Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1874-10-02

The people Of Iceland, having celebrated
tn milieunial OF the island, are now, II i
sid. largely willing TO leave it 70 somebody
el-e for the next thousand year.. They
wish to leave it, bleak lava beds, for some
m,re propitious sill. and. strange TO say,
having experimental with small colonies ~
Brazil. the United States and Canada. they
they are n,w looking towards Alaska. a.
likely to answer their needs. Three Iceland
ish commissioners. Ami Si.yaldasson, John
Olafssson and Paul Bi,rn-s5n. are now in
this country, aud have petitijned President
Grant for a vessel To carry them to Alaska.
with s. view OF inspecting that country In
their petition they say.
But in Alaska O. the work. written on
thar territory sre O. be --lird upon) ~ find
cYuntr, w1o-r climate j. alapt'd q u
There j. DO other region ~ the world 80
wei adapted. ~ y [ urcolouiz-d Even
IN Nc sr-tn. Michigan. Iowa. Minnesota
and Ns5-a~k- Estates otherwise the most
suitable ior ~ the heats ut Summer ARE
intolershle u our face Inc region next
most attractive 10 u. after Ala-Sa, may
poS-I biz he Canada aud "a Can ada. unies~
d colony l. e~ia bll-hed ~ Alaska the stream
of iceiaudlc immigrant Nil set. and
wherever nucleus l. established tnlihcT
wi. future ictlandic EN- grafton be drawn
We nave chosen three men OF nur number
whom we desire L. SEND t. Alaska. IN order
that they may by very brief examination.
assure Us whether the account OF Lieut.
Dali (eiveu IN hi~ iste large work Gpon
AlA-ka) J. substantially correct II TINS
proves % be the ease. there l. inCeed iN-
ture Tor car country men who are nov IN -
Ill plight The summers OF the remote IN
terror of Alaska appear indeed 10 be warm
but upon the coast they are cool like those
of Iceland. and a. there are seyera! thou
sands mlies OF coast there Will he room Tor
the whole population OF Iceland many times
over and the Iceiaudic colonist- and their
descendants can get a living there. secure
under the flag of the United States. We can
there III DAllis account IL correct) continue
10 keep our cattle: We can ind good and
not too distant market tor butter, cheese,
beet and horses. The lceiandlc horses are
OF a hardy stock. and have been already eI-
ported from Iceland and sOic IN America,
and would Doubtless thrive IL Alaska. W {
can work the fisheries which Dali states 10
be magnificent beyond cOmpari-on); We can
supply the Pacific States with timber We
can there build ships las formerly IN lee
land before the forests dl>Appeared); We can
sail ships and our children can furnish
with sailors the great merchant huet-
which ,ail on the Pacific ocean. The object
of tins letter l. 10 ask your exceliency that
such facilities and incidental assistance IN
establishing an lcelandIc colony IN Alaska
a. your excellency may think proper may
be extended 70 our cOuntrymen.
President Grant, Secretary Fish and Sec
rotary Robson took great interest In the
proposition, and sloop of war lying in the
harbor Of San Francisco was ordered to
convey the Icelanders to Alaska. They have
probably arrived in California by this time,
and will doubtless Immediately set sail for
Mr.. Stewards s. 900 900 purchase. If the
region should prove to be as they expect,
in respect TO climate, soil and other adyan-
tages more promising to their people thaa
their present home, and better adapted to
their wants than Canada, it is possible that
in few y.ars Alaska may hscome of great
value to our country.