(00:00:01) Are you ready for this? I'd really (00:00:03) becoming and he's been talking to you one time. Yes, indeed. We did warn you we've been warning you for several weeks. Now. This is our membership drive here in Minnesota Public Radio. Good morning, everybody Gary eichten here during our midday program Lorna Benson. The host of all things considered has joined us for a few minutes. Hi Gary as we discussed the merits of membership here on Minnesota Public Radio. I understand Lorna that if we're going to make our goal by the end of the week, we need to raise what 7,000 or 8,000 dollars this hour alone this hour alone. So work your magic. Well, oh boy, here we go. The the goal as you said 8,000 bucks for this hour we can do it. The drive itself is a shortened membership drive. So we're trying to pack in the same amount of business in a short amount of time. That's why it's important for everyone right now to go to the phone. Give us a call 1-800 to 28:11 become a member or renew your membership 1-800 to to seven twenty eight eleven. Sixty six dollars is the basic membership rate, but hopefully you'll join us at a little higher membership rate at this is a History Day, Minnesota History Day on midday during well just a couple of minutes here. We're going to be talking with DJ theis who has a new book out called Minnesota's 20th century and it's a great collection of stories of personal stories of minnesotans through the 20th century tells their story and sets it in a context of some of the major events that have shaped Minnesota this century and that's available as a special. Thank you gifts at the $10 a month level $10 per month level and for the next couple of days a special offer at the 1250 a month level the midday party package. Midday party package a collection of this together Gary well kind of helped. Little bit. It's it's a it's a 3 CD package. Basically big hit submit them at Mid-America. So you get your your dose of rock and roll Garage Band rock and roll here in Minnesota legacies Rhythm and soul Revue. So you get a little (00:02:31) touch of R&B and (00:02:32) soul and the legends of country music country music even yes, George Jones and Merle and Willie and all the game. Anyway that's available that package is available at the twelve dollar and fifty cent per month level $150 a month the important thing as we talk to you about membership here on our midday program is not how much you give its that you make a membership pledge. As you know, we don't have commercials on this Station instead. We ask that those of you who listen call and become members. That's how we pay for programs that you listen to every day of the newsmaker call ins the national Press Club broadcast. The documentary's 1-800 to to 728 11 if it's a service. Net you think is a useful one to have on your radio in the middle of the day. Then we're asking you to make the membership pledge 1-800 to to 7 2011. Well, the beauty of it is really that you get to pick the level that you want to pay. I mean, we really leave it up to you. We offer a few suggestions. We throw in a few thank you gifts here and there to help you pick a level. But really it's up to you. So what you need to do is think about how much you listen to Minnesota Public Radio. Do you listen for an hour a day? Well, hey that's that's worth paying for put in a mount on it. Put it in Mount on it that that sort of fits your budget and that maybe reflect how you what, you know, what you pay for other things in your life like your cable bill and your newspaper subscription things that you somebody tells you what you're going to pay for those things here you get to decide and you get to make the call 1-800 to to 728 11 decide now while we're coming to you now, we've only got a three-day membership drive. This is a short amount of time if you Put it to the back of your mind. You may not remember by the end of the drive 1-800 to to 728 11 to callers on the line right now and to stay on track. We should be hearing from at least 10 of you at a time. If you're out there just take a couple of minutes of your time. It doesn't take more than 200 at the most three minutes to get your membership pledge in and usually it's a lot shorter than that. Well want your name your address phone number you can sign up on the EZ Pay plan. So you don't have to have a lot of Mickey Mouse with paperwork going back and forth. We'll send out a special thank-you gift and then you're all done and you know that you've done your part to pay for good quality radio 1-800 to to 728 11, and of course Lorna everybody who calls in pledge or no pledge automatically gets entered in the big gun big drawing the trip to (00:05:00) Scotland. Not a bad deal there. (00:05:03) I can't even imagine not calling in to get my name in the Hat. I mean this sounds like an absolutely fabulous trip get to go along with Garrison Keillor. The crew they're celebrating their 25th anniversary of A Prairie Home Companion. And as part of that celebration there February 26th broadcast will be direct from Edinburgh Scotland and you get to go along you get to spend. I think it's five nights something like five nights in a historic Balmoral Hotel princes Street sounds wonderful. So you're the guest you get to go along and get the opportunity to take advantage of some great shopping season incredible historical landmarks. Give us a call. Now. We'll put your name in the Hat 1-800 to to 728 11a Gary. I think we need to make a little revision here. Did we say the goal was $8,000 for this hour 7/7. I think I may have said 87,000. We will accept the additional thousand if people want to contribute $8,000 this hour we can see it in our heart to let you in. There are no membership tests here. We don't quiz you about your political beliefs or A preference in beverages music nothing. No. No, no membership tests to pass 1-800 to to 728 11 is the number to call we have 10 callers on the line right now. And if you keep those lines ringing we're going to be able to make our goal those of you who've been with us over a long long time will recall the famous membership week death marches where we would start on all usually we'd