name has already appeared on these pages, made several enthusiastically received speeches here, and in 1904 the society Imatra was founded. Its first slate of officers included O. W. Myyryläinen, chairman; David Jacobson, vice-chairman; Henry Koskela, secretary; G. Vikander, assistant secretary; A. F. Tanner, treasurer, assisted by John Dyhr; and A. Tikkanen and A. Töyrä as members at large. Meeting originally in rented quarters, the society built its own hall in 1906, giving impetus to a full program of activities. Originally a member of the Imatra League, it soon proclaimed itself a socialist organization, and in 1914 it found itself in the same position as almost all Northern Minnesota socialist chapters: having accepted the Sosialisti as its official newspaper, having refused to support the Työmies and refusing to help pay the costs of its meetings of delegates, it was put under ban and, in the chaos which followed, became an IWW body. Activity, however, continued to remain brisk within the society. With 20 members at the moment of its founding, it had 84 in 1906, and 112 in 1912. In 1911, some 70 copies of the Työmies were received by subscribers in Ely. Within the society, the dramatics group was particularly active : in 1910 it alone had 25 members of its own. Athletic activities remain to be discussed below, following a glimpse at the particularly strong and varied musical activities in Ely.

Cultural Activities : Choral activity had already begun at the time when the temperance societies were leading the field. In Ely, for example, according to F. Mäenpää, the Vesi Society had its chorus as early as 1886, for the minutes of its meetings for November of that year mentioned that "Peter Jurva had been called to direct its chorus, as well as to teach writing and arithmetic." If valid, this would rob Peter Westerinen of the honor of having founded the first choral group among Minnesota Finns, for his group did not come into being until 1887. However, some confusion in this matter certainly exists, for there never was a Peter Jurva who directed a chorus; apparently the reference is to a teacher, K. L. Jurva, who in 1887 was still the director of the Ishpeming, Michigan, chorus and who in 1888 did begin a chorus in Tower, Minnesota. In any case, Ely did develop into a real choral music community, and this development was duc in great part to the arrival in Ely of Emil S. Björkman.

Björkman was one of those rare Finnish musicians of Minnesota who had come to this country with a real musical education behind him. Having first attended the school for sacred music (choir work and organ) in Oulu, and having served as assistant

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