Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-09-08
ICELANpIo 1NfMrGRANrs.
Another Large Party of Them Reaches
ManitOba-Why They Left Their Ma
tive Land.

Sunday afternoon last, says the Winnie
peg { Man. San, party of Icelandic i'm
migrants, numbering nearly so persons,
arrived in the city in charge of the long
expected 1celandic minister, the Rev.
John Bjarnason. This gentleman organ
lied congregation of Icelanders and
built a church in this city nearly three
years ago. Only few services were held
IN the church, when the happy and pros
porous little congregation had to say fare
well to its pastor, he having been unex-
peetedlY called away to Iceland. He
promised to return, however, and since
that time the Icelanders of Wfnnepeg
have been anX;ously looking for the ar
rival OF their beloved minister. Since he
has been in the far Northlaud the Rev
Mr. BJarnasOn has lost no opportunity TO
point out to his cOuntrymen the adVan-
tages and resurces of Manitoba, and the
immigration from Iceland during the last
two or three years has been due in large
measure to his efforts. He left Iceland
with his party nearly six weeks ago.
going first to England and thence to Bos-
ton and to Winnipeg. Two or three fami-
lies remained in Toronto, intending to set
tie in Northern Minnesota, they having
been decoyed by American railroad PAM
phlets, but all the rest resolved to come
to Manitoba. They are now scattered
about the city, living with their friends
and relatives, and none Of them are sorry
that they left their native country. They
are greatly surprised at the progress made
by the Icelanders in Winnipeg, and are
looking forward to the time when they,
TOO, shall have comfortable Manitoba
homes.
The people in Iceland are very poor; in
fact, their poverty as a class is really sur
prising. Times have been hard there for
years, and the immigrants are delighted
to think they have at last reached cOun-
try where by honest toll and frugality
they will have an opportunity to provide
a home for their families. In Iceland they
did very little farming, even in the south
ern part, the land being almost worthless
for agricultural purposes. The people en-
gage principally in the raising of horses
and cattle, exporting them to England
and Scotland. Here they will go into
farming, the great majority of them i'll
tending to take up land at the Icelandic
settlement at Lake Winnipeg, where
there are already several hundred thrifty
settlers. A few of them having friends at
the settlement in Southern Manitoba will
take up their residence there, also enter
ing agricultural pursuits. Mr.. Biarna-
son has no fears as to their success in this
They will pick up the Ian
guage, he says, in the course of a very |
few months, and will then overcome the |
many difficulties and disadvantages of |
speaking a foreign tongue. Icelanders,
he says, learn the English language much |
more quickly than Swedes or Norwe- |
gians, or, in fact, than any immigrants
from foreign lands. He can give no rea-
son for this, but it is the fact. They will |
remain in the CITY with their friends dur- /
ing the summer, as it would be useless |
for them to go to their land now. In the |
fall, however, they will begin life as
Manitoba farmers. In the city at present |
It is estimated there are nearly 500 Ice
Ianders, a much larger number than
when the minister organized his congre-
cation here three years ago.