start on a Saturday and then they'll roll all the way through the following Sunday and pretty much non-stop pledging 4789 days at a crack and it was well it was effective. It was it was in the long run yet was challenging and it was kind of hard to listen to a lot of you said over the time, you know, don't do that. Don't do that. Just go on the air for a couple days give out. The phone number will make the call and then get back to the regular. Programming we tried it out last year. I believe it was first time these three day drives and I did and it worked it worked great and we hope we'll be able to continue to do that. So this is the time when we're asking you to make the call 1-800 to to 728 11 those of you who call in a $10 a month level. I highly recommend our special premium DJ theis is going to be joining us here in a couple of minutes. He has a new book out called Minnesota's 20th century. It's a collection of stories of kind of average minnesotans who have in many cases done some fairly extraordinary things against extraordinary. Yeah, really and great (00:07:52) photographs. It's a (00:07:54) coffee table (00:07:55) sized book, but it's got some meat to it (00:07:59) the nice hardcover. I was thinking that you know as 1999 wears down people are especially interested in history. And I think this would make a really wonderful Christmas present. If you call in and become a member right now, you can keep the book if you want it. But also, I mean you might want to give it away to friends and family people who are particularly interested in history. I think would really love this book. Yeah, $10 a month 1-800 to to 728 11 is the number to call will talk with DJ just a couple of minutes. But right now we're urging all of you who are listening to take about two minutes of your time and make the membership call get your business taken care of and keep us on track here. We do need to make our goals during our membership drive. We only are here to going to be here for three days. And so it's important while you have an opportunity to call to make the call because if you put it off invariably one thing leads to another leads to another and then you don't make the call and write and we need your membership support its really fairly simple 1-800 to to 728 11 is the number to call pretty good programming on. Midday, I think day after day not a bad. (00:09:12) Graham (00:09:12) my gosh. It's a wonderful program. It's it's one of those programs that you tuned in and you sort of count on getting the top news of the day. Really when whatever is important that's going on out there. That's what you're going to be talking about and you have this format where you can talk about it at length, which is really a luxury. I you don't you don't find that in a lot of other places where you can spend this much time on one particular topic one particular issue really digested and feel like you've gone away and you've really learned something. You don't have a lot of other questions in your mind really digest it all that on your show. It's a fun program to do it really is because every day you get to talk about something different and you get to hear documentaries. You can do here full-length speeches. It's these are things that are not readily available L know the speech is especially I mean, that's that's something we're usually it's something you need to make time for in your schedule at the end of the day to go out to a seven o'clock or eight o'clock speech and Not a lot of people have time to do that you rebroadcast a lot of these things during the noon hour of midday and people love it. And that's why you have a lot of members and that's why people should go to the phone and become members 1-800 to to 7 2011. Yo, learn Lorna that one of the problems pledging during the midday broadcast. Is that virtually all the midday listeners are already members very conscientious group. And so it's always difficult to (00:10:38) rack up those big phone numbers, you know, but it is time (00:10:41) for a lot of those folks to renew. And so we should remind you if it is time to renew give us a call and you can qualify for one of our special. Thank you gifts as well 1-800 to to 728 11 new members. If you're not a member right now, we really do need to get you signed up. If it's time to renew great opportunity to take care of that get yourself set for the next year because we need your continued support if you have never if you want to give a gift membership right great. Time to do that. Also I was thinking, you know, if you're if you're at a membership, that's let's say you really want to get this Minnesota's 20th century book like to have a copy of that and you your membership level is lower than a hundred and twenty dollars a year you can call in and give an additional gift and you can take this book home. So 1-800 to to 728 11 is the number to call support. Midday help support the programming that you enjoy here on Minnesota Public Radio its programming that's not really duplicated elsewhere. This is where you find it on your fm Dial 1-800 to to 728 11 so easy to sign up as a member here at Minnesota Public Radio couple of minutes and you're on your way. We'll be talking with a DJ Tyson just a couple of minutes about his new book Minnesota's 20th century right now. We're urging all of you who are near a phone to give us a call one eight hundred two to seven 28:11. No commercials as you know on this station. We don't have to interrupt the call in programs. We don't have to interrupt the documentaries the Press clubs and so on to sell your potato chips, you get to hear it uninterrupted because people like yourself in the past have made that Act of Faith for a lot of people learn. I think it's still a very bizarre concept pay for radio that in essence. You can listen to for free. You could keep that money in your pocket. Yeah. It's very true. You don't have to call. Well, it's a matter of believing that your membership is important. And we're here to tell you that it is important. In fact memberships the single largest percentage of our Revenue budget here at Minnesota Public Radio every member matters, we would