In sweden when the Ericsson brothers were mentioned one immediately thought of the world-famous John Ericsson, who built the "Monitor," and Nils Ericsson, the great railroad builder. As we all know, these two were brothers, born at Langbanshyttan, near Filipstad, in a mine supervisor's home.

The two Erickson brothers, whom we shall presently tell you about, are two Swedish-Americans who also hail from Langbanshyttan and their names are John Erickson and Charles Julius Erickson. Unknown to most Chicago Swedes, they have traveled the hard road to success and have not yet reached the goal of their ambition although they are well on their way to it.

It is natural that the Vermland boy born and reared in the mining district of that province should be mechanically inclined. From as far back as he 2can remember he had been watching the machinery and devices used in the operation of a mine; these awakened his interest and his desire to make similar and even more complicated mechanical contraptions.

Undoubtedly inheritance and early environment have greatly influenced the lives of these two brothers. Their father, Anders Erickson, was an exceptionally handy and resourceful miner and also a clever cabinet and instrument maker. He emigrated with his family in 1869 and came to Kansas, where he took a homestead near Lindsborg, in the Smoky Hill Valley. After some time, when the farm was all paid for, he let others run it and occupied himself with more congenial work, such as instrument making and the construction of electric batteries, and electrical devices used for medical purposes. In his workshop the two boys had an opportunity to study chemistry and electricity.

While they made and sold electric belts for a living, they experimented with 3telephones, for the purpose of developing an automatic central exchange board, which would reduce the number of operators required by the old system. They were successful, but soon discovered that Lindsborg did not offer any possibilities for marketing their product. They managed to obtain the financial backing of Anderson Brothers of Salina, Kansas, and moved to Chicago in 1893 in order to begin manufacturing on a large scale. However, established telephone interests here succeeded in discouraging them, and they decided to drop the plan--a decision which they probably now regret.

An American inventor, Alhon B. Strowger, had in the early nineties patented and automatic telephone exchange and had one such installed in La Porte, Indiana. But as compared to the Erickson brothers' invention, his apparatus was too complicated and expensive. An agreement was reached in 1894 whereby the brothers were taken in as partners in the La Porte Company, and continued to improve their invention. The reorganized company was given the name of the Automatic Electric Company, and capitalized at three 4million dollars. Its plant, an up-to-date six-story structure, is located at Van Buren and Morgan Streets. In its laboratory, the two brothers have the best facilities for experimentation and for making improvements on their product. It is regrettable, and a loss to all Swedes that this new telephone system has not been named after its inventors; but it is probably too late now to do anything about it.

The lives of the Erickson brothers have been filled with quiet work and have been, therefore, rather uneventful. John was born at Langbanshyttan, January 25, 1866, and came to America at the age of three. He attended the public schools, and worked in his father's shop. In 1900 he married Miss Maria Lindskog, a native of Karlstad, Sweden, and they have had two children, but only one is now living. Charles Julius was born in Lindsborg, Kansas, July 23, 1870. He also went through the public schools, and then worked for his father. He came to Chicago with his brother in 1893 and married Miss Elizabeth Schobeck in 1898; they have one child, a daughter.

Their mother is still living in Lindsborg, and has every reason to be proud of her two able and successful sons.