Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-09-24
The Maine Press Excursion to
AroOstOOk.
NEW SWEDEN.


able for the trip must have been brought into use,
ior beside the full editorial party large numbers
of the people of Caribou were IN the long process
sion which gaily took It's way to the Swedish set
! tement The distance to be travelled was eight
miles The road was good. Eight years ago IL
was wilderness nearly all the distance. Now the
land is cleared the most of the way to the Capitol
| $50 called) in New Sweden, and standing upon a
rise OF land little beyond that, one can see clear
inys in the forest every hand, dotted with
grassy fields and large patches OF yellow grain
| II must have been an amazing spectacle to the
settlers to witness such sight as we presented
Probably they will never see the like again, aud
am sure | never shall. The land As we passed
along had the same rolling surface, the same fer
| tlhty the same bright verdure. where cleared, As
we mad generally seen elsewhere in Aroostook.
Reaching the limits Of New Sweden halt was
| made at the first house. 1t was built OF hewn
logs to the caves aud the roof WAS well shingled.
| The party entered and inspected II from bottom
to top. 1t was constructed for two famlies' each
family having its own particular rooms at one end
of the house, while in the central part was broad
| hall and a large room common to both families
| On bed lay infant only nine days Old, whose
mother, Young and fair, was about the house as
sitting IN the work. That's the way they do III
| New sweden. They have no physician there and
very seldom need or send for one outside All
| the houses which saw were built much alike,
most OF them, however, being but Tor single
| family each. They are comfortable and looked
neatly kept The people have the ways and Gus
| toms as they have the language of thir father
land but these are departing under the influence
Of association with common Yankee people around
| them and Yankee school teachers tor the young
| The generation just coming on the stage will be
| Yankee enough to pass anywhere IN New England
for native stock. They assimllate rapidly; lhen
| religion being Lutheran, presents no bar between
| our people and them. Their young men and wo-
men sometimes 20 abroad to WORK, and when they
return home they carry the fashions OF the new
company they have been in.
| One custom which they have at the table IS for
the youngest child who can speak sufficiently well
to ask blessing before partaking OF the meal
and repeat benedction at the close OF the repast
| Then when they rise from the table they shake
hands all around. They bake bread enough al
one time, such as they had in Sweden, 70 last them
| six months or q year. The loaves are about the
size of dinner plate, and q little thicker, with
| hole in the centre, and are nearly rs tough and
| hard as hickory. But many of them are dlscon-
tinuiug the use of this kind Of bread and adopt
| ing Yankee bread. With the yellow beard, blue
ewes and fair skin of the Norsemen they have
brought the hardy constitutions, industry, honesty,
temperance, fugality and piety Of their ancestors
Tbey are hewing their way to success IN the wilds
| of Ayoostook, by the same qualities that have
given the Norland mariners the success which they
have achieved upon the ocean. There is no need
of fear that New Sweden will not take care of it.
self. II has made its mark already.
When the procession was e-formed at the house
above mentioned a Swedish horseman appeared
upon his steed. and gallantly led the way up the
long but gentle rise toward the Capitol, followed
Immediately by Hon. W. w. Thomas, Jr., with
out whose iabors there would have been no New
Sweden in Maine, and whose presence and assist
ance upon this occasion added vastly to the pleas
ure and interest Of it. Some Of our party halted
at the Capitol, but large portion kept right on
about q couple OF miles, in their carriages, and
we're rewarded for their trouble by getting much
more extensive and complete view of what the
Swedes have tone in the wilderness. Those who
stop at the Capitol see but the beginning OF the
work Pastor Wren accompanied us in the
march He is much beloved by his people, but
did not come from Sweden with them, though a
Swede. He came from Pennsylvania to New
Sweden. His wife is Caribou lady. A church
is now being erected in the settlement.
The Capitol is a good sized, two story building,
having store below and hall above. Here were
assembled hundi eds of the Swedes to honor the
occasion, intelligent, vigorous looking men and
women. dinner had been prepared in Swedish
style, for the editorial party, under the superln-
tendence of the wife Of Capt. Nicholas Z. Classe
Postmaster, at house near the Capitol, and thith-
err we repaired Immediately after having looked
over the settlement. This dinner was grand az
fair. 1t looked very inviting MIR. Thomas took
seat at the head of the table, explaining in
swedish and English as was required. blessing
was asked by q little girl some seven years old
perhaps. Then the various courses, of which
ish women over the heads OF the company, in
large platters, from which each helped himself
There was an abundance OF food, consisting of
mutton. chicken, vegetables, sauces, pickles, rel
shes, good wheat bread. cakes OF several kinds,
blanc mango, the strongest of coffee and other
articles OF diet too numerous to mention. The
greatest objects of curiosity were two enormous
cakes placed upon the tables, called by the Swedes
Sgjatkaka. These were about foot and a bali
| high, shaped somewhat like a common earthen
jar of three or four gallons capacity, hollow in
the centre, the cake or rim being only about two
inches thick They were a handsome brown up
on the outside, ornamented with confectionery
| and upon the top was q bouquet Of wild and Gu l.
tvated flowers, giving them fine appearance.
| they cut into small pieces near the close OF
| the feast and distributed, and many pieces were
| carried away as curiosities and souvenirs of the
| dinner at New Sweden. The affair closed with a
benedictlon by the same little girl who asked the
| blessing before eating The dinner was really
elegant, and did our Swedish-American friends
much credit.
Dinner over, a great crowd assembled at the
Capitol, packing the hall and stairway full, and
many were unable to gain entrance at all. A
good organ in the hail. present by Mr.. Thomas
| to the colony, furnished music during the gather.
| ing OF the meeting. Then Mr.. Thomas called
| the meeting to order, and proceeded to make a
| very animated speech TO the Swedes in their own
| language, which they appeared to receive with
great satisfaction aud which was interesting eve q
| TO those who could not understand what was said
Then turning to the visitors present he addressed
them in our language. The following is a yery
| brief summary Of his remarks
| Eight years ago, where we now are was an I'm
broken forest. As far as the eye could reach on
every side the wilderness extended. A great
change had been wrought. Enough land had
been cleared and cultivated in New Sweden to
| support 600 people, the number which the COLONY
now has. Nine years ago the State authorized
| the experiment of Swedish colony in Aroostook
| In 1870, fifty Swedish emigrants followed him
| Mr.. Ihomas) from Sweden to the United States
No contract whatever was made with them They
depended entirely upon what he told them as to
their opportunity for new home in Name They
PAID Their own passage to this Countrywide State
paid not dollai-snd brought with them 800,
wv IN cash. They came up the st. John river
II took them five days to reach Tobque, and one
day longer to reach Caribou. One child died on
the passage. Tney arrived In New Sweden in
July 1870. There was no road In or to the town
ship. The forest covered everything. The set
tlement began at once. The colonlsts CONNIE ed
work with resoute hearts and strong hands, auc
made the woods lively the fall OF that year with
the crashing Of timber and the fires of the clear
ings. To-day there are 600 Inhabitants IN New
Sweden as the fruit Of the Swedish immigration
experiment, and there are 1000 Swedes outside o.
this township who followed the first colonists
Thep have taken up 20 600 acres OF land and wan
more. They have cleared 5000 acres, have blu i'll
80 miles of road, have a good road to Caribou
wi On m ma bat bava