be in deep weeds. If everybody decided they didn't need to call. No, I don't want to plant that thought in anyone's mind 1-800 to to 728 11 keep the phone's ringing a reminder that everybody who calls in whether you pledge or not. You'll be automatically entered in the drawing for the Prairie Home Companion. Canyon Scotland, give away five days as I understand it over in Scotland. You'll go over for the Prairie Home Companion 25th anniversary show and Edinboro. Scotland lodging is covered. Yeah transportation is covered first-class tickets. Can't beat it with a stick. All you have to do is give us a call at one eight hundred to two (00:13:32) 728 11 and we'll get your name in the drawing. Now keep the phone's ringing. We've got 11 folks on the line right now and if we can keep those phones ringing will be able to make this hours goal and if all goes according to plan hopefully by the end of this week will be where's we're supposed to be in terms of our week-long membership Drive goal. Well today as we said is Minnesota History Day here on midday over the noon hour. We'll be featuring some stories from Minnesota public radio's Minnesota Century series, but this hour we've been joined by st. Paul Pioneer Press editorial writer DJ theis who's out with a new end of the century book. Minnesota's 20th century stories of extraordinary Everyday People now unlike so many history books. This is not a turgid recitation of events nor is it a fluffy coffee table style book though. It is about coffee table sighs. It's really a good book for Minnesota History beginners or for that matter Minnesota History Buffs and DJ. Thanks for coming by today. Thank you for having me Gary pleasure. It's really an impressive book. Well, thank you. I'm glad you liked it. And I feel real good about having it out. And a lot of this material has appeared in the paper in the last couple of years as we've wound down toward the end of the century and it's really a delight for me to get it all packaged in one place where the interplay of events and stories can really be appreciated by the reader. I would think that this has been a fun project to work on. It's been an extraordinary experience really finding the these people with Fascinating stories to tell about their experiences in the 20th century and it is a remarkable thing. You know what people have been through if you stop and ask them and that really is what this book is about finding people who lived through important periods in history and asking them what that felt like for them what that was what it was really like to live through those times whether it was the depression or prohibition or World War II Vietnam the ongoing farm crisis just a lot of the a lot of the events that have have made the 20th century what it was. Well, this is about how those events felt for real people people like you and me Mmm Yeah, the the book is built around personal stories of regular people, but they are set and it's not all I don't want to insult anybody here. But sometimes a collection of stories like this can get kind of precious and this is a Contrast to that is is not it doesn't come across that way is that because of the context? I mean they all they all fit into a context of big events that people should and probably do know. Yeah, I say in the introduction to the book that it's really about the intersection of the the momentous and the everyday I really I looked for people who were mostly ordinary people but they lived through extraordinary times and extraordinary events. So it it's about a personal experience of World War 2 a personal experience of Vietnam a personal experience of the Great Depression, but it does I hope illuminate those larger events tell us something about what they were what they were really like for the people who lived through them, but it's not it's not just the everyday experiences. It's the extraordinary experiences of everyday people and that's that's what I was really after. I don't think it's a it's a soft-headed book. It includes some stories that are rather Grim particularly. I think of the story of the lynching of three circus workers in Duluth in 1920. Not a very pretty story not a pleasant story, but I think an important one for minnesotans to remember and and it's included so so the book tries to deal with history as it really was not as we not merely as we wish it was DJ tice's Our Guest this hour, and he has a new book out called Minnesota's 20th century the stories of extraordinary everyday people, and if you'd like to join our conversation, give us a call here, six five, one two, two seven six thousand. These are regular call in numbers now not the pledge numbers 6512276 thousand outside the Twin Cities. You can reach us toll-free at 1-800-222-8477 Thousand or 1-800 to for to to 828. How did you decide which stories we're going to get told and which ones weren't going to get told? Well, that was that was a difficult process. I began I guess with a number of of those major events where I wanted to find a person who could you know, put Flesh on the bones of those events for us. I knew I wanted a story dealing with the first world war and the second world war and the depression so I could start there. I often got in touch with historians who had written scholarly Works about those periods and ask them. Do you know a living Minnesotan who lived through those times and has a story to tell they were often helpful. Sometimes I took a shot in the dark. I think of the story of a woman named Hattie merrier. I came across an item about her in a Suburban newspaper. She had celebrated her a hundred and second birthday at a nursing home in Forest Lake and the He didn't tell very much other than she was, you know, very sharp and energetic hundred and two year old woman and I thought to myself well a hundred and two year old woman who can remember a lot and tell those stories has got to have a story to tell that I need to hear. So I went out and talked with her without anything particular in mind that I was looking for as it turned out. She had had a very poignant experience in connection with the great influenza pandemic of 1918 an extraordinary