Central two years later, and two years later still its annual sales totalled $147,000. In 1926, its board of directors included two Finnish-born members and two Minnesota natives of Finnish descent, while the corresponding figures in 1952 were three and four. Finally, in connection with cooperative activity in Ely, it should be mentioned that Ely had one of the oldest FinnishAmerican farmers' electric light companies : power was purchased from the city of Ely, but the lines were put up and paid for cooperatively. The farmers also had their joint telephone company, a `Farmers Club,' plus a cattle breeding association.

The community has always had numerous independent Finnish businessmen, some working alone, others forming partnerships. The Finnish Stock Company, for example, which had been founded in 1898, was still active in the 1950s. One of

its founders, John E. Porthan, served in the community in numerous responsible positions among the Finns, and for 4 years he was also a member of the municipal government. Language difficulties, however, were the chief reason why Finns in Ely did not fill such positions in the very beginning: in an article pub

lished in 1892 an Ely Finn regretted the fact that "the Finns, although thousands of them live in the city, hold no important political posts, while the Yankees, of whom there are but a handful, have calmly been able to grab almost every position and office." Gradually, however, there were Finns who were able to fill these positions: Jacob Pete (Perttula) was St. Louis County Commissioner, 1927-35 and 1937-42; Farm Bureau director, 1931-35, etc. Furthermore, he was active all his life as a businessman in Ely, owned the last stables in the city, which he did not give up until the 1920s, when he began selling Dodge automobiles and simultaneously operating a coal company. Pete also had business interests in Minneapolis, where he participated in the starting of machine shops, and in the Red River Valley, where

Dr. A. F. Tanner's hospital in Ely.

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