Few
persons have any idea of how irksome and laborious this kind of
journalism is, and at times I was on the point of giving it up in
despair. As an example I will relate one little incident connected with
this work. A farmer in a neighboring county had, through ignorance of
the homestead law, met with difficulties in securing title to his claim.
As usual he wrote to the _Stats Tidning_, and received the desired
information just in time to save his property, which was worth over
$1,000. On a visit to Minneapolis a short time afterward his feeling of
gratitude directed him to the office of the paper to express his thanks.
In a conversation with him I found that he had never subscribed for the
paper himself, but was in the habit of going to his neighbor every
Saturday afternoon to read it. I asked if it would not be well for _him_
to subscribe for it also; it might happen to contain useful information
in the future, and he could afford to pay for it. To this he answered:
"No, I cannot do that, for I have not much time to read, and if I want
to read I have some back numbers of a church paper, from Sweden, and
should I want to read answers to any questions I can borrow a copy of
your paper from my neighbor." So highly did this good and pious farmer,
from a financial point of view, appreciate information which had saved
him his home. In my opinion such people do not deserve reproach, but
sympathy on account of their gross ignorance. It is also a fact, that,
during all this time, the income received from the paper did not cover
its expenses, and if it had not been for other resources the enterprise
would have failed even at the very climax of its popularity.

After five years of untiring journalistic work I was only too glad of an
opportunity to sell the paper in the spring of 1881 to a publishing
company, which soon moved the plant to St. Paul. My former associates,
Messrs. Lunnow and Soderstrom, soon after commenced the publication of a
new Swedish weekly, called _Svenska Folkets Tidning_, which has now a
larger circulation than any other Swedish paper in our state. Having
sold my share in the _Svenska Tribunen_ in Chicago a few years before,
and thus being no longer connected with any newspapers, I found more
time to devote to my wheat farm in the Red River valley.

[Illustration: FARM IN THE RED RIVER VALLEY.]

CHAPTER XIV.

I am Appointed Consul-General to India--Assassination of
Garfield--Departure for India