The Importance of the Scandinavian Element--A Swede Elected Secretary of
State in Minnesota--False Rumors of Indian Depredations--The Northern
Pacific Railroad is Built--Trip to Philadelphia--The National
Convention at Indianapolis--Delegation to Washington--A Swedish Colony
in Mississippi Moved to Minnesota--The Second Voyage to Europe.
Politically the Scandinavians in America had exerted no particular
influence beyond that they had generally been counted upon as loyal to
the Republican party, and a few of them had held county offices and been
members of the state legislatures in Wisconsin and Minnesota. The honor
of first bringing out a Scandinavian for a state office belongs to F. S.
Christensen, a young Dane, who, in the summer of 1869, was editor of
_Nordisk Folkeblad_ in Rochester, Minn. One day he called on me and
asked if I would be candidate for secretary of state, providing the
Scandinavians of Minnesota should nominate me, to which I readily
assented. A few weeks later a Scandinavian convention was held in
Minneapolis and resulted in designating me as their choice for secretary
of state. At the Republican state convention held in St. Paul in
September that year, I was nominated almost unanimously by the whole
Republican party. Being called to the platform after the nomination, I
accepted the same in a brief speech, which at the time attracted much
attention as echoing the sentiments of our people in the west. I
therefore regard it of sufficient importance to quote it here:
"_Mr. President and Gentlemen of the Convention_:
"Allow me to tender you my hearty thanks for the honor you have
conferred upon me by this nomination. I feel doubly gratified for the
very large majority you gave me. The time does not admit of any
extensive remarks upon my part, yet so much has been said lately
regarding the Scandinavian element, that the subject, perhaps,
requires an explanation from me; and, as the chosen representative of
the Scandinavian people of this state in the present campaign, I am
authorized to express their views, and I do so from a thorough
knowledge of them. It is true that we have left our beloved land; we
have strewn the last flowers upon the graves of our forefathers, and
have come here to stay, come here to live, and come here to die. We
are not a clannish people, nor do we desire to build up a Scandinavian
nationality in your midst. You have known us here for many years; you
have seen us come among you unacquainted with your language and your
customs, and yet I know that you will bear me witness how readily
and fraternally we have mingled with you, learned your language
and adopted your ways, and how naturally our children grow up as
Americans, side by side with yours. We have been cordially received
in this great west by your own pioneers, and have become prosperous
and happy. Yes, we love this great country of freedom, and we wish to
be and remain Americans."
Being elected a few weeks later by a large majority, I assumed the
duties of secretary of state on the 1st of January, 1870. As secretary
of state I was still a member _ex-officio_ of the board of emigration,
and had charge of all its work and correspondence, which amounted often
to a hundred letters a day.
In the month of June following, rumor came to the capitol of a new
Indian outbreak on our western frontier. It was said that Indians had
come in the night and committed depredations, and quite an alarm was
caused all along the frontier; the bloody massacre of 1862 was still
fresh in the memories of our people, and while the state authorities did
not believe this rumor, we deemed it necessary to take measures at once
for pacifying the people by protecting the frontier. Therefore I started
out at once with several hundred stand of arms, with ammunition
and authority to organize the settlers into militia companies and
commission officers for the same. Selecting a few friends for company
and aids, we went by rail as far as Benson, Swift county, thence by ox
teams northward, following the frontier settlements to the northern
portion of Otter Tail county. Four companies of militia were organized
and officers duly appointed, the last being in Otter Tail county, with a
Swedish count, Ragnar Kalling, as captain. This prompt action stopped
the panic, and all has been quiet since that time. The rumor of the
Indian depredation proved to have originated with some settlers who, in
the disguise of Indians, had tried to scare away a Norwegian from a
claim which he had taken from another man.
