The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-12-25

l VIM. w. Thomas, Jr. ESQ.,, of this city, who,
as our readers are already aware, has had
charge of the immigration of Swedes into
Maine, and their settlement in Aroostook
county, has completed the report of the years
operations to the Board of Immigration, the
substance of which is contained in the follow
ing paragraphs: ta soS
On the 23d day of July, 1870 the first Swedish
colony settled in the wilderness of Northern
Aroostook, numbering fifty persons. In less
than year the population was doubled, and
on the first day of January last the population
y of New Sweden amounted to ia men women
and children. Two hundred acres of land had
been partially cleared, 26 comfortable timber
houses erected for the homes of the people, and
a large frame building erected called ''the cap
3 ltai The prosperity of the colony has been
as fully marked the past year. The total Swe-
dish immigration for the year is about 9OO
making total population at present of over
1000 souls. These immigrants are not paupers
= that come to our shores to become the recipi-
ents OF the States charity. They have paid their
passage to this country, and brought with them
clothing, tents, various household goods and
at least $40, 900 in hard money And one half
OF these Swedes are hard-fsted laboring men,
and as the computed value of man to the State
averages $1,000, it will be seen that Maine has
added by their coming $500, 900 to the wealth of
Its population, recOmpensing the State a great
many times for all the expense she has incur
f6e state f haasf gheanf itmen jgsasss,
supplying them with food and necessary agri-
cultural implements, which has enabled them
to get along until the harvesting of their first
crops. For these favors the Swedes have made
roads and other works for the public benefit. In
short the Swede seems disposed to give back in
labor all that the State advanced him on his
coming. On the first of the present month the
Swedes had reimbursed to the State So, 23S, in
labor and crops for supplies advanced,
manning indebted to the State in the sum of
S7,68l13 which will be fully paid in cash,
crops or labor, whenever demanded or thought
best by the proper authorities.
- As the colonists are now abundantly able to
take care of themselves, they are of course out
of need from further State aid in money. During
the past year the crops have yielded WELL MAX
ing the experiment of farming with them an
assured fact, Three thousand bushels of
grain have been threshed out, 1900 bushels of
So which were wheat and 5000 bushels of pota-
toes have been harvested. The colony has fair
ly outgrown the original limits of the New
Sweden settlement, and Seandinavians are TAX
ing unto themselves homes in the adjoining
town of LYNDON and the plantations of Wood
land and Perham., Each, lot contains 100 acres,
and as there are 200 of these lots, 10000 acres
of land are taken up; 200 acres of these are
felled, 800 acres cleared, and so houses and II
barns built There are 204 men in the colony
112 women and 237 children making total of
553. When we remember that where these
b people live was an unbroken forestin June, 1870
We have an idea of the work that
: has been done. And this population
has been reaching out for new terri
tory, new forests to level, new soil to sub
due Ehe colony, so to speak. is the nursery of
the vast outlying agricultural region, furnish
ing farm hands and mechanics to those who
may be in need of help There are at least 500
swedes employed in the State outside of the
immediate limits of New Sweden To provide
room for all new corners, the Commissioner
suggests that the State lands in townships f.
and No. Range 5, w. E. L. S., be lotted for
Swedish settlement Township No. Is, Range
5, W. E. L. s., granted BY the State to the s
q n: A. Railway Co., lies contiguous to New
Sweden and is accessible by railway 1t seems
TO the Commissioner advisable that the corpor-
atom put the township into settling lots and
offer them for sale. ~ o',-isiG
The Swedes, in body, are well contented
WIN their new homes and conditions. Those
VINO were not so have left the colony for the
colony good. The coming of these honest
industrious, moral, religious, and intelligent
people to our State has attracted attention else
where to the subject and proved the most eff
leceual measure ever adopted by the State for
d Peopnng the the wilderness domain. The COM
missioner says that but one more appropriation !
Will be needed to place the enterprise upon
sef-supporting basis
BY the provisions of the homestead bill of
this State, which has been in operation for two +
years, 100 acres of land are given to any actual
owedlsh settler. The continuance of this law
Is me only direct aid that will be necessary in I
tne future to extend to immigrants. g.
In his summary of the whole matter. the
commissioner is confident that the immipra- !
ZION policy of the State should be carried for-
that the and %assSa Wv ~ a.
ture immigration flow in naturally. without
help or hindrance, holding out the sign to all
that may be attacted here-'honaes for the
homeless" -. ...., .,,.-. - ~.