The Portland daily press., 1883-09-21

der the direction of Hon. W. W. Thomas
DR., OF Portland. The colony at first num-
bered twenty-five men, eleven women and
eighteen children, with cash capital of
$4,000, and six tons of baggage. Others
were soon added to the colony, which has
continued to increase, until in 1880 it con-
tanned OF inhabitants. In addition to these
the colony has attracted to Maine upwards
OF thousand Swedes, who are settled in
Caribou, Woodland, Perham, and various
parts of the State. The Swedes are very
highly spoken of in Aroostook county, and
are universally considered an honest, intel
ligent and industrious class of people. In
personal appearance they are generally very
prepossessing, especially the young ladies.
In the Swedish schools English is the only
language used; and the younger Swedes are
everywhere adopting American customs.
Occasionally, however, in short visit to
the colony, we met Swede with his feet
incased in immense wooden shoes, probably
of his own manufacture. Some families are
still found who hang up their bread, like
ancient customs; but as general thing
they are becoming thoroughly and rapidly
Americanized. We were surprised to learn
from Swedish clergyman that, while the
Swedes are more prosperous here than they
were in Sweden, they are not generally very
well contented, and regret that they did not
settle in the western part of the country,
where the climate is milder and the harvest
seasons longer. Nevertheless those here
will doubtless remain, and others, friends of
these, are continually coming Since the
colony was established in 1870 the Swedes
have cleared about 5000 acres of land, and
have built two churches and five school,
houses. In politics the Swedes are unani-
mously Republican.
Everywhere through northern Aroostook
are abundant evidences of enterprise and
thrift The roads are generally in excellent
condition, and it is pleasure to ride oyer
them through the pleasant farming country,
where are situated the finest farms in Maine,
whose broad acres of golden grain, immense
fields of ripening potatoes, and large tracts
of fertile land devoted to the cultivation of
hops and various other products, give Aroos-
took county a right to be called "The Gar
den of Maine." In its new and fertile soil,
which can be cultivated for several years
without the use of fertilizers and which is
remarkably easy to work, Aroostook pos
sesses her chief advantage over the worm
out lands of the southern part of the State.
About the best paying crop the Aroostook
farmer reaps is the first crop to grow after
the land is cleared. This is of great adyan-
tage to the poor man who clears a farm; his
returns are speedy and profitable. Another
advantage which Aroostook possesses over
most farming countries is that the crops are
never a complete failure. There are good
years and bad years for crops here as else
where, but catastrophes like the grasshopper
plague, hail storms or long continued
drouth, never destroy the crops. An average
farm in Aroostook county, well managed,
will give its owner much better returns than
the average salaries of mechanics, book-keep-
ers, tradesmen or even professional men.
Besides, the farmer is the most independent
1851 Az sAO UOAAu, anu III hIOOobOOh db IGdSls
is always sure of living. But farmers here
probably work as hard as any farmers in the
world, and they certaialy work harder than
farmers generallyin the southern part of the
State. 1t is often claimed that farmers In
southern Maine could do as well as in Aroos-
took county or the West, if they would work
as hard and live as frugally. The extra
work would doubtless pay, but it is useless
to talk of living the same way; and even if
this could be done, there is always the diff
ference between an old, WORKOUT farm and
new one, country at standstil and
country that is growing.
The church and school privileges in the
county are good, as the neat church build
| ings in every village and the pretty school
houses along every roadside will attest.
| There is much valuable land still unoccu-
| pied, though it is now in the hands of capt.
| buildings thereon can always be purchased
| at a moderate price, for the Western fever
frequently carries off the owner of farm
even in this famous region. Land which is
| or has been covered with hard wood growth
makes the best farm. The winters in Aroos-
| took are very severe, and it is nonsense to
| claim that they are no more so than in the
southern portions of the State. But there
is doubtless something in the dryness of the
atmosphere that enables the system to bet
ter Withstand the cold. The early frost of
the present season came no earlier in Aroos-
took than in Kennebec county; but at the
same time the crops in the latter county
were more matured than in the former.
All things considered, however, the
chances for young farmer with small cap
ital, who is willing to work, are without
doubt better in Aroostook than in any other
county of the State; the same may perhaps
be said of other professions, though these
are already we'll represented. But Aroos-
took is not, as it is sometimes represented,
ga land flowing with milk and honey;' and
the man who expects to go there and gain
wealth or even living without working
hard for it, had better stay away; he is
sure to be disappointed. F.
| Notes About Notable People.
| Sitting Bull has pneumonia.
| Tba npI 1f al