The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1926-03-04
Third Prize Winner)
NV Grandparents in Minnesota

g.
Third Prize Winner)
NV Grandparents in Minnesota
In the year 1869 my grandfather,
Mr.. Peter Mortenson, then young
man of twenty-nine years, came to-
the United States from Sweden. The
ship on which he crossed the Atlantic,
while steam propelled, was of the old
type, lacking almost every conVen-
fence of the present-day ships; and
it required nearly four weeks to make
the voyage. The joy and emotions OF
seeing the skyline of New York by
nv grandfather and his fellow pas
sengers can only be known to those
who have had the experience. There
before their very eyes lay the New
World, the Land of hope and promise,
tie Land that has never failed to re
ward faith, thrift, and frugality.
Grandfather was one of six young
men from the same community in the
Old Country that cast their lot IN
the same basket. After landing in
New York City they all continued on
West by rail. They had read and
heard much about Minnesota-about
its wonderful fertile soil and its
lakes; but undoubtedly what attract
ed them most was that they had
learned that there were several col
ONES of their own nationality in diff
ferent parts of that State. The fact
that they could not speak word of
English naturally drove them to seek
some place where they could make
themselves understood; and then, as
now, there were many of their own
countrymen in the village of Mime
apolis. Hence to Minneapolis they
would go. "Birds of the feather
flock together.
They all had bought tickets to
minnesota" which in this case
meant St. Paul-the lend of the
line" AS their pocket books were
empty there was only one way
walk, and walk they did. But as
their purse decreased their appetites
increased; and while grandfather
went into a little store to inquire of
the road to Minneapolis, he happened
to see what he thought were the most
wonderful apples he had ever SEEM.
Taking out paper quarter the last
piece of money from his pocket book,
he first looked at it, then at the sap
pies" Finally, thinking of the pleas
ant surprise he could have on his
friends, he decided to give them a real
treat; and so he invested his last
cent in big bag of the lucious fruit.
With the aid of a lexicon he inquired
the way to Minneapolis and depart
ed. When he overlook his compan-
ions he proudly exhibited his pur-
chase; but it was decided that they
walk on till they got good and tired
and then they would sit down and
rest and at the same time enjoy the
"apples. " They did; that is, they
sat down. Never having seen or
heard of tomatoes before, they all
bit in with a powerful jaw; and that
unmannerly fruit, as it sometimes will
do, squirted out at both sides of
directions. There is only one one
hundred per cent rule, and that is,
that there never was a Swede born
with a taste for tomatoes. The ex-
preston on the faces of those six
newcomers" plainly indicated that
they were no EXCEPTIONS; for after
just one bite each, it was a case of
who could throw his tomato the
furthest. Grandfather has never
been known to eat them to this day.
They found their way to Mime
apolis all right, walking the entire dis
lance of ten miles and arriving
toward evening. The town was in
those days better known as st. An
thony Falls because it surrounded a
large water falls by that name. The
travellers had their first sight of a
large and beautiful waterfall that eve
ming; and my grandfather, having an
eye for the beauty in nature, en-
joyed the sight immensely and can
still relate how he later used to sit
for many hours admiring it's grand
eur. 1t was not then commercialized
and much of the banks of the beau
tiful Mississippi river was then wood
ed.
The tourists" soon hunted up the
tourist park" which in those days
was called Immigrant Home" where
food and shelter could be had by
practically everybody, temporarily of
course, with or without money. Prac-
tically every newcomer" from the
North half OF Europe was trusted at
all these Immigrant Homes" in any
of the principal cities of the central
states; and it is to their credit that
seldom was this trust betrayed. Soon
er or later the immigrant would re-
turn and pay his debt. Would that
every citizen of this country today
was as Jealous of his honor in such
matters.
After a good nights "rest" on
bare floor, with their knapsacks as
pillows, and a plain, though sufficient
breakfast, the sextet scurried forth in
pairs to find woodwork Of any
kind and at whatever pay they could
get. Because they were unable to
speak or understand the language,
they soon found it was not such an
easy matter; yet one or more always
managed to pick up something, and
since they pooled their income and
their outgo, they all ate or they all
starved. In the meantime grand
father had studied his lexicon very
industriously and soon became the
spokesman for the rest. After much