Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-07-24

n oh for the colony, and on Saturday
~ ne wa pushed forward. Each b'at was
80, nv two horses. The progress was SLOW
81 to;lsome. but the weather was hne' ana
,t,s colonists caught fish from the river an"
r;ctad berries along the bank SlN da.S
rare spent in tow ing up from Fredericton u I,
Tobioue. The journey is now maae " ran
in as many hours. Near florence'liie' on
Tuesday. July 10. the first misfortune oe'ei
the COLONY. Here died Hina =. C i
infant daughter of Captain Nicholas l.. oia AS.
Her little body was placed III conn. 9ui.Ni
copstructed. and brought along with the cor
env Al Tobione Landing we debarked on
,hs afternoon of July u. and were met ny
the Hon. Parker p Burleigh. Land Agent
The newt morning. Friday. July -, teah's
we're prorided by MIR Joseph Fisher oil fof'
E.;rfeId and the Swedish immigrant tram
s,,rte3 for Maine and the United States: Mf'
RnrIe;gb and your historian drove ahead IN Il
xagon Then came a covered carr''e.
drawn nv four horses, with the women ".','
cL;l5rep Then two threc-horse teams WIN
the men. followed by Il couple "i w" HoiS'
teams with the baggage. -
So we wound over the hills. and at III
O'Clock reached the iron post that niarhs 'iie
boundary hetw cen the dominions OF the queen
of Great Britain and the United States Be
meath us Law the broad valley of the Aroos-
,ook. The river glstened in the SUM- Inc
white houses of Fort Fairfield shone brightly
among the green fields along the bank. AS
we crossed the line, the American nag was
unfurled from the foremost carriage. and we
were greeted by salute of cannon from the
village. Mr. Burleigh descended from the
wagon and welcomed the colony to the state
which was TO be their new home. l trans
nj th., tral moved
The peopIe along the way greeted us with
waving hanikerchiefs. cheers and every de-
monstration of enthusiasm. In ascending a
hill the horses attached to one of the bag
gage wagons became balky, backed into the
ditch and upset the wagon. The Swedes
sprang lightly from their carriages, unhitched
the horses. righted and reloaded the wagon
and ran it bv hand to the top of the hill
THIS was their first act in Maine.
At moor we reached the town hall at Fort
Fairfield. gun announced our arrival.
Here we dismounted, and a multitude of peo-
pie surrounded us. The Swedes clustered
shvly apart A public meeting was impro-
vised in the American fashion. Hon. Isaac
Hacker was called to the chair and intro
duced Judge William Small. who welcomed
the strangers in a judicious and eloquent adj
dress. He was followed by the Rev. Daniel
Stickney of Presque Isle. The remarks OF
these gentlemen were repeated to the Swedes
in their own tongue by your historian, who
then returned thanks at their request. A
bountiful collation. was served in the town
hail. and when at o'clock. the Swedes re-
sumed their journey. it seemed as if half the
population accompanied them in carriages
and on foot. A Swedish youth of 20 and
an American of about the same are ran AT
the head of the procession. with their arms
about each others waists. laughing and chat
tering, though neither understood a
word OF the others language. Finally they
crowned each other with garlands of green
leaves.
As we passed over hilltop pointed out
the distant ridges of Township Ii. rising
against the sky. bet iofr0de Laadet-.'the
promised land, '-shout the Swedes, and a
cheer goes along the line.
Late in the afternoon we reached the bridge
over the AroOstook river. \ salute of cannon
announced our approach, and a cOncourse OF
five hundred people turned out with brass
band to escort us into the picturesque village
Of Caribou. Here the Hon. John S. Arnold
delivered an address of welcome, and sup
per was served in Arnold's hall. where the
settlers passed the night At this supper
one of the ladies of Caribou happened to
wait upon our worthy Land Agent and get
ting reply from him in language which
she understood, exclaimed with delight and
communication. ''Why you speak very good
English for Swede!''
Next morning the train was early in mo-
ton. hundred and fifty Americans accom-
panied the march. We soon passed beyond
the last clearings and entered the deep GODS
Slowly the long line of wagons wound among
the stumps of the newly cut wood road and
penetrated a forest now first opened for the
abode of man. At noon en- Saturday, July
90. 1870. just four months after the passage
of the act authorizing this undertakings and
four weeks after the departure of the immi-
grants from Sweden the first Swedish colony
of our State arrived at their new home. We
called the spot New Sweden, name at once
commemorative of the past and auspicous of
the future. Here in behalf of the State of
Maine babe welcome and God speed to
these far travellers, our future citizens, and
here under camp of bark the colonists ate
their first meal on this township
As soon as it appeared from my letters that
a Swedish colony would surely come. the
Board of immigration began to make prepa-
ration for their reception. Under the direc-
ton of Mr.. Burleigh, the township had been
relotted, reducing the size of the lots from
100 to 100 acres. A road was cut into the
township. Five acres were felled on each of
the % lots, and % log houses would have
been built; but the Swedes arrived much
earlier than was anticipated. and only six
houses were up and only two had glass in
the windows. Necessary supplies and tools
had also been provided.
The next day was the Sabbath. The first
religious service was the funeral of little
Hilma Clase. The services were conducted
by the Rev. James Withee of Caribou.
On Monday afternoon, the farms were dis
trisuted. The only fair way of distribution
appeared to be by lot; yet this method
seemed likely to separate friends from the
same province who preferred to be neghbors
This difficulty was finally overcome bv divid-
ing the settlers into groups of four friends
each, and the farms into clusters of four. and
letting each group draw a cluster, which was
afterward distributed by lot among the mem
bers OF the group. The division of the farms
was thus left entirely to chance, and vet
friends and neighbors were kept together.
with two exceptions, every one was satisfied
and these two were Immediately made happy
by exchanging with each other.
1t was determined to set the Swedes at
work telling trees, cutting out roads and
building houses, allowing them one dollar
day, payable in provisions and tools. Cap
tam \. Z. Clase, a Swede was placed in
charge of the storehouse Every working