Not many years ago it was considered quite an event among Swedish-Americans in Chicago when one of them was able to build a cottage or a two-story frame house for his family. To be able to erect such a home required many years of strenuous effort and many sacrifices by the man and his family. Only the necessities of life could be provided during this period.

Usually, the Swede who wanted his own home would start by investing his savings with some building and loan association. During the period when these associations flourished, it was usually possible, after eight or ten years, for the investor to withdraw the amount which he had placed with the association plus the accrued earnings.

Frequently, the first aim of the future home-owner was to save enough so that the sum due when the shares matured would amount to one thousand 2dollars. With this sum he would buy a building lot, and with this lot as security, he would then borrow enough money from the association to enable him to build a nice frame house. The loan would be repaid by continuing his monthly deposits with the association as before. When the payments were all made, he would then own his home free of debt.

Most of the Swedish immigrants who own their homes have acquired them in the manner just described. The building and loan associations, when honestly managed, have been of great benefit to our people, and although the borrowers were made to pay a rather high rate of interest, yet when the loan was repaid they found themselves in a far better position then those who had been paying rent to others. These tenants have no other prospect than simply to go on paying rent, until somebody is compelled to buy a lot for them--in the cemetery.

Among our Swedish immigrants there is a class of people who, at least during an earlier period,have earned much money. They are the tailors 3who use factory methods. Those who have been satisfied to limit their activity to tailoring alone have frequently become the owners of a considerable amount of real estate and other assets, which usually include elegant homes.

Among the Swedes who started as mercantile tailors, there are not many, on the other hand, who have been successful, whatever the reason for their failure may be. It may well be that in most cases these men were so anxious to do business that they became too liberal in granting credit.

The Swedish mercantile tailor who has undoubtedly been most successful is Frank A. Rose, whose home is located at 2857 Kenmore Avenue, not far from the lake. The decoration of this home is worthy of notice.... The house has been occupied by the Rose family for about two years, but not until this fall was the interior decoration completed. Our well-known fresco painter, Olof Nilsson, 1656 Dewey Place, has done the decorating, 4and the result is unusually beautiful.

Mr. Olof Nilsson, who did the beautiful decorating of this house, was born on April 15, 1842. He studied decorating at the technology school in Stockholm, Sweden, where he was graduated with excellent marks and where he received a medal for his work.

In 1868 he emigrated to America, and after a stay of two years in Philadelphia he came to Chicago. During the years 1875-1876, Mr. Nilsson did a piece of decorating which evoked much admiration and many favorable comments. This was the decoration of the rotunda and the great dining hall in the Palmer House, unquestionably at the time the most elegant hotel in Chicago. Since then he has decorated churches, theatres, and numerous private residences.

He is a jolly, agreeable man to know, a mighty Nimrod, and a worthy follower of Isaac walton. He is an Odd Fellow, but more than that he is a "good fellow."