event, which is very little remembered except by anyone who lived through that time 21 million people around the world died of that flew 10,000 in Minnesota and one of those was her sister and she told a very touching evocative story about that. And so that's what I ended up building her story around so sometimes I knew what I was looking for and sometimes I just trusted to the fact that if you really are interested in ask people, you know. Off their lives. There are some amazing Stories there. Did you when you talk to people or are they willing to tell all right away did it take some prompting did some of the folks you contacted tell you to take a hike? What did that word? I never had anybody refused to talk to me. I think it's safe to say that I tired some people out before we were done. I you know, I would ask people do do other people often ask you about the old times and they'd sometimes say well, yes they do but they don't ask like you do because I would, you know pursue them and you know, what you have to do is get people to give you a lot more detail than they do in ordinary conversation when they're just remembering a past event. You can't you need the sequence of events you need the places and and the names and and so it is it is a tricky process where you need to kind of let people open up and tell the story in their own words and at the same time, you know, extract the information that you need. To really share that story with someone else without kind of breaking up the the emotion and the passion of it for them. Again. DJ tice's Our Guest this hour and he has a new book out called Minnesota's 20th century stories of extraordinary Everyday People. It's a good book really is even if you know a lot about Minnesota History, you'll learn something believe me and if you don't know anything about it's great introduction to what happened here during the 20th century. And if you'd like to join our conversation, give us a call six five one two, two seven six thousand or one eight hundred two, four two two eight two eight now, it's Veterans Day tomorrow originally called Armistice Day and I can't let that go by without asking you to talk a little bit about the situation in new all Minnesota in what 1917-1918 ranked never thought of nuam as the capital of sedition. In America and yet that's kind of how it got branded. That's what it was in in 1917. It was an unusual time in American history. The first world war brought forth a great loyalty Crusade as it was called at the time in which any kind of disloyalty or doubt about the war effort in the first world war was treated with quite harshly and in Minnesota a really uniquely something called the commission of Public Safety was set up in state government and basically given all the powers of state government to go out and and Stamp Out disloyalty as they called it, New Ulm. Of course, then as now was the most German community in Minnesota and at that time, especially many new all mites were first and second generation Germans with a great deal of family in Germany. They were understandably distressed at the idea of sending their young men. Over to Europe to fight and kill their brothers and cousins and fathers and and so on so there were some speeches given on one particular occasion in neu-ulm where they questioned the constitutionality of the draft and this kind of thing did not call for any law breaking or anything like that but but raised those concerns and they were dealt with very harshly. The mayor of the city was deposed thrown out of office as was the City attorney a college President in neu-ulm was thrown out of office as a result and the town really felt very oppressed. I was able to find with the help of a historian the son of that mayor and he was actually the nephew of the City attorney there. So he remembered those times very vividly. He only been 10 years old at the time. His name is Theodore fritsche Theodore Roosevelt fritsche, which is a kind of an evocation of the era in which he was born. And and has a story to tell about a difficult time in Minnesota History that has largely been forgotten but not in neu-ulm interestingly. Is there anything that compares through the rest of the 20th century with that particular incident in terms of group think you know, I think historians probably agree that at least in the 20th century there really was no period in American history where descent was dealt with quite as harshly and and there was so little tolerance for for debate and dissent so no, I don't think there was at least not at least not in recent times. It might be a little bit harder to know whether the Civil War era had some of those elements or not, but certainly in our Century that was that was the greatest period of kind of national identity and enforced unanimity of opinion. Happened during during World War II then in New Orleans was replay know the situation was quite different partly. Of course, they were another generation or so removed from the from Germany as a Homeland probably lowered the level of emotion a little bit. There was a greater sense that the war against Nazi Germany and Hitler was was justified and and unavoidable. So again, they were a little less passion and the political leadership of Minnesota had changed Ted fritsche tells the story of meeting with Harold stassen who by World War II was was governor of the state and a very strong proponent of America's entry into World War Two, but he told Ted fritsche that nothing like that Crackdown on dissent is going to happen while I'm governor of Minnesota, and it did not now in terms of former Governor stassen. He's one of the The greatest Governor's the 20th century that you say yes, I there is a chapter in the book about three grade. Governor's Harold stassen being the latest of those and of course, the only one still living that I was was able to talk to the other two are John Johnson who was governor right around the turn of the century the early years of the century and then Floyd be Olson the great farmer-labor governor, who is whose name at least is is well remembered John Johnson a fascinating character quite possibly the most popular