Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1940-03-21
Jim Landy Honored
By Hjalmar Petersen

BY Hjalmar Petersen
One of the largest and most pleas
ing testimonial dinners ever held in
rural community of Minnesota,
took place at Olivia Sunday afternoon
when lifelong friends and neighbors
from Renville county as well as fell
low newspaper men and women from
over the state. and public officials
honored James R. Landy, editor of
the Olivia Times. The dinner, which
was attended by 400 to 500 persons,
took place in the parlors of st. Alloy
sius church. The date, March II, st.
Patrick's day, was well chosen in
honoring son of Ireland.
Mr.. Landy was born in the state of
Michigan in 1867, but at the age of
one, the following year, came to
Renville county with his parents, and
the family settled on a farm in Birch
Cooley township. He taught school
for eight years in the county, and in
1900 purchased the Buffalo Lake
News which he published for seven
years. In 1907 he purchased the Olivia
|
lished that rural weekly newspaper
and resided in the community. He has
held various local offices, among them
justice of the peace for 81 years. He
was active in the formation of Birch
Coulee state park, and chairman of
the Michael Bowling Memorial COM
mittee, raising $4,000 toward build
ing the Bowling hall and school, an
adjunct of the Gillette Crippled Chill
dren's hospital in ST. Paul.
Mr. Landy is longtime member
of the Minnesota Editorial Associa-
ton and was its president in 1920.
He has been poet laureate of this
organization for quarter of CEN
fury and has contributed much good
poetry through the columns of his
Olivia Times.
A fellow newspaper man, John E.
Casey of Jordan, gave one of the prin-
cipal addresses at the testimonial
dinner. Mr.. Casey, who is not only
a good writer, but an able orator,
waxed eloquent when he dwelt upon
the early history of Ireland and the
great ST. Patrick who, he related,
lived to be 116 years old, from 377
to 493 Editor Casey brought out
that st. Patrick was one of the great
est Christian leaders in the history
of the world, but was once a slave
and lived in pagan times.
The Jordan publisher spoke also
of the vast immigration from Ire
land to America, especially in the
period between 1910 and 1860. Many
of those immigrants had had little
schooling, but came to the land of
opportunity and pitched in with so
many others of different nationalities,
working in the minis, at railroad
construction, in the forests and on the
farms
Humorously, Editor Casey spoke
of Ireland's four subdivisions, Den
mark, Norway, Sweden and Iceland.
He stated that while the Irish can
claim the Chief Justice of the SUI
lagher, heretofore, the people of the
Emerald Isle have not claimed a
Minnesota governor However, he
dipped into history and informed his
listeners that the great, great, great
grandfather of the late Floyd B. Olson
was none other than man by the
name of O'Leary, who came from
Ireland, so Floyd Olson was Ireland's
contribution to the list of Minnesota
governors.
Mr.. Casey complimented the Fin
nish people for the great battle they
put up against tremendous odds, but
lent encouragement to an independent
people, such as the Firms, by referring
to the struggles that the Irish went
through over the centuries.
f The local pastor, the Very Rev.
erend Henry D. Pomije, delivered the
? other main address of the day dwell
t ing upon the virtues of Mr.. Landy
| as a family man, a church man, his
great interest in the community and
state, of which he has been a citizen
c so long, and his aggressiveness and
I fairness as an editor The pastor
/ drew beautiful picture of Mr.. Landy
t and the love for his late mother, and
: his immediate family He added that
? friendship means more than gold and
pearls.
The honored guest rose to the oc-
I casion and expressed appreciation for
: the gathering of hundreds of old