perance folk of Eveleth were now prepared to join battle for their reform cause.

However, during this same period of time, the Swedish speaking Finns of Eveleth had also started a temperance society of their own, in July 1898, the Runeberg Society, with 11 founding members choosing Ed. Smith as their chairman. This society joined the Finnish Brotherhood as Chapter 119, but as with its Finnish opposite number, difference of opinion cropped up here, too, and all activity came to an end in 1901, when the local secretary reported to the Brotherhood that only 6 members were paying dues and that the treasurer had but $52.50 in funds. A year later, however, a new start was made, and this one was successful: membership grew to a maximum of 103, and in 1954 it was still 82. This society affiliated itself with the Swedish speaking Runeberg Orden, becoming local chapter 6, and becoming one of the biggest Swedish Finnish societies in Minnesota. The first chairman of this revitalized society was Ed. Jacobson, with Erik Erikson as vice-chairman. It was due particularly to Erikson's efforts that the society got a building of its own, which was the site of the 1905 Swedish speaking temperance movement annual convention.

Religious Activity: The start of organized religious activity in Eveleth seemed to proceed through the same difficulties which had beset the temperance societies. A congregation taking membership in the Suomi Synod was established in January 1896, and services were first held in members' homes, then at the temperance hall. Although the decision to found their congregation was unanimous, the members promptly expressed disagreement on the issue of affiliation, if any. According to Synod records, the congregation remained in the Synod up to May 1896, then continued independently up to February 1897, then joined the Synod again once and for all in June 1897. The Eveleth congregation records, on the other hand, indicate a slightly different story: the congregation which had been founded in January 1896 and had voted by show of hands to join the Synod actually expired in May of the same year. A second congregation was formed two days later, and continued an independent existence until it was terminated in February 1897. After a brief pause, a third congregation was founded in May 1897, and it has remained throughout a member of the Synod. It was this third congregation which received a plot of land for a church from the Fayal Mine on the same terms granted the temperance society, and

461