The Portland daily press., 1874-09-11
New Sweden.
A CAREFUL CANVASS OF THE COLONY.

CAREFUL CANVASS OF THE COLONY
There have been SO many rumors respecting
the condition of the colony at New Sweden,
that the friends of the enterprise are anxious
to have the fullest facts presented to the pub
lie. The following is the report of the Rev.
Mr.. Wren, the pastor of the colony, who with
Rev. Mr.. Wiberg, canyassed all the settle
ments:
NEW SWEDEN Aug. 80, 1874
Mr.. EDITOR: Upon my arrival in Portland
from Old Sweden three weeks ago, 1 was
greatly surprised to read in certain papers and
hear people say, that New Sweden had been
visited by frost in June and July which had
killed the growing crops; that the colonisss
were race of Fishermen; that the men staid
indoors, enjoying their pipes and tobacco,
while the women did the work in the fields;
that the people were starving; that all the
young men and women had left the colony,
and the whole effort to establish a Swedish
settlement in this state had been failure
with other astonishing statements of a like
nature. L resolved to visit every family in
the colony at my earliest opportunity, and as
certain the actual condition of every Swedish
settler, and make reliable report to the peo-
pie OF the state, and all others who may be
interes ted in our colony.
In accordance with this plan, Rev. Mr.. Wi
berg, who had taken charge of my parish dur
ing my absence, and myself, have spent eight
days in visiting every house, farm and family
in the whole colony, which extends over New
Sweden and adjoining portions of Woodland,
Perham and Lyndon, noting such facts as will,
think, give all needful information in regard
to the colony. We have done this without pay
forth the colony n is nn bY eo ars to set
GUS opinions, and fully satisfy the people gen.
orally. do not believe that any man can
form a correct idea of the colony by a flying
two among the settlers, being able to converse
with the few only who have fair knowledge OF
the English language. A careful investigation
by one who can talk with every settler, and
find out his actual condition, seemed to be nee
essary, and l have endeavored to supply thi;
want. In order that the statistics may be per
fectly correct we took the statement of each
person as to his crops, stock, ETC., and had him
affix his name to the statement.
We expect good crops this year upon the
whole, unless more severe frost should ruin
them. None of the colonists have ever been fish
ermen; and as to the charge of shirking the
work upon the women, it is an insult to every
member of the colony, and needs no answer.
1t will be seen by the report that few fami
lies need assistance This is attributable in some
cases to severe sickness; in others, to poor loca
tons, where it will be impossible to make good
farms for several years. Such tracts are being
left in many cases and new ones taken up. The
early frosts of last year ruined temporarily
many families, and shingles-between two and
three millions have been made this year in
Woodland and New Sweden-have brought a
much lower price than was anticipated, But
the remainder of the colony, one hundred and
one families, out of total of one hundred and
twenty-five, in spite of these draw backs, are il
good condition, and will not need any assist
ance, unless the crops are rnned.
l subjoin full statistics of every family in the
colony, which will give accurate information in
regard to the condition of each settler, showing
how much land he has cleared, and felled ready
| to clear, how much in grass and grain, potatoes
| included, how much stock, how large famil,
| to support, and how long since he took up the
| farm. Each settler in New Sweden has Ion
acres, those in the other towns the same OF
more. There has been so much said in refer
| ence to New Sweden that many don't know
| what to believe In this statement, including
| the statistics which follow are the whole fact,
| in reference to New Sweden, and any person
| can judge for himself whether the many re
| ports derogatory to the coloniStS of New Sweden
| are correct or not
NEW SWEDEN.
| In the following statistics feled y means
| land in process of clearing for next years crop
| and I'm CROP" all kinds of crop, including
| wheat, oats, barley, BEANS peas and potatoes
| j. G. Peterson. acres felled, 6 in CROP
| cow, calf, house 24x14, children, has beer
! here 3 years.
c. johnson. 2 acres felled, 2 in grass, 81,
| crop, cow l OK, l pig, house 1Sx12, barn 40x20
| children, has been here years.
j. Anderson acres felled, in grass, il
| crop, COW, calf, OK, pig, house 28x14, barr
| 36x36, children, has been here years.
| A. Olson, acIes felled, 1 in grass, 6 in crop
| cow, OK, pig, house 30x18, barn 40x1S,
| children, has been here 2 years.
| A. HOlmqust. 2 acres feled, in crop
hnnse 14x12, barn 40x2O, children, has beer
L. Bengtson. 2 acres rcnea, d in cron hons,
| 20x14, barn 28x2O, has been here / year.
III. Anderson. 5 acres felled, 10 in crop,
COW. 1 OK, pigs, house 34x2O, barn 44x20 ;
| children, has been here years.
=. j. Nelson. 3 acres felled, 3 in grass. il
| crop, house 24x16, barn 40x20, 3 children, ha.
| been here years.
S. S. Landin. acres felled, in grass, 5 il
crop, COW, 1pg house 24xlS, 6 children, has
| been here years.
|. e. E. Lundvall, acres felled, 6 in grass, s
in crops, l COW, 1 calf, house 4Ox24, 2 children
| has been here 2 years.
| z. Wall. 1 acre felled, 2 in grass, 4 in crop
| 1 cow, house 26xl8, barn 20x20, has been here
years. He is Ga years old, his wife is 50.
b. s. Landn. acres felled, in CROP house
| 36x1S,2 children, has been here year.
N. e. Rosengrep. 5 acres felled, 8 in grass
| ID in crop, horse, 2 COWS, pigs, house 36x24
barn 64x24, has been here years.
G. G. Anderson. 2 acres felled, 4 in crop
| house 18x14, has been here year.
P. Peterson. acres felled 3 ia grass, in
cron, cow, house 2SxlS, barn 44x24, unmar,
| ried.
Z. Gelott 9 acres felled, 2 in grass, in crop
has been here 8 years. unmarried.
6. F. Gelott. acres felled, iu grass, il
| crop, cows, l calf, horse pig, house 36X16,
barn 32x24, child has been here 3 years.
u. Akersten. acres felled, in grass, in
| crop, house 26x18, barn 36x2i, has been here g
years; He is 60 years old, his wife 81.
G. Engvall 10 acres feled, 3 in crop, house
| 1Sx14, has been here year.
l.. o. Lundvall. acres felled. 8 in crop,
| house 36x20, has been here years.
A. Sired acres felled, 10 grass 3 in crop
| l cow, has been here years, unmarried.
L. Z. Bjorkda 2 acres feled, 5 in grass 9
| in crop, has been here 2 years.
j. johnson. acres in crop, COW, l OK,
house 18x12, 3 children, has been here 8 wears.
N. Johanson. acres felled in grass, in
crop, COW, pig, house 16x14. barn 32x4, 8
children, has been here years.
A. SvenSon. Il acres felled, in crop, house
36x24, has been here 2 years.
S. Svenson. 10 acres felled in grass, in
crop. COW, calf, house 2Sx1S barn 3Sx24, 2
children, has been here years.
j. johnson. acres telled, 3 in grass, in
crop. 1 horse, 1 cow, house 2Sxl5, barn 30xlS, 3
children, has been here 8 years.
G. V. Lindstrom 2 acres felled, in grass,
in crop. house 24x15, 1 child, has been here 2
years.
A. Johanson. 8 acres fe,ed, 8 in grass, s6 in
crop, 2 cows, 1 calf, pig, house 2Sx22, barn
50xl6, has been here years.
Slobom, 3 acres felled, ) in grass, in
crop, cows, calf, l OK, l pig, house 36x.}2,