During this year one of the greatest railroad enterprises in the world
was commenced, namely, the building of the Northern Pacific, extending
from Lake Superior to the Pacific coast, a distance of over two thousand
miles. The celebrated financier Jay Cooke, of Philadelphia, who had
acquired a great reputation as the financial agent of President
Lincoln's administration during the war, was at the head of the
enterprise. The Northern Pacific Company had received a government grant
of many millions of acres of land along the proposed railroad, and it
required millions upon millions of dollars to build the road. One of the
important financial questions with Jay Cooke was how to derive a revenue
from the sale of lands, and how to get settlers and communities started
along the line of the road. So ignorant were the people of this country
about the region lying within the limits of the Northern Pacific
railroad that it was generally supposed to be either barren or too far
north for successful agriculture; yet that very region has since proved
to be the greatest wheat producing country in the world. Mr. Cooke
himself had been all over it with a small party, under the escort of
United States cavalry, on an exploring tour, and he was perhaps the
only man of that day who foresaw the future greatness of the Northern
Pacific region.
Late in the fall of 1870 I received a letter from Mr. Cooke, in
Philadelphia, inviting me to come and spend a week with him and talk
over the new Northwest. Upon the advice of ex-Gov. Marshall, who had
spoken of me to Mr. Cooke, the then Gov. Austin and other prominent men,
I repaired to Philadelphia, and spent some days at Mr. Cooke's palatial
residence near that city. He had also for guests a delegation of French
and German bankers, who had just arrived from Europe. Mr. Cooke
impressed me as one of the greatest and noblest men I had ever met. His
enthusiasm and eloquent arguments carried everything before him. The
millions were raised, largely in Europe, and the road was built, as
we all know. The result of my conference with him was my permanent
engagement, at a salary more than twice as large as that I had from the
state, to repair to Europe in the spring as agent of his enterprise,
with headquarters in Sweden, my special duties being to make known in
the northern countries of continental Europe the resources of the
Northern Pacific, particularly the park region in Minnesota. I was also
requested by Mr. Cooke to draw up a general plan on my return home for
the disposal of the company's lands, which I did, and that plan was
adopted for the guidance of its land and emigration officers and agents.
In the month of December a national convention was held in the city of
Indianapolis, Ind., for the purpose of devising measures for the better
protection of emigrants on ocean steamers, and while in transit through
this country. All the states interested in emigration sent delegates to
that convention, and I was one of those representing our state; my
knowledge and experience of the subject at issue enabled me to take
such a part in the proceedings that at the close of the convention, I
was appointed one of a committee of five (Gov. McCook, of Colorado,
State Treasurer Smith, of Wisconsin, Banker Greenbaum, of Illinois,
and a leading newspaper man of Philadelphia, were the other members)
to draft a law for the protection of emigrants, and to proceed to
Washington and lay the same before the president and congress. There I
had an opportunity for the second time to meet Gen. Grant, who was then
president. I spent much time with him, and he took a lively interest in
the emigration question. The result of our work was the passage by the
United States congress of the excellent laws in relation to emigration
which still remain in force.
In January, 1871, the state legislature of Minnesota again assembled.
The senate then consisted of twenty-two members, and was opened and
organized by Lieut. Gov. Yale, and the house of representatives, with
forty-seven members by myself as secretary of state.
During that winter I received several touching letters from Swedes
located in the state of Mississippi. They were part of a little colony
which had gone there the previous year, direct from Sweden. The climate
was unsuitable; one-fifth of the people had already died, nearly all the
rest were sick, and there was great distress and misery among them. They
asked me to get them away into the healthy climate of Minnesota. They
were entirely destitute of means, and had to be placed where the men
could obtain employment when they should have regained sufficient health
and strength.
The Duluth & St. Paul Railroad Company, which was then a part of Jay
Cooke's system, upon my request, furnished the necessary means, and sent
Mr. F. S. Christensen, heretofore mentioned, to Mississippi to bring the
party to St. Paul, which he did under many difficulties, in such
satisfactory manner that upon his return he received an appointment by
the company as local land agent at Rush City, in which position he
remained many years. He is now president of the bank at that place,
being married as before stated, to my niece, the little Zelma, whom the
Indian squaws were so fond of playing with in the old log cabin. The
little colony from Mississippi has certainly demonstrated that the
northern climate is by far the best for the northern people. They had
left Sweden strong, robust and hopeful men and women; after having
stayed one year in the South they arrived in Minnesota pale, poor and
broken down, lacking strength and energy, and almost without hope.
