The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-05-29
brief sketch Of Grandpa Inge skJegstad's
Memoirs on his 10th birthday, April Fl, 1925

ton and suffering followed He would have
abolished the catechism and religious lessons
from the schools. His pedagogical theories were
followed up with practical results in that private
high schools were built up in Denmark and
partly in Norway and Sweden.
In Denmark so-called private university was
established in accord with Gruntvig's theories,
and presumably is still in existence. This had
a great influence on the public school system and
was therefore of great merit and value. Outside
of Scandinavia this particular system was doubt
less not very much known. This movement
called the peoples high school movement, inteEn'
ested me more than anything else at that tim
and to become teacher in such school was n
ambition. I decided to go to a state teachers
seminary first At the age of 49, went there
with expense money that father borrowed. The
full course lasted three years. 1 acquired some
useful knowledge; among other things was, how
to write passable Norwegian. Religious instruc-
tion l cared very little for, and took up little
time for it.
/ must mention an incident at the seminary.
One of the teachers took up five or ten minutes
on Darwin and evolution. This teacher was re-
moved soon after. 1t was a tremendous impress
sion on my mind had no longer use for either
the Mosaic story of creation nor the plan of sal
walton. When | came home during the summer
vacation, 1 could scarcely talk about anything
my father turn aside with tears in his eyes after
all he had done in sending me to this school,
should turn out to be Darwinite. 1t was too
much.
After furnishing up at the seminary was 60
ing to take course at one of the public high
schools. was fortunate enough to enter one and
to pay my expenses myself. This was boarding
school and l earned school money by teaching
the managers two small boy" He1 declined 6
send them to either the public or Latin schools
| liked him very much AT this place enjoyed
the happiest days of my life. The schools aim,
said the principal, was to polish up the ideal
of the young people. For this purpose, histor,
and modern literature were utilized. Although
this procedure in the schools was far superior to
the old method, yet | do not now regard it as
infallible. In my estimation the old time customs
were too frequently resorted to for the solution of
modern problems.
After l was through with high school I en-
deavored to establish a private child's school
by the Gruntvigian method. presided over such
school for two years but failed to earn suffci-
ent to live on. Then l tried for a position in the
public school. was going to practice the new
way but was rejected. 1 was too radical, and
too well-known as such. What 1 was best fitted
for was as teacher and the teachers at the sem
mary admitted it, but they objected to my rad
lcallsm, so there was no place for me in Norway
When l was 20 years old 1 emigated to America.
might have overcome the obstacles to secure
position as teacher only for another hindrance|
was afflicted with asthma, which will mention
further later on. The first year was in this
country l met Norseman who translated for
me Ingersoll's eulogy at his brothers funeral.
Immediately became so interested in Ingersoll
that began to spell my way through, and by
using dictionary find out the meaning of words,
and in this way believe 1 read nearly all of his
works which were at that time available In this
way learned to read English, as similarly when
boy learned to read Norwegian by becoming
really interested in Bjornsen. While / did learn
to read English never could speak it fuently.
| settled in a Scandinavian settlement in Min
nesota where heard no English spoken except
when ! was in town and then too, but seldom
Now there is nothing which embarrasses me SO
much as my imperfect speech in English II was