He was born at a croft in Sel, and was a manual laborer in Norway before emigrating to the United States in 1887.
[2] He was also a correspondent for the newspaper Labour Leader, having been influenced by Keir Hardie and socialism in general.
[1] He continued writing for Labour Leader, in addition to Sozialistische Monathefte, Avanti and Decorah-Posten.
He briefly edited Smaalenenes Socialdemokrat before establishing the newspaper Demokraten in Hamar in 1909.
[1] In Demokraten kringen had a certain personal drive, as he stood on the ballot in the 1909 Norwegian parliamentary election in the constituency Søndre Hedemarken.