Delaware Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1843-1874, 1873-11-06

CoLoNIzING WITHOUT Como WEST.
The similarity OF the northern portion of our
own State TO that of the State of Maine, renders
great experiment in the latter, which has
now passed through It's stages Of infancy, of
special interest 10 us. In the hope that Il may
arouse consideration on the part of some of our
public-spirited citizens, and suggest some SINH
lar undertaking for the Improvement Of what
we now designate as q wilderness, We offer q
rapid synopsis Of the enterprise referred to.
The Hon. W. W. Thomas, Jr., was from
1892 to 1865, the United States Consul at Gut
tenberg, Sweden. he made himself acquain-
ted with the language Of the people among
whom he did more-hs took the opportunity
to obtain an intimate acquaintance with the
characteristics and modes Of life Of the indus
| trious and hardy population OF the Scandinavian
peninsula. that, by incessant toll,
the peasantry there rem dersd fruitful Q COM
paratively sterile soil, warmed by brief sum-
| mers, and frozen by sub-arctic winters, he
asked the natural question whether these hardy
| farmers, If transported to his swn more-favorec
CLINE, might not, the unsettled parts of Maine
| aid In the development Of the State, and find
for themselves congenial homes. In further
ance of this idea, General Chamberlin introau-
| ced bill In the Maine Legislature of 1870
which enabled Mr.. Thomas to 90 again to
| Sweden, and arrange for the transportation of
small colony as nucleus. He was appoint
ed Commissioner of Emigration, with autho-
rity to settle the emigrants on certain public
| lands of The State. The annual emigration
from Sweden was, at that time, from twenty to
| twenty-five thousand, no considerable portion
oil which had ever stopped this side of 'the
great West"
| In the northern "wilderness" of Maine the
whole State of Massachusetts, might have been
set down without touching the civilization on
| its borders. Out of this vast territory the fer
/ tile valley of the Aroostook was selected as the
site Of colony. The new settlers were OBJ
tanned by personal Interviews and explanations;
MIR. Thomas went to their homes in Norrland
and Jemptland; slept in their houses, where
nine persons to one sleeping apartment IS a fair
| average, and recruited a picked colony OF so
| souls-every one of them church members, and
bringing their minister with them. They were
mostly farmers, though there were some car
penters and blacksmiths amcng them. Some OF
| them had been hunters of the elder duck, and
eked out slender addition to the means OF
life by obtaining the down fro m the nests; fol
That purpose swinging themselves by ropes un.
der the beetling cliffs of the sea coast. There
was good stuff in the little band for pioneers.
They settled July %, 1870, on Township Is
Range j, and called it New-Sweden.
II is not nece- ssary to tell how they burned .
space i'll the WOODS, built their log houses, in
Guiding meeting house, and constructed .
turnpike. They were of good cheer, and the
| letters they Wrote lone reflected it. Withou
further elliott i'll Sweden there was "A stream a.
emigration 10 Maine established Simply bv III,
representation Of the colonists here. The set
tiement is 10000 acres, and now contains over
LUZ souls. he aches OF the clearing enTicl
the land which is inaturally very fertile, an,
three ions Of hay and 80 bushels of wheat I,
the acre are not unusual crops. Not more thai
TWO %" three persons Of all hat have come hay,
gone back dissatisfied. Many Of the later emf
grants have brought considerable sums Of mon
ey 10 bhN Rand, varying from few hundred Il
Tive or sIA Thousand dollars
The stirrcss ufthis colony has b,,.p priari
pally due to the fact that il has been mai,. SELF
supporting. II has cost the State nothing I'm
the salaries aIhi expenses OF the Commission.
mailer ct perhaps $4,000. The emigrants pai
THEN own Passages. They receive each iron
Tile State one hundred acres, conditional upo,
occupancy i't I'VE years, building a dwcn
house, and CLEARING fifteen acres after whis
they have u warranty deed with no fees or ey
lehse thalgeablr upon the land. Where the
iieeurd TODD, seed aud implements, these wcr
advanced to them hy the State agency nm
soon paid Tor hy work ON the State highway.
beside tltf t"ipnN there aic four OF i've hun
diTi artisans thai have been drawn in n,
stream 81 emigration, who have settled wlmr
they iu'tn employment IN ciii,s am! town
thr"'iSh'"i' ia" StIle: and thc servant nill p,
tIuh mas "A new lactor toward its solution in a
excellent claSs OF house servants that are in de.
inand aud have found situations throurhol
the coast cities of New England. This wear, III
colony being III all respects firmly established
state supervision will entirely cease and TIN
Emigration Commission be distanded.
Whether any undertaking of the sort coul,
; be so honestly, economically, ard Efficient
managed elsewhere than in New England ma
be matter of doubt. But there cao Ia Iittl
question as 10 the need Of similar enterpris
here. There i. single county in cur Stat
which, according TO the late census. containe
less than 1900 inhabitants in its 1000 OF
acres, and where only one foIty-seventh of lii
land is under cultivation.