His peculiar claim to genius, however, lay in his ability to succeed in whatever he undertook.

Loyal to his friends and to his city, he never had a thought that his large and growing competence made any chasm between him and his poorest acquaintance. He was a man to all men, honorable, considerate and cordial.

In another article by the same paper, entitled "A Christian Viking":

History records that his Scandinavian progenitors gave birth to the dynasty that has ruled Russia for many generations; their blood also percolates in the veins of Germany's emperor, and even in the lines of Queen Victoria, down to the young king of Britain, George V. How remarkable that in the course of human transformation throughout the ages, this bold, warlike, and often cruel, nation of men, should produce a man, who, in the walks of official and commercial life, should set an example of honor and success far above all the warlike achievements of his race and its early history.

The Register and Leader, commenting on his record, said:

In his business career Senator Ericson demonstrated what a poor boy, with no capital but his hands, his head and his strong courage, can achieve in this great land of opportunity. In his career as a citizen he demonstrated to what heights of loyalty and devotion to an adopted nation and commonwealth a foreign born youth may attain. In business he won every success and a bountiful share of this world's goods; in public life he was accorded the very highest distinction by fellow citizens year after year. He was a true custodian of the wealth that came into his hands, and no man in Iowa ever gave more generously and wisely of his means for the promotion of the happiness and welfare of the people. He was true to every official trust imposed in him, and he rendered his State and his country notable service as a public servant. He was true to every obligation as neighbor and friend, and helpful always to those about him.

In a letter to his daughter Lorena from Rev. Emil Benson, pastor of the Swedish Lutheran Church, Rochester, N. Y.one of the many young men in whom he had taken an interest -we find the following:

What I am and the position I now hold, I owe to the kindness and generosity of your departed father, the respected senator, who gave me the educational start.

His former pastor, Rev. Scott W. Smith, of Cedar Rapids wrote as follows:

I have always honored him as a lover of our Saviour and a friend of man, and have always rejoiced when word came of some new benefaction which his generosity had provided in the way of school and library endowment; and his memory will always be one of my precious possessions. He was a great help and inspiration to me in my work-never obtrusive with counsel or critical in his judgments, but quietly helpful in every undertaking for the advancement of the work of our church.

The esteem in which Senator Ericson was held by his associates in travel during the last four months of his life, is evidenced by the following extracts from letters received by his daughter, Lorena Ericson, after his death, and is voiced. I am sure, by all who knew him:

PAUL S. JUNKIN, Creston, Iowa: The state of Iowa suffered a great loss in the death of Senator Erickson. The Iowa people on the "Cleveland" were charmed by his simplicity and sincerity, and impressed by his ability, and made friends with everyone because of his sterling worth. We all felt a personal loss in his death.

REV. D. E. LORENZ, New York: I merely want to add my testimony to the fact of the high esteem in which he was held by everyone on the "cruise." He spoke several times to our travelers' club held on shipboard. I, personally, had every reason to admire and respect him, and the news of his death came to me as a real sorrow. I am sure it is a noble legacy to leave behind a life so useful to his country.

MRS. CATHERINE M. KEELER, Rockford, Illinois: He contrasted the present voyage with its luxury to the one he had taken when he first came over; also described most entertainingly his audience with the King of Sweden. We surely are not justified in closing our doors to the foreigner who may prove as valuable and loyal an American citizen as your father. noblemen, his will indicates.

That he was one of God's

I consider him one of the We all esteemed him most

MRS. M. JENNIE HODGSON, Chicago: most intellectual men on our cruise. highly, and said "goodbye" to him with sincere regret. He talked to me many times about you, and what he had purchased for "my daughter," as he so loved to call you. "A Christian Viking"what an appropriate name!

