The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-09-25
A Visit TO ArOOstOOk.
Something of Interest about Aroostook
i'm General and New Sweden in Par
ticular.
FRYEBURG, Sept. q, 1874

FRYEBURG, Sept. 21, 1874
To the Editor Of the Press:
Having recently visited the Aroostook
some thoughts occurring to me on my jour-
ney.
Passing over the fertility of the soil and
agricultural prosperity, which has been pic
tured by so many pens, and not s(as 1 had
supposed) been exaggerated, in fact, not hal
told, think it singular that our legislators
can go to Augusta, pass so much time there,
and be blind TO the true interests of the whole
people of the state. In letter in this weeks
issue of the Kennebec Journal, from trav-
eler i'll Aroostook, he says, cit is country of
itself; 1t seems cut off from the rest of the
state and the people while holding a common
feeling with the rest for the good of the state,
speak of the other portion as 'outsde.'
'What they do outside and 'how is it out
side,' were common expressions" Should
this be so? Should the people of Aroostook
be cut off from railroad communication with
their fellow citizens, except through foreign
territory? The people of Presque Isle, Car
ibou and vicinity, tired Of waiting for any
other way, are seeking and will secure rail-
road facilities by way o: Tobique, Woodstock,
Fredericton and st. John. Would it not
be better for US "outside," for them and the
state, to have direct railroad communication
from Mattawamkeag to Houlton, Presque
Isle, Caribou, etc., and bring their surplus
products OF lumber and all else to our own
markets?
1t seems to me that business and property
''insde and outside" would be at once sufi-
ciently enhanced to justify our legislators in
making an appropriation for this end so far as
they have power to do SO. am satisfied no
member of our legislature would hesitate, If
he would carefully inform himself on this sub
ject. We have nothing ''outside' to com
pare with their farms and waving green fields
and none l have ever seen surpass them.
How it was beyond Caribou, do not know,
as our business took us from that point TO
New Sweden where we passed two nights.
And here allow me to say, that the poor
Swedes have been most grossly maligned and
the results of their labors misrepresented
In going from Caribou to the Capitol of New
Sweden, the road is good; proceeding west
about four miles and thence north about
three miles the road is bad, and 1 felt like
! joining in tine aspersions against the settlers,
until got to the place of our destination and
had day to look alb ,ut, and note the pro,
gress made in clearing their farms. The
amount of work they have done in so short a
time is astonishing and the report in the
PRESS of the 18th inst, of the canvass of the
| colony, is not overstated. 1t is no wonder
that they have not done more on their roads
| they must have expended all their strength
on their farms, but their system has been the
correct one: viz: to first make their land;
| productive equal to their wants, and then i'm
prove their roads and homes.
1t is a shame to charge these people will
day, the man was long after dark, hauling il
grain with one horse, anticipating rain. Mon
day morning, he and his small boy wer
theshlng at daylight, to send to mill, dis
tance of twelve or fourteen miles; this NAL
had three bushels sowing of rye, sevel
bushels sowing of wheat, sixteen bushel
sowing of oats, potatoes sufficient for his use
beans, garden vegetables, and noticed sma
flower bed at the end of his house and in ad
dition to all this new clearing; he has beel
there only three working seasons includn
the present, went there as person told me
'without means, dependent solely upon hi
hands" and has accomplished in that time al
l have above stated.
Such crops as his would astonish the pee
pie of this county no less than the amour
of labor performed, and we "Oxford Bears
"allow'' that we can Judge Of good crops {
grain as well as of the labor encessary to pr,
duce them. One of my companions 1--WE al
three Flyeburg men) a successful practic
farmer, coincided with me in the opinion
!, that the Swedes have accomplished muc
more than an equal number of our own neon