governor in Minnesota History, maybe now we've got a rival to that in an office. But John Johnson was considered a very serious possibility for president in his time that did not come to pass because of his untimely death in office in 1909. Floyd be Olson also considered a possible presidential Contender. He too died in office. Tragically of cancer at a very young age. Hmm and nice try partisan tint to your selections Johnson was a Democrat Olson was a farmer labor, right? And then stassen was the Republican. That's right. And and the three of them the reason I think that they reveal a lot about Minnesota History is that between the three of them they really kind of set the three themes that that's still really Define America are Minnesota politics today Johnson was a was a liberal and a reformer but in no sense a radical Floyd be Olson really did found the the Boulder reformist and Progressive strain and Minnesota politics that that's still expressed today and stassen founded a kind of moderate good government republicanism and and a Centrist theme that that still has many supporters today DJ. Theis is with us, sir. Toriel writer for the st. Paul Pioneer Press. He has a new book out based on a series that's been running in the Pioneer Press on Minnesota History. The name of the book is Minnesota's 20th century stories of extraordinary everyday people and the book is just as the title suggests a collection of stories of barely normal people for the most part who in One Way or Another got caught up in some very extraordinary events during this past Century great history book and if you'd like to join our conversation, give us a call here, six five one two, two seven six thousand 6512276 thousand outside the Twin Cities 1-800 to for 228286512276 thousand or one eight hundred two, four two two eight two eight. You mentioned the story about the lynchings in Duluth, and although that incident has received some publicity. My guess is that not many people are aware of what happened in Duluth. The 1920 I think that is that is right. The the incident is is dealt with in passing for the most part in in Minnesota. History books. It really was rescued by a writer himself of a number of books named Mike phaedo who some years back about 20 years back wrote a book specifically about that event and he plays a important role in my story. It's partly about him and his effort to preserve the memory of that tragic event. He actually had he grew up in Duluth and heard about the story growing up and when he got older and wanted to write some books he wanted to write a historical novel and he had this event the outlines of it in his mind about three black circus workers lynched from a light pole in in the the downtown of a mid-sized American city, and he was going to fictionalize that event. So he went looking for a book about it to kind of give him the background assuming that Had to be one and there was not so he immediately changed his plans and decided that he'd have to be the person to do that research and and document that event and and that's what he did. It was a tragic event with an accusation of rape by a young woman against some workers for a traveling circus. We cannot of course be sure what happened but most people who have examined the story do not believe that that accusation was was true. Unfortunately within 24 hours of the accusation before any of the facts were clear a very large mob formed in downtown Duluth stormed the police station and dragged three suspects out into the street and and Lynch them terms of the police stories of heroism and well malfeasance. Yes, the commissioner of Public Safety or police in Duluth, unfortunately in the midst of of the Donnybrook gave an order that the police were not to use either guns or clubs against the mob which really made the outcome inevitable the police were hugely outnumbered and they may not have succeeded in preventing it anyway, but I think a lot of people think that they might have had they been able to resist with all means necessary after the event. He was found guilty of malfeasance in office for that order, but there were a number of police officers recognized at the time and and to this day for discharging their Duty fully and and with heroism within the limitations they were given and so it's a mixture. There were a number of Judges who came downtown in the midst of the of the fight and tried to calm the the mob on unfortunately to no avail as did a number of priests. From the area. So it's a story like life itself, you know a mixture of good and and error and evil and heroism and villainy. I guess. Is there any sense that I assume after this occurred, you know in the ensuing years all that the story got out got some coverage it was there any sense that people around the state said Gee this is terrible. We have to take a look at how we how we treat minorities. Well, I think it certainly was a step along the way in in opening Minds. I unfortunately, I think it would be too much to say that it produced any any quick change in the in the status of minorities. There were not many incidents like this in Minnesota History directed directly at minorities. There were not a lot of lynchings of Any kind in Minnesota though their though, there were some but I'm afraid that it took a fair amount of time before the status and the opportunities of minority populations began to change. So let's move ahead in time who the hell is can Dahlberg Kim dahlberg's a fascinating character a man with really three extraordinary claims to fame. He was a triple Ace in World War II a fighter pilot who shot down 15 Nazi planes and it was about one of about a dozen with that kind of record in World War Two. He later became a businessman and invented the Miracle Ear which is the all in the ear hearing aid the first of its kind in the world and perhaps if at least in our time most extraordinary of all, he became unwittingly a principal character in the Watergate scandal of the Nixon Administration. He got him. Often politics and was a fundraiser for the Nixon campaign and he was not involved in any wrongdoing but he had turned over a cashier's check in his name