The Danish-Norwegian Seminary by R. A. Underwood

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Tacoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Feb 17, 1910

The Danish-Norwegian Seminary

By R. A. Underwood

The accompanying picture presents the building recently purchased by the Northern Union Conference for the Danish-Norwegian school. The artist said that it was impossible to get as good a picture of the building in the winter as could be secured in the summer season. As has already been stated in a previous issue of the REVIEW, it cost about forty thousand dollars to erect this building.

It is in good repair at the present time, it having been built but seven years ago. The structure has solid brick walls. The inside floors are all hardwood and hardwood finish. The chapel is on the second floor in the left end of the building. It is a beautiful assembly-room. There are sixty-two students' rooms in the building, and a large dining-room in the basement.

Extending to the left of the building, which is but slightly shown in the picture, is a covered basement, the erection of which cost seven thousand dollars. The plan was to have this left wing of the building correspond to the right wing from the center of the building. There is a large gymnasium and several class-rooms in this basement, which we shall be able to utilize in the school.

Since writing my former article, our committee has received title to the furniture that was in the college, which consists of chapel seats, dining-room chairs,

tables, sixty-two iron bedsteads, mattresses, and other fixtures.

Through the generosity of the Hutchinson people, this furniture, which had been inventoried at about thirteen hundred dollars, we secured for three hundred dollars, the citizens making up the difference.

Brother George Axelsen, wife and daughter, are now living in the building.

We have purchased a good team of horses at a cost of four hundred thirty-five dollars. Brother Axelsen has already begun to cut timber for the dimension material to go into a barn which will have to be built this summer. We must have a barn that will accommodate not less than four horses and about twenty cows. The barn will be located about twenty-five rods to the left of the college building. The building faces the south. The grove in the rear is not seen in the picture. Lying just north and west of the seminary are about ten acres that will make a beautiful grove. This will not be cleared, but kept for the campus of the school.

February 1 we passed over to Mr. Jones, in addition to the two thousand dollars we had already paid, thirty-five hundred dollars, and gave notes for the remaining purchase price of the school building. The abstract of the land, which includes the one hundred sixty acres, is in readiness; however, it will take about a month for it to pass through the court in the county in which it is located before we can secure a title.

I am glad to report that a number of isolated friends who are interested in seeing the Danish-Norwegian people have a seminary in which their own youth will receive a special training, have responded with donations of from five to a thousand dollars. We are very anxious that this school shall be all paid for before we open it next fall. The notes that we are obliged to give for the property will be interest bearing. Possibly there may be some of our brethren who would be glad to lend The Northern Union Conference Association, Incorporated, some means at a low rate of interest, or without interest, for a time, until the donations come in sufficiently to cover the expense of equipping this school.

This morning's mail brought a touching letter from a brother in Nebraska, who is over eighty years of age, lying upon his bed unable to sit up. He expressed his great interest in the school, and accompanied the letter by a check for twenty-five dollars. To such as he and others who may give to assist this school I can say that a statement found in the Testimonies places our schools in no second position in connection with our work. In a leaflet sent out to teachers and students, dated October, 1893, is the following important statement: "Of all institutions in our world the school is the most important." When we consider the influence and the effect of the training of the student for service in the cause of Christ, and the unmeasured duration of the influence going out from our schools, we shall recognize that this statement is none too strong. Surely there is no enterprise or object to which we can give our means that can possibly bring greater results and more satisfactory rewards than the means invested in preparing a place for the training of our youth in our colleges and seminaries.

I wish to thank those who have already responded to the invitation to assist in placing this school upon its feet, and still say that there is opportunity and a great need of others quickly responding to this providential opening to plant this institution as a tower of strength and a beacon of light to the world in connection with the third angel's message. Send all contributions to T. D. Gibson, treasurer of the Northern Union Conference, 2718 Third Ave., South, Minneapolis, Minn.

R. A. UNDERWOOD.