Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/754

 658 EISTOEY OF GOODHUE COUNTY the present time Arthur T. Gibson operates the plant of S. N. Gibson & Son, on Bush street, and Kussell & McGiverin (Ray- mond R. and Harry S.) have a plant on Third street. There is a printing plant at the Minnesota State Training School, and at the Red "Wing Seminary is the press of the Hauge Printing and Pub- lishing Company, from which is issued several denominational papers and religious books. At one time Peter Sjblom published several boys' magazines here, and in former days Leonard Hodg- man and George F. Enz had amateur print shops. Jens K. Grondahl, who gives his vocation as "newspaperman," was born at Eidsvold, near Christiania, Norway. December 3, 1869, son of Lars and Inger Margrethe (Julsrud) Grondahl, natives of that country. The father, Lars Grondahl, was a farmer of limited means but with advanced ideas as to the education and training of his children, a man of warm heart and generous dispo- sition. He died in 1895 at the age of 72. His wife, mother of Jens K., is still living. The subject of this sketch began his schooling in his native town and continued it in Red Wing, to which city he came 'as a boy of 11 years. After attending the local public schools for two years he entered the Red Wing Semi- nary and graduated in 1887 with high honors. During this period he engaged in various boyish business enterprises, which resulted in valuable experience if no1 always in big profits. Later he attended the University of Minnesota for some time. Shortly before graduating from the seminary he Avon an oratorical prize of fifteen dollars. With this he opened a small confectionery store and in this connection printed cards, sold rubber stamps, carried papers and acted as correspondent for several Twin City dailies. When the Red Wing Daily "Independent" was started in 1801 he was engaged to conduct that paper, and while occupy- ing this position received considerable newspaper training, do- ing, at times, everything from peddling the papers to turning the press and writing local articles and profound editorials on the nation's destiny. During the summer of 1897 .Air. Grondahl had an experience which, in moments of confidence, he occasionally relates to his intimate friends. Having a little spare time on his hands and having made a success of writing humorous squibs and pathetic verse for the magazines and newspapers, he decided to attempt humorous lecturing, at a season of the year when the most experienced lyceum stars would fail to secure a hearing. An ex- perience in Flastings, where, instead of beginning his lecture "Ladies and gentlemen." he was compelled to address his audi- ence of one as "Dear sir," and at another place, where a thunder storm vied with his voice in holding the attention of the auditors, convinced the youthful lecturer that summer was not the proper season in which to make a fortune in the lyceum field. The cam-