| Show ROYAL MESSAGE TO UTAH stockholm sweden sept 22 1897 please tell my countrymen the swedes and Norwegian sin your state in utah that I 1 sincerely thank them for the handsome present they have given me I 1 wish them success success in their far away home put these words lorils on a prominent page of your esteemed publication they were uttered by his majesty the king of sweden and norway oscar 11 II to your correspondent during an audience at the royal palace today and the way in which they were uttered there was majesty in every syllable but there were also fatherly affection and love never shall I 1 forget the few minutes during which his majesty graciously held my hand in his for he grasped it and held it during the entire interview and it seemed as if his whole soul went out towards the people in the far west of whom I 1 for the time being was a humble senta tentative tive I 1 most of your readers are aware that some time ago the idea was conceived by the scandinavians in utah to send their majesties a token vt of esteem at the occasion of their jubilee Asso aa soon ori as the subject was broached it found endorsement all over the state and means began to come in it was thought best beat to send something characteristic act of the state presents of gold and silver being rather too common and after much discussion it was decided c to have a box of utah onyx made and to deposit in it a handsomely bound book of mormon the design of the box as well as the workmanship on it was entrusted to the care of brother olof nilson of salt lake city and the binding was ordered at the deseret news office you have al ready had a description of the artistic work and many of your readers saw the box and the book before they were sent out on their long journey i the precious articles arrived safely in stockholm in the care of your correspondent on sept ath the same day I 1 went to the palace where I 1 met the kings first court marshal count von rosen to whom I 1 stated my errand the count is a distinguish act looking gentleman with a mait martial lal bearing his language to Is elegant ant minutely precise not a syllable t too much or too little in his sentences T happened to mention that I 1 bad letters of recommendation to the ame am minister his excellency re ferg and I 1 fancied there was the very 1 bit of a shrug of the shoulder in rei I 1 may be mistaken though As soon as practical I 1 paid nay MY eb aspects at the american legation 3 I 1 was very courteously rec received elvad by excellency mr ferguson read my from governor wells and congressman 9 ressman king carefully and V 3 promised to inquire without whether his majesty would be p please N to receive the presents from the sew dinavi ans in utah I 1 called i feyh times at the legation always to that no reply had been received suir that nothing more could be done n at last I 1 decided to see the chancellor or ca von essen it was a busy time at palace and difficult to obtain an 1 view with the amiable count but at last I 1 succeeded I 1 was more repaid for my patient waiting von essen is a gentleman in the sense of the word extremely ki id those who surround him an naturally commanding respect not exactly young in looks bu bi movements are those of a boy 1 most gives you the impression man omnipresent he actually S se to give his orders to his offida respectfully listen to a visitor visIt Wor J came on some business and to ana a trivial telephone message all A same time well I 1 saw him stated my business and he art both my hands and bid me w not an hour after I 1 had left letan was summoned to his office a told to be there the next day aft 1 a in dressed up to meet the ki kina at the appointed time I 1 was ass office of the th thefts was there too I 1 could not m make though whether he or no not til all at once he seized his hat coat and bade me follow him f so and together we went past s sail guards up a flight of stairs tw elegantly furnished rooms alive uniformed humanity I 1 had n to look at anything for count voi vo sen was in a great hurry he af ran up the stairs two and three i at a time and had no sooner ett a room before he had left it ti some other door of course the i was anxious not to lose one miji amm needless abse absence nce from the pre presen a beloved king but it was d with me to me the su sur were all new and curiosity absolu prever prevented ted me from running a through the royal apartments i where else I 1 would not have mind contest on foot t I 1 do not know exactly how 1 ha bened nit but all at once I 1 found w alone in the spacious billiard boqi the king the count was gone golej t J adew a few minutes for reflection beof and eolo colonels nels and princes and ft passed through the room in bers they all looked at me e 0 them count von rosen c came e tta the room he stopped shook 1 with me and told me that lae bedad b me nie an invitation to the grandb grand baut banquet to be held that evening a p palace a lace the invitation he foa said been sent to the foreign office at last count von essen ammy my than dlan angel appeared he told me the king would receive 1 r me P e I 1 I 1 lowed him outside ahe the palace the students 1 were gathering to sere serenade nafie king and everybody seemed to J the qui vive I 1 caught a gal his majesty as he beckoned to tend tenc ants lants to come to the bifi en enjoy joy the sight of the multi multitude the streets now a page announced that ahe he was waiting tor for me no long speech you know a frieT friendly idly whisper in my ear was count von essen again had ad barely time to say never excellency and then I 1 was p your acred d into the august presence of majesty the king ye were alone in a rather small wi that is all I 1 know about the ra la in which the audience took place atie next moment the kings hand hafid extended towards me an I 1 rever it I 1 said majesty I 1 have come from tour ajr to from one of the western states the e north american union to ekis isto to you on behalf of the swedes norwegians Norwegia ns there our most re ua homage and congratulations too in the far west pray the al ihly to grant to your majesty a fg I 1 for the benefit of the brother aws S ae kings handsome face beamed as heaed d to this little bit of an ora wort aye e the norwegians Norwegia ns there also you tie he said tea your majesty sj eyou you a swede or a norwegian t the ane next question t am a swede by birth your ma low W long have you been in amerl ameri btttle over eleven years well please tell my country S jw jaedes edes and norwegians Norwegia ns in your efti utah attah that I 1 sincerely thank ft tor for the handsome present they e given iven nie me I 1 wish them success heir afar far away home fe audience was over ide the audience chamber I 1 again the kindhearted kind hearted noble bt t von essen some me along he said and listen ise students singing you never flear ft ear r any singing equal to it r you go bowed wed him singing was sweet I 1 believe the i waa right I 1 found my way through the arte rte outside the palace where I 1 it joined ened by brother ahlquist who pie me to the marshals and patiently awaited my re r mission was accomplished ore ec closing enclosing my letter I 1 will say tire the jubilee gift from utah was aled by an address signed by et bt presidency of the church jrees creais is ELS as follows Irl whom these pres presents eiRts may come ting ng F J M the bearer of after fter er le ie a gentleman of aduca afi distinction a swede by birth has traveled extensively in the it so as well as in europe and amerl SUs NUB present residence is salt lake r utah where he is well and favor own and highly esteemed by all ap ahlm afler er has been selected by fellow W countrymen natives of swe aad norway a large body of preside in and are citizens of the Qt Utah to proceed to the court Ss majesties majest les king oscar II 11 and i sophia on the occasion of the anniversary of their ascension to Q rone ne for the purpose of present ja their name and behalf to their itzea a casket made of onyx ping ing a copy of the book of morse moras an expression of the me high tt affection and love which the Inay ians of this intermountain inter mountain in ft entertain for their majesties majest les the hope and earnest desire that majesties will live to witness happy bappe returns of this most aus event we ourselves though not of the ayleti un race do most heartily scandinavian friends and fels in desiring long life peace and happiness for their roa ma jesties king oscar II 11 and queen sophia of sweden and norway WILFORD WOODRUFF GEO Q CANNON JOSEPH F SMITH the invitation to the grand ball and dinner at the palace is worded as follows the first court marshal of the king hereby by most gracious command has the honor of inviting editor to a ball to be given at the palace of stockholm on wednesday sept 22 1897 at p m dress for ladies white court dress with train gentlemen great uniform decorations outside all mourning laid aside for the day the carriages drive in through the south entrance to the left entrance through the arch third floor at 1130 in the hall of df the realm I 1 need not say that I 1 have kept the card as a precious souvenir J M S |
