Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1939-09-21
Anniversary Ends
25-Year Period
Continued from Page ~

| OooSJ Vic SoAAoAS
news dispensing sources in existence
and said the newspaper is the most
thorough and authentic. It, however
is difficult for the newspaper to tell
the public unpleasant things; they
just desire to hear pleasantries, said
the speaker.
The community should recognize
newspaper as source to get facts
and the community should uphold a
newspaper having courage to give
facts. 1t has an important part in a
democracy. In conclusion the speaker
said that the faults of newspaper,
many times, are faults of the Amer
lean life.
Hjalmar Petersen Talks.
Following is the text of Hjalmar
Petersen's address to the silver ami
versary gathering:
twenty-five years is a considerable
span of time in the history of any
community, but more especially in the
life of an individual. However, we
need not be old because Is years
have elapsed, but it should make for
added experience and maturity OF
Judgment.
Since the Askov American was
founded on September II, 1914, and
which was but seven or eight years
after this Danish colony was begun
there has been much progress socially
and materially in this community.
The large and well-kept Lutheran
church here in the village, the center
of our community's spiritual life, was
completed and dedicated.
A large addition was built onto
our public schoolhouse during the
World war days, and now, another
large addition is being erected, to
this consolidated school with its mod
ern vans carrying children to and
from the school,
The very building in which we are
meeting tonight, the Danish Brother
hood hall, was made possible through
the cooperation of the D. B. S. men,
bers, again proving that where there
is will, there is way. The mem
OS1 SillP IiOl llOSll Will illOlICy, OQl
through the cooperation of the many
the hall was made possible and filled
a social need in the community
Amateur plays, lectures, concerts
cooperative meetings, political meet
ings, dances and other social and
public events, besides the lodge meet
ings, have taken place here.
Much Progress.
i During the past IS years, many
business buildings have been erected
including the bank building, the Erik
sen building, the new hardware store
variety store, shoe store, bakery
Askov Mercantile Company building
two garage buildings, barber shop
Askov American building with new
quarters for the, post office, lumber
yard, American Legion hall, larger
depot replacing the one which burned
cooperative creamery building, coop
erative feed store, rutabaga and potato
warehouses, nursery greenhouse ano
enlargements, dozens of residences ir
the village, electric light and power
hundreds of farm homes, barns and
other farm buildings, thousands OF
acres of land cleared and made till
able, improved roads, trunk high
way and bridge across Kettle river
1t is not anything that we desire
to boast or brag about, but all these
Accomplishments are worthy of men,
ton and factual, a credit to the alert
ness and industry of our people.
But, tonight we are gathered par
ticularly to celebrate the silver ami
versary of the founding of the Askov
American.
/ Reminiscing.
The first year or two were trying
as the beginning was trying to many
of you here in whatever may have
been your endeavor. I did not say
that 1 wished myself back to Mil
waukee more than once, having en-
joyed the music of that city and re-
munerative employment for six years
To begin with, there was too much
work in the American office for one
person, and hardly enough for two
A boy or a girl would start learning
the trade, and quit after few weeks
or months, then young printer
sometimes called two-thirder)
would come along and work for
awhile. Then a full-fledged printer
for few weeks, but he would be
too expensive to keep continually
Tired of changing help so much
and realizing that steadiness and 10y
atty are very essential, then in
duced my brother, Svend, to join me
in partnership in the spring of 1916
Soon business picked up, for he was
just what was needed, mechanic
bookkeeper and hustler.
i Within a half year we purchased {
typesetting machine-Linograph-the
first in the county, year later {
cylinder press, then automatic press
another cylinder press, and so on.
In 1926 we had outgrown the ole
building and moved to the new one
Catalog printing, general commercial
work, and the printing of severa.
periodicals besides the Askov Amer
lean, our own publication, helped de-
velop the business.
Our help throughout the years has
been reliable, loyal and efficient