Ken doll Berg's name to the Nixon re-election campaign the famous creep organization committee to re-elect the president and that check turned up in the bank account of one of the Watergate burglars and it was the first solid link between the Watergate burglary and the Nixon re-election campaign that really blew the story wide open. Now, I have to can you retell this? I think the single what I found to be the single most interesting story in the entire book was kind of a sub story in the Ken Dahlberg Saga. He's kin Dahlberg is called in by federal investigators, right and they're looking into his connection here and I should point out that I don't the reason we Richard Nixon actually asked who who the hell is Ken Dahlberg. But anyway, Leading up to that. He Dahlberg is called in by federal investigators. They want to know what's going on here. Yeah, you're referring now to the fellow he knew before yes, an investigator pulled him off the floor of the Republican National Convention. Actually, they had discovered the check by this time and grilled him, you know quite aggressively about all of this and then afterwards drove him back to his hotel and kind of relaxed and said, you know, I have a feeling that I know you well Dahlberg didn't really respond to that. He didn't, you know, recognize this guy and but but the guy persisted and they were both of the age, you know World War Two generation and he said well, what did you do in the military and Dahlberg said well, I was a fighter pilot and the guy said well that can't be it. I was a tank commander in the only pilot. I'm ever met was, you know, a complete idiot. He got shot down during the Battle of the Bulge and I and my tank driver we went, you know behind the Enemy Lines to save him and we get to the plane. He's standing on the wing. He's got his gun drawn and he wants to know you know, who pitched for the Yankees in 1939 it make sure that we're Americans and I said I have no idea get in the tank and Dahlberg, of course had sat quietly listening to this whole story and he turned to him and said well, how is Ralph your tank driver Ralph? Well, the guy just about drove off the road at that point. It was the Dahlberg was the idiot on the on the wing of the plane and this of course became part of the story. This was in Miami and Dahlberg had a chance to to talk to reporters about The Uncanny coincidence and he told them that he decided he probably should have shot the guy when he had the chance Lorraine your question, please (00:36:54) hello. I was wondering if you have one favorite person or incidents event of the 20th century that you think really exemplifies the heritage of Minnesota in the 20th century. I'll hang up and (00:37:06) listen. Well, you know that is that's a hard one. I think of the stories that probably capture the experience of more minnesotans than any other there's a story about a farm family struggling to survive the Great Depression and in particular the story of the two daughters of the family and they were very quite prosperous before the depression and and suddenly they're their world collapsed and they had little beyond their their religious faith and you know and their love for one another to sustain them and she tells the story of the day that the federal government came in to shoot the the starving cattle all the farmers. They couldn't feed their cattle and they were they were suffering. So the federal government came in paid for the cattle and and then shot them and and and buried them in a mass grave. And that is the haunting event for her as she says that you know, when she in hunting season when she hears gunshots in the distance. It takes her back to huddling in The Farmhouse with her with her mother and sister and she tells the story of how her sister who was older remembered the good times before the depression better and then she did and so was you know much more traumatized and embittered by the Depression years and It ultimately led to a to a rift in the family and in between them all of which is tragic for her, but I think that that farm life that that Reliance on on family and the experience of getting through those very difficult years in the in the middle of the century is the experience of many many many many of our neighbors, you know, another story. That's really a favorite of mine is my mother's story which kind of began the idea for me. She always told the story of the World War two years on the home front she and a friend were down at Whitewater State Park and they were 20 years old and they both had boyfriends overseas my mother's boyfriend became my father and much to their surprise at sundown a platoon of German pows was led down into the park to take a swim and they came down in the park singing a marching song in German. And the odd thing. Is that what she remembers about that event is how beautiful it was how beautiful their singing was how beautiful the day was and how strange to encounter their enemies in this in this beautiful setting and she says something that I think really captures the experience of those years, which was the defining experience for anyone who lived through it those World War two years. She says of the event that it was nice and not I set the same time like everything in those days. We as we come to the end of the 20th century start of the 21st century. I was struck by some of the similarities really with the start of the 20th century a lot of faith in science and technology concern about income gap between the rich and the poor and the rest you get the same sense that in a way things really haven't changed much. Yes. It's an interesting thing. We tend to think of the 20th century as being a period of remarkable change. And of course in many ways, it has been in daily life, but that's the feeling people had at the beginning of the century to and in a sense. They have a greater claim to having seen the most dramatic changes in everyday life. They saw the coming of the machine. They saw the first decent roads. They saw the First discovery of what really caused disease the invention of the automobile the beginning of flight. So this sense that things are