The Redwood gazette., 1936-08-27
Industry Pauses, Flags at
Half Mast as Minnesota
M0ur11s Governor S Death
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
IN COUNTY WHEN
INFORMED

day period of mourning for Gov
ernor Floyd B. Olson as funeral
services were held Wednesday in
Minneapolis. Attending the rites
were several Redwood county
men who knew him through eth
er social or political contacts and
had worked with him over per-
iod of years.
George A. Barnes attended with
other county attorneys from
throughout the state who went in
a body. John Arnett and Mike
Kramer, ardent supporters of the
governor since he first visited
Redwood Falls as the "boy can
didate" for the office attended, as
well as Frank Clague and A. c.
Dolliff, political opponents but
admirers of the late executive.
Hjalmer Petersen, Minnesota's
new governor, received word of
Olson's death as he was visiting
at the E. T. Ebbesen home in Re-
we're Mrs. Ebbesen, a schoolmate
of Mrs. Petersen when they lived
at Owatonna, broke the word to
him after she had heard radio
news reports on the death Satur-
day evening Petersen was re-
turning to st. Paul from speak
ing engagement at Luverne and
stopped at the Ebbesen home. He
left Immediately after receiving
the news. He and Ebbesen attend
ed school together at Tyler and
have been lifelong friends.
Business in Redwood Falls
paused for a half hour during the
funeral services, stores closing
and flags being displayed at half
mast following proclamation by
Mayor G. L. Lynn.
Governor Olson's last public
appearance here was October %,
1884 when he was seeking re-
election for a third term In a
Sunday afternoon armory address
heard by an overflow crowd, the
governor answered the attacks of
his opponents on the extrava-
gance, politics in relief, textbooks
and radicalism issues which then
were vital points of the campaign.
Governor Petersen also visited
Redwood Falls during the 1884
campaign although he made no
address here at that time.
Always a good vote getter in
this region, Olson was at the peak
of his popularity in 1882 when he
polled ALA votes in Redwood
which was over 800 more than
the combined vote given Earle
Brown and John Regan. In Rem
vile county his vote was 4,300
while his opponents, together,
polled 1894.
He lost Redwood county but
held Renville in the fall election
in 1884 when the radical platform
of his party cost him many rural
votes. Martin Nelson, Republic
an, carried the county that year
with 1896 to 1854 for Olson, Re-
gan running a poor third. In
Renville his vote was 4,031 while
Nelson got 3,504 and Regan 1885.
Hjalmer Petersen in the race
for acknowledgement carried
both counties in 1884, squeezing
through in Redwood totals by 81
221 to 3,215 for Franklin F. ELS
worth and 1850 for Arthur D..
Reynolds while in Renville he got
400 to 3,504 and 1885 for his op-
ponents.
Feeling the loss of so brilliant
Ia figure in public life, Redwood
Falls business and professional
men who knew him personally
recalled his charm, his magnet
ism, his democracy.
Typical of the instances of his
dislike of pomp and his utter
simplicity was one in which a
man from here visited him in the
gubernatorial offices for the first
time. The Redwood Falls man
sat stiffly in straight backed
chair.
"Oh," said Olson, "Pull UP your
chair and put your feet on the
desk like I do. It's as much
yours as it is mine."
Others recalled informal visits
with him, when political differ
ences were forgot and they enjoy
ed the friendly conversation and
!marveled at his quick clear think
ing.
Tributes from those who knew
him were generously given:
Continued on page eighty