Colonel Krag Visits the United States

[Knute1]

From a 7/30/1898 article in the "Scientific American":


THE VISIT OF COLONEL KRAG
Colonel Ole Herman Johannes Krag, chief of ordnance of the Norwegian army and inventor of the Krag-Jorgensen rifle, who recently came to this country on a leave of absence, has returned home. Krag was deeply impressed with the United States and especially with the intelligence of its citizens. For this reason, he said, I believe that the United States can, out of such material, equip soldiers to serve behind rifles much more quickly than any other country. The Krag-Jorgensen rifle is fully described in our Army and Coast Defence number. The United States government secured the patent for manufacture of this rifle in this country by paying Colonel Krag a royalty of one dollar per rifle. About 75,000 rifles are already in the hands of the military authorities in this country, and the government arsenal at Springfield is now turning out the rifles at the rate of 250 a day. In a short time the output will be at the rate of 500 a day, and Congress has been asked to appropriate $800,000 for the expense of manufacturing additional guns. The Norwegian and Danish armies are equipped with this rifle, and France has shown an inclination to adopt it, but hesitates because it is not a French invention.

[butlersrangers]

Eric Jorgensen visit four years earlier:

[olderthansome]

Norway, Denmark, the US and $500 (in 1894 dollars) a day just from us! Plus he makes it from Captain to Colonel in just 4 years. I think that sounds like a man on a roll!