The railroad company acted most generously towards them. It built them
comfortable houses, furnished an abundance of provisions, cooking
utensils and other necessaries; they gave the men employment at liberal
wages as soon as they were able to work, and yet many of those very
people growled and complained because we did not do more for them. I
remember distinctly how one of the women, when her share of groceries
and provisions arrived, was perfectly indignant because there was only
granulated sugar, and she had always been "used to drink coffee with
lump sugar in Sweden." This bad trait among newly arrived emigrants from
any country is very common, gratitude and contentment being exceptional
the first year or two, as all will testify who have had anything to do
with them. It really seems that the more that is done for them the less
satisfied they are. I am glad to say, however, that after a few years
they get over this bad fault, and so did the little party from
Mississippi, most of whom have all of late years repented and even
apologized for their former folly and ingratitude. They formed the
nucleus of the large Swedish settlement west of Rush City, now one of
the most prosperous in the state.
After the close of the legislature in the spring of 1871 preparations
were made for carrying out my agreement with Jay Cooke to go to Europe
for an indefinite time. Having been criticised by some of my countrymen,
for resigning the office of secretary of state at that time, I owe them
the following explanation: First: Personally, I was comparatively poor,
and the salary which I received from the government, with the great
draw-backs for all sorts of charities and public enterprises, which an
official in that position has to meet, was insufficient to support me
and my family, and I considered that I had the same rights as any other
citizen to better my pecuniary condition, which I did by accepting the
offer of Jay Cooke. Secondly: It was of greater importance to the
public, and I could render better service to the state at this period of
its early development, as agent for a great railroad company, which fact
was fully recognized by our leading public men, and it was with their
advice and at their earnest request that I took the step. I accordingly
tendered my resignation to the governor of our state, but he, out of
polite consideration, preferred that I should take a leave of absence
until fall, when the people would have an opportunity at the political
convention, to designate my successor, and wrote me the following
letter:
"STATE OF MINNESOTA,
"EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT.
"St. Paul, May 25, 1871.
"_Col. H. Mattson, Secretary of State_:
"Dear Sir: Learning that it is your intention, on taking your
departure for Europe, to resign your office of secretary of state,
allow me to ask you to reconsider that resolution. You will leave a
very competent deputy, perfectly acquainted with all the duties of the
office, and in whose integrity, as well as in his honesty, the public
have unlimited confidence. Within a few months your successor will be
indicated by the delegates chosen by the people, comprising the
dominant party of the state, and then he may be appointed, if you are
to resign at all, with no uncertainty as to the popular choice of the
individual who should fill that important post. For these reasons I
hope you will conclude to withhold your resignation, at least for the
present. I most cordially wish you a pleasant journey to the field of
your new labors, great success there, and a safe return to the land
you have served and loved so well.
"Very truly yours,
"HORACE AUSTIN, Governor."
It is true that even after the state convention the governor did not
appoint my successor, but preferred to leave the office nominally in my
hands in charge of my very able assistant, the Hon. Pennock Pusey, until
the end of the term, so that in fact I did not resign, but kept my
office during the whole term for which I had been elected.
In the last week of May I left for Sweden the second time, taking my
family with me. The journey passed very pleasantly over England, Germany
and Denmark. We arrived in Hamburg in the morning of the day when the
Hamburgian troops returned under Prince Carl from the Franco-Prussian
war, and made a triumphant entry into the city, being received with the
greatest enthusiasm by the whole populace. It was indeed a grand sight,
as all these troops marched by our hotel, men and horses literally
covered with wreaths, flowers and bouquets, thrown over them by the
grateful people. On this journey I carried important business letters
from leading railroad men in Minnesota to some capitalists in Holland,
who had advanced several million dollars for the construction of
railroads in our state. I mention this, because it paved my way to very
important business connections with prominent Hollanders a few years
afterward.
Shortly before entering upon this journey, a private banking and foreign
exchange business was established in St. Paul under the firm name of H.
Mattson & Co. My partners were Consul H. Sahlgaard and A. T. Lindholm,
who successfully managed the business during my absence. A few years
later this affair was merged into the St. Paul Savings Bank, of which
Mr. Sahlgaard became the cashier, while Mr. Lindholm and myself both
withdrew. The banking firm H. Mattson & Co. was one of the first firms
that, as agent for the Cunard Line, introduced the system of prepaid
steamship tickets from Europe to America, which has gradually gained the
confidence of the people, and developed into a very extensive and
important business.