changing and maybe changing too fast is not unique to us here at the end of the century. We continue to debate about the proper role of government, you know his government the solution to our problems or is it the problem that was the debate they had then probably the consensus then was a little bit closer to the idea that well we need more government. We need government to you know to rein in the excesses of capitalism and so on and kind of preserve the old values now, we've got a few doubts about the downside of of big government, but it's the same debate. So for all of the experiences, we've been through there is a there is a sense in which we're still living in the same world. They were I guess one difference is that at least they could agree finally on when the Tree started. Well, that's right. They didn't have quite the confusion we did and they thought it started in 1901. They were very logical people at that time and they didn't think anybody counted to a hundred starting at zero and ending at 99. So they celebrated the beginning of the 20th century in 1901. We're pretty clearly going to celebrate it in many ways beginning in 2000. I think largely because the advertisers can't wait a whole year to have their end of the Millennium markdowns. And so if if they were right and we're right I guess we've only had a 98 years Century but little short shrift, but a lot happened we're going to enjoy it in. Thanks so much. It's great book. My pleasure Gary. Thanks for having me DJ tie st. Paul Pioneer Press editorial writer out with a new collection of stories about Minnesota History. It's called Minnesota Century Minnesota's 20th century. I'm sorry stories of extraordinary everyday. And it is really quite a good book both for people who don't know much about Minnesota History or for that matter people who are Minnesota History Buffs. Everybody's guaranteed to learn a little something reminder that programming on NPR is supported by heart scan Minnesota at Abbott Northwestern Hospital detecting heart disease years before it attacks information available from your doctor. Well, Lorna Benson, welcome back. Hey, Gary, Lorna Benson is they have discussion host of all things considered here on Minnesota Public Radio. One of the things she's considering today is the Merit a membership the Merit of (00:43:47) membership. Yes, the whole reason for calling the reason for calling that number 1-800 to 27 2811. Well, the reason is pretty simple. Actually the reason is because you listened to Minnesota Public Radio you listen to in particular at this moment. You've been listening to midday in this enlightening conversation with DJ theis and If you want to take advantage of a special offer that we have right now, you can take home Minnesota's 20th century the book that they've been talking about. You can take that home for just $10 a month by calling right now 1 800 2 to 7 28:11. It's a lovely hardcover book with a lot of interesting stories as you now know and I think would make a nice gift for someone a nice possible Christmas gift. You can get that now by calling 1-800 to to 7 2011 just $10 a month that's like pennies a day really for listening to Minnesota Public Radio when you break it down. (00:44:42) Yeah, I don't want to hype this too much but it really is a it's a terrific book. He's got a terrific pictures in it. Excellent stories. It's not some tedious recitation of events and facts and dates in the rest, but it is not some fluffy thing that you actually learn something from it's absolutely good book coffee table size book make a great gift for yourself or (00:45:08) for Somebody else 1-800 to to 728 11. Here's the number situation for those of you joining us. Of course, this is the first of our very very short three-day drive here on Minnesota Public Radio. (00:45:21) What we're asking is that those of you who (00:45:23) listen to the program call in and help support the program if you're not yet a member. We need your new membership contribution. If it's time to renew we need you to call (00:45:32) in and renew that membership if you're all paid up and you can do a little (00:45:36) extra give us a call here (00:45:38) make an additional contribution or a gift (00:45:40) membership, whatever you can whatever you can do, whatever your circumstance 1-800 to to 7 (00:45:47) 2011, the membership pencil sharpened accountants told us that we should be raising about (00:45:55) $7,000 this hour we still have about 4,500 left to go. Well, we were just warming up Gary. Absolutely. We've got five callers on the line and all of you who are listening right now, if you're not yet a member or it's time to renew. Give us a call here. Lodging transportation is courtesy of Northwest Airlines. You can get in on this giveaway. If you call right now 1 800 to to 728 11 and when you pledge your support to Minnesota Public Radio, you're pledging your support to this program to midday and the money comes back to you in the programming that you hear and that you count on hearing every day here on Minnesota Public Radio call. Now we have just a couple of minutes to make this goal of $7,000. We've got a little over 4,000 to go 10 people on the line right now. We've got more people though standing by I've been told we can double that number easily. Absolutely 12 people on the line right now 50 calls at a time or some some huge number like that. So no Busy Signal's here 1-800 to to 728 11 about six minutes to go here friends, and we've got 12 callers on the line about four thousand dollars left to raise this our a lot of money to be sure but it goes very very quickly and that Ours gets to the very heart of how this whole (00:48:17) operation functions how we function (00:48:20) from the very beginning. We don't have (00:48:22) commercials instead. It's a one by (00:48:25) one by one people all around the region like yourself Mankato Duluth Fargo-Moorhead Minneapolis. St. Paul, wherever you are there have been people who have called in and made their membership pledge of $60 or $120 or whatever it is. And you know, no one person or even 10 people (00:48:45) could could possibly pay for the programs on this station. But