as destined to meet
with tribulation. It was his desire to aid the poor of his country by
founding a colony. He therefore bought a tract of land of 125,000 acres
in Potter County, Pennsylvania, on the inauguration of which he stated
his purpose: "We are to found a New Norway, consecrated to liberty,
baptised with independence, and protected by the Union's mighty flag."
Some three hundred houses were built, with a store and a church, and a
castle on a mountain, which was designed for his permanent home.
Hundreds flocked to the new colony, and the scheme took nearly the
whole of his fortune.

Ole Bull now started on a concert tour together with little Adelina
Patti, her sister Amalia Patti Strakosch, and Mr. Maurice Strakosch.
Patti was then only eight years old, and was already exciting the wonder
of all who heard her.

When crossing the Isthmus of Panama his violin was stolen by a native
porter, and Ole Bull was obliged to remain behind to find his
instrument, while the company went on to California. He was now taken
down with yellow fever, and owing to a riot in the town he was entirely
neglected, and was obliged to creep off his bed on to the floor in order
to escape the bullets which were flying about. On his recovery he set
out for San Francisco, but the season was too late for successful
concerts. He was miserably weak, and when he played his skin would break
and bleed as he pressed the strings.

He now heard that there was some trouble in regard to his title to the
land in Pennsylvania, and, hastening to Philadelphia, he was legally
notified that he was trespassing.

It transpired that the man who had sold the land to Ole Bull had no
claim to it whatever, and had perpetrated a barefaced swindle, and now,
having the money, he dared his victim to do his worst. The actual owner
of the land, who had come forward to assert his rights, became
interested in the scheme, and was willing to sell the land at a low
price, but Ole now had no money. He instituted legal proceedings against
the swindler, who, in return, harassed the violinist as much as
possible, trying to prevent his concerts by arrests, and bringing suits
against him for services supposed to have been rendered. It is even
stated that an attempt was made to poison him, which only failed because
the state of excitement in which he was at the time prevented his desire
for food.

Ole Bull now set to work to retrieve his fortunes, but ill luck still
followed