The story he told me was that when he got to Chicago in 1899, his first job in a foundry was with a bunch of Poles.  He claimed he thought they were speaking English so set out to learn it first (that, I never believed.)  

What is true is that his language skills were first used in union organizing activities and later in Minnesota to help organize agricultural coops.  I never found out if could ever write in Polish, but he could whip a crowd into a political frenzy in Polish.  That may not fit the classic definition of "fluent" but it is close enough for me.  His neighbor claimed he had a noticeable Swedish accent when he spoke Polish but that no one had trouble understanding him.


"Remember the I35W bridge--who needs terrorists when there are Republicans"