when (00:48:49) you add up all those (00:48:50) people all around the region there (00:48:51) something like eighty (00:48:53) five eighty nine thousand people who are paying for the Radio (00:48:59) Service voluntarily. It's a decision. They've made yeah in the program you add (00:49:03) all of those contributions together and (00:49:05) outcome some great programs. So what we're asking you to do is (00:49:09) simply do your part as Laura said (00:49:10) earlier the beauty here (00:49:12) is you set your own price for Yes, we're not going to send you a bill and say well we've determined through scientific measurement that you listen for 1.5 hours per day consequently, you will be (00:49:23) billed for blank blank blank know maybe we'll figure that out. Someday. You just decide how much this (00:49:29) is worth to be worth the to you and give us a call here (00:49:32) four minutes to go at one eight hundred two to seven twenty eight eleven. Nineteen people marrying people on the line. I've been told we do have 40 phones so we can double this number easily. Yeah, but I don't know I think (00:49:43) all the midday listeners are signed up know Lorna. (00:49:46) You sure some don't need to renew. I don't suppose it's possible. (00:49:50) Yeah, I suppose and you know, maybe they want to get the Minnesota 20th century book. We've got some more Minnesota History over the noon hour your special series the Minnesota Century (00:49:58) series great stories special day here on Minnesota Public Radio special day for you to show your support 1-800 to to 7 2011. If it sounds like we're coming to you with an urgent call that that's because we are when we shorten her. Shorten, the membership drive like this three days. We have to pack a whole lot more into that time. So that means that every minute that ticks away is important. We've got 17 people on the line right now. We could take another 23 people and we've got a couple of minutes to go to make this goal $7,000 for the hour. We still have to raise $3,800. Can we do that? It'll be touch and goal. It'll be touch and go but (00:50:38) it is possible. (00:50:39) We'll need to hear from well probably from you. If you're listening right now take one of those phone calls. There's an open line waiting for you three minutes to go here. Let's see if we can get to our goal this our 1-800 to 27 2811. You might hear the volunteers (00:50:55) the (00:50:56) little picking up the (00:50:58) pace upstairs there. There's a little little increase in activity. This is good. This is a good (00:51:02) thing one eight hundred two to seven 28:11 about two and a half minutes left to go and you know, Mike I'm getting a nervous. I'm getting nervous here Mike. 1-800 to to 728 11 just I don't want to let you down here. Oh my goodness. Just go Lauren. I don't know we're gonna do a big me out of your next go to the panic button 1-800 to to 728 11 just a couple of minutes to take advantage of this opportunity to get dunked Isis book Minnesota's 20th century. It's your chance now to take on this wonderful hard covered book with stories of extraordinary Everyday People. It's a nice gift for yourself or for other people to if you're thinking about Christmas already 1-800 to to 7 2011, you can take that home for just ten dollars a month you get that book plus you get hour after hour after hour of high-quality programming right here on Minnesota public radio programs, like midday. Plus when you call in make your pledge well, even if you don't make a pledge when you call in right now, you'll automatically be entered in the big giveaway five-day trip to Edinboro Scotland for the Home companions 25th anniversary somebody's going to win that trip you have to call and you might as well get your name in give yourself a shot 1-800 to to 7 2011 like to thank Caribou Coffee for their support of Minnesota public radio's pledge drive like to thank all of you who've already called. We've got about a minute to go Lorna $2,500 to go. Now. I'm feeling very confident. We can do this. If we keep up the pressure here 15 people on the line right now 15 people who have called 1-800 to to 728 11 to become a member to renew your membership. Maybe you want to give an additional gift now is the time to do it. We have a shortened drive just three days and then we're out of here 1-800 to to 728 11 do your part if you listen to this program do your part become a member 1-800 to to 7 2011 he when people hit the phone's ringing here, we're going to send out a kind of last call for you now and a lot of you, you know, You want to be members you've already decided you should be a member. Maybe you're already a member at simply time to renew but you for whatever reason you just haven't gotten to it yet. Well short membership drive you asked for it and it's worked so far. Let's keep the phone's ringing. So we don't have to keep battering away pledging pledging pledging 1-800 to to 7 2011 lots more Minnesota History coming up during the noon hour right now, Lauren a little (00:53:41) MPR history being (00:53:42) made. That's right 1-800 to to 728 11:23 people on the line right now. We have $2,300 to go 22 people on the line room for you. When you call one eight hundred two to seven 28:11. Do your part become a member you'll feel very good about it knowing that you're supporting the programming that you listen to that you use this programming news headlines coming up next keep the (00:54:05) phone's ringing. We're going to be able to make our goal I think. (00:54:11) What's happening with the Minnesota contemporary (00:54:13) Ensemble? What's happening in Minnesota art? What's happening with pledge? We I'm Heather mackel Hatton. I'm your own care and I'm Chris Roberts those stories and more this Friday night at 6 on 60 Minutes. Isn't it word-of-mouth? Nope. You're listening to Minnesota Public Radio. We have a cloudy Sky 46 degrees at Kenner wfm 91.1 Minneapolis. And st. Paul Weather Service says it's going to be cloudy all afternoon in the Twin Cities temperature about as warm as it's going to get partial clearing tonight with a low 30 to 35 tomorrow cloudy sky is being forecast with a high in the middle 50s.