Senator Ericson's cherished desire to add to his extended travels the cruise around the world, referred to in the above extracts, was gratified, when, on July 30, 1910, he reached his home in Boone, having left the January previous. Taken suddenly ill the evening of August 2d, three days following his return, in spite of medical aid, he died Sunday morning, August 7, 1910. So closed the career of one whose Christian character has made the world better; one who enjoyed the esteem and love of all who knew him, and of whom it can be said, as some one has so beautifully expressed it:

JOURNAL OF A. W. HARLAN WHILE CROSSING THE PLAINS IN 1850.

A JOURNAL OF CALLIFORNIA BOUND IN COMPANY WILBURN WILSON, JAMES WILSON, MICHAEL DUST & A. W. HARLAN.1

1850

Wed May 1st

left Athens Mo. 11 o'clock A. M. & camped at Irvine Wilsons. Made about 12 miles

12

Sat 4th

traveled 17 miles & camped 11⁄2 miles west of Drakesvilles, one yoke of oxen ran away. snowing next morning

Sun 5th

Mon 6th

Tues 7th

Wed 8th

17

traveled about 15 miles and camped on a branch of Soap Creek. the best grass that we have seen. a white frost & ice 4 in next m 15

lay by all day. The wind blew a gale and rain came on at night

a drizling rain until 9 o'clock A. M. we then started. the wind blowed brisk & cooll, traveled over beautiful rolling rich prearie. took the left hand at Dodges point. went three miles further and camped at the goose pond on Chariton. rained at night. made 23 m. frosted

23

we traveled 12 miles over beautiful rich prearie & camped on a small branch of Chariton. grass scarce a white frost next morning and all the mud on the waggon wheels froze hard 12

Aaron Word Harlan was one of the best known pioneers of southeastern Iowa, having arrived at Fort Des Moines (now Montrose) as a servant in 1834. Engaged in merchandising at Keosauqua in 1837, settled on the Half Breed tract and acted as the local agent of Charles Mason, emigrated to California during the gold rush, served from the day of the battle of Athens when he was fifty-one years of age for nearly four years in the Union Army in the Twenty-first Regiment Missouri Infantry, returned to his farm near Croton and remained an active participant and intelligent witness of events until his death in his one hundredth year on the 30th day of April, 1911.

Thur 9th

Fri 10th

May Sat 11th

Sund 12th

Mond 13th

Tues 14th

traveled 10 miles and stopped on the open prearie. boiled the tea kettles with rosin weeds. 10 o'clock at night all our cattle broek from the waggon to the N. W. we stopped them in good time. cold North wind at night, slight frost 10 we traveled about 12 miles on the main road to Garden Grove then went 4 miles of from the road down the creek to find grass for our cattle 12 here William Allen of Lee County Iowa turned back & Alfred Allen joined Lapsleys crew, put in two yoke of oxen making 5 men and 6 yoke of oxen to one waggon

took up a ride without any road. in about 5 miles struck the road and traveled 20 miles & camped on a small stream that I supposed ran into the Des Moines, Squaw creek of 3 rivers, roads dry and dusty-a strong wind all day from the N West 20

grass being scarce we yoked up & traveled about 3 miles, fell in with Hines. stopped on a small brook. The grass rather poor. we will keep the sabbath the ballance of the day.-But Lapsleys team came along and we followed on about 10 miles further in all. 13 m to day & camped on a small branch of Grand river

13

this day our road lay over very rolling prearie the points thin and almost covered with red granite even where there had been no wash. we made about 7 miles headway though we have traveled 10. passed through Pisgah, a mormon settlement on one branch of Grand River consisting of some 50 or 60 miserable huts & turned down the river about a mile to graze. weather hot roads dusty & grass wilted 7 we took the plainest road. it had been made by teams turning off for grass-though it was the wrong road-we lost 4 miles by it. our road today lay over very rolling though rich prearie. a great many teams in sight winding over the prearie hills and looking over this vast expanse of prearie & beholding the energy of our people I look forward to the time that it will all be subdued, fenced with wire and hedges and every