, N. Y. There they secured
lands and established the first Nor
wegian settlement in this country
1t is curious circumstance that al
though the NOrwcgians are among
the greatest seafaring peoples, this
party was composed almost entirely
of farmers, so that their first inter
est was to get land. And ever since,
the greater share Of Norwegians
have come in search of homes on
the land. These first immigrants
having practically no money, bought
tract on the shore of Lake On
tario for SIS per acre to be paid for
in 10 annual installments. 1t is hard
to realize that western New York so
late as 1925 was SO far on the from
tier. Their land was heavily timber
ed and they were compelled not
only to clear it but to build their
own shelter. The first house is said
to have been log cabin of II feet
square with garnet. In this "a of
them lived for a time, the men seek
ing such scanty employment as was
to be found in the neighborhood to
support them through the winter
The only one in the party who could
speak English was Capt. Lars Olson
and he had remained in New York.
Colony Thrived
Despite poverty and hards hips,
the colony thrived, and its members
were shortly writing letters back to
Norway describing the opportunities
of America and urging friends to
come. From this beginning the
stream Of Norwegian immigration set
in, but most of the later Corners
went much farther west. A few
years after the settlement at Ken
dali another party went to La Sale
County, Ill. Already the west was
fascinating them and many of the
original Kendall colony sold out and
went on to Illinois. Thence the mi
grafton spread to other States of the
middle west and northwest. Even
before it was formed into Terri
tory, Iowa. had received its first
Norwegians, and from about 1885
they spread rapidly into Wisconsin,
Minnesota, the Dakotas and other
States.
1t is not possible. as it is certain
ly not needful on this occasion, even
to summarize the story of Norwegian
But it should be ex-
planned that while the settlement of
1925 in Orleans County, N. Y, was
the first Norwegian settlement and |
represented the first organized i'm
migration, these pioneers of the
were not the frs; |
to come here Consid. |
erabl e numbers had come even before
the Revolutionary War and some as |
far back as the earliest colonial |
years. There were Norwegians in |
both Army and Navy during the
Revolution and the War of 1912. But
the fact remains that the great move
ment which established Norwegian
all over the northwest
and contributed so greatly to the
building of that part of the country
began with the voyage of the Res
;aurationen. 1t is said that Nor
yegians and their descendants in
49,