Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-10-06
THE SWEDISH COLONY.

Tue aeciueHt, tHe Professors young Wiit anu
little daughter were on the ground and wit
messed the terrible affair.
THE SWEDISH COLONY.
A correspondent of the Portland Press fur
nishes that paper an account of the visit of
Governor Perham and party to New Sweden.
He says:
''The Governor and his wife were accompa-
MED by Hon. w. w. Thomas, of your city,
who has manifested lively interest in the
colony, and Hon. p. 2. Burleigh, our model
Land Agent. The party was increased by
several gentlemen and ladies in the vicinity
of New Sweden. They left Caribou at {
o'clock Tuesday morning, and at II came in
sight of the capitol of New Sweden, surmount-
ed with splendid star spangled banner-a
present from Hon. w. w. Thomas The
colony from miles about, were all out in theii
holiday apparel. Four hundred men, women
and children stood on either side Of the road
and received the visitors. Soon after the ar
rival of the party, a reception was given to
the Governor in the hall, which will hold
three hundred or more. The exercises con-
sisted of Swedish national song, by quar-
| tette of male voices. Commissioner W. w.
Thomas, Jr., welcomed the Governor, who
made a speech in reply, and Consul Thomas,
as the Swedes call him translated this speech
into the language OF the Swedes, to which
they listened with eager attention, and fire.
quently showedtheir approval by hearty de-
monstrations of applause. Then followed a
hand shaking that would have done honor to a
White House reception. We soon descended
to the lower room where a state dinner was
spread, dishes being cooked in the Swedish
style, and served in the custom of that coun-
try. The Swedes on such occasions do not
eat in a hurry, and some of their customs
are worth imitation.
To avoid the stiffness of formal dinner, it
is the Swedish custom to gather about side
board and take lunch standing, each one
helping himself and others, as may be most
social. One might mistake this lunch for the
full meal, for there is an abundance, and
many dishes that are not found i'll this coun-
try. The lunch was made up of small sau-
sages, highly seasoned; minced beet, dish
that might be called a herring pie, made of
eggs and herring, somewhat resembling a
custard pie; raised bread. bread in their hard
sheets such as they bake twice year if poor
and four times if well to do, butter, cheese
and pickles of home manufacture. Ten min
utes are usually consumed in this lunch and
in conversation, standing about at will. This
over the guests are seated at a table. The
first course on the occasion of the first State
dinner in New Sweden, was an excellent soup,
a receipt for which would be valuable.
As the soup was passed round, plate of
something that we might call pudding if it
was cooked differently, was passed at the
same time in the shape of cakes about three
inches in diameter and three-quarters of an
inch thick. This cake is called 'pastry," in
the Swedish, and is made of beaten eggs and
flour and milk in about equal parts well sweet
ened, and baked so that it was moist and
solid. The next course was meats and fowl
tine latter being excellent cartridges. Con-
sui Thomas being the Nimrod that secured
that rare dish. These were cooked and serv-
ed after the Swedish style, which may be
pronounced excellent. The next course was
preparation of apples similar to what is
known in the country as ''apple dowdy' only
much superior. With this, bread and cake
were served with cream. Eggs are freely used
in all their cooking, even in salads. The
excellence of their pies and the variety and
excellence of their sweet cakes would i'm
mensely crafty sweetmeat eating Yankees.
After dinner there were toasts, short speech
es by the Governor, Mr.. Thomas and the Con-
sui, Mr.. Stickney of the Sunrise and others.
A piece of poetry prepared for the occasion
in Swedish by one Of the colony was read and
rendered into English by Mr.. Wren, the
Lutheran clergyman, which spoke in feeling
terms of their reception in this country and
particularly of the kindness of 'Consul Thorn
as.
There were present on the occasion of the
reception of the Governor over four hundred
people. Every one was neatly and cleanly
dressed, and we never saw so well behaved
and so quiet an assemblage. The Governor
and his party were most agreebly surprised tt
witness the evidence of high character and thu
industry of the Swedish colony.
The colonists are by no means without
money. During the season Hon. w. w
Thomas has acted as the banker of the colo
nists. and in that capacity has received S22,
D 900, all of which has been sent 10 Aroostool
e county. Mr.. Thomas takes lively interes
in the colony, and none of the party wer
more deeply interested in the exercises of TIN
day. Mr.. Thomas has shown his interest il
) rendering special aid to the colonists as thei
financial agent, for which service he has no
9 received a cent, although he has been to M
little trouble and expense. AT one of tn
s houses we visited, the Lutheran pastor christ
ened an infant, Consul Thomas and "Percie',
standing as godfather and god-mother.