The Portland daily press., 1885-12-18
NEW SWEDEN.
Visit of Minister Thomas to the
Colony of His Founding.
The Colony Making Rapid and SUBJ
stantiai Progress.
(Aroostook Republican, }

kAIooStOok htpuDucdn.J
Hon. w. w. Thomas, Jr., late y. s. Minister to
Norway and Sweden, arrived in Caribou last
Saturday afternoon, on his return from a business
trip into Canada and the upper part of this coun-
ty. He spent the night at the Vaughan House,
and Sunday morning, accompanied by few
friends, went to New Sweden where he spent the
day and addressed the people of that fourishing
colony of which he was the founder and has ever
been the patron and friend. In the forenoon he
spoke az the Lutheran church which was well
filed with an eager audience that had assembled
in anticipation of his visit. 1t was an affecting
sight to witness the glad welcome of the people as
they gathered about him and spoke words of well
come and friendly greeting The meeting was
presided over by Mr.. L. Stenstrom, who made an
address of welcome, after which the choir led by
Mrs. Stenstrom sang the Hymn Fear not little
flock" This grand old war song was composed
by the great Swedish king Gustavus Adolphus,
and sung by the Swedish army the night before
the battle and victory of Lutzen in which Gustavus
Adolphus fell s. w. Matthews, Esq, was then
introduced and addressed the audience briefly.
after which Mr.. Thomas spoke over an hour in
the Swedish language. The alterations of feel
ing manifested by his hearers, now breaking out
into laughter aud now with eyes suffused with
tears showed how they felt and appreciated his
audience, and who can wonder when we consider
the relations which have existed between the
speaker AN ana ms hesrers Mt nhomas .t eaed the
our Swedish cOlOnistS long ago gave themselves
and by which they liked to be called. He brought
to them greetings from old Sweden, their father
land and from many friends in the land of their
birth.
Mr.. Thomas gave them an account of his ex-
perience in Sweden which was listened 10 with
rapt attention, frequently interrupted by ap-
pauSe. His remarks on the commerce between
Sweden and the United States were interesting
and instructive. Sweden imports from our coun-
try, pork to the value of over $2,000,0 900 a year.
an equal amount Of maize, and petroleum, leather,
grain, flour, agricultural implements, canned
goods and yankee notions to some $4,000 900
more; making in all goods to the value Of SIS, ,00O-
900 which Sweden imports every ysar from the
United States. strong movement was made in
the Swedish Diet last winter to place duties on
these imports, but after a keen and exciting con-
test Sweden voted to keep all her harbors open
TO the free import of the food products of Ameri-
ca. This is all the more noteworthy because a
short time before, France Germany and several
Of the other nations of Europe had placed high
and in some cases prohibitiYe duties upon the
products of American soil.
At the close of the meeting the congregation
crowded about Mr.. Thomas like children around
long absent and loved father, and It was only af-
ter every person present had had an opportunity
to press his hand and say, welcome" and GOD
Mr.. Thomas and friends accepted the invitation Of
Capt. N. L. Case to dinner, where they were en-
tertained sumptuously, and had an opportunity to
witness some of the domestic customs of an intel
ligent and refined Swedish family. Before tire
meal, the youngest member of the family, beau
dinner good enough for king was then served
after which, according to nvariable custom in the
fatherland, toasts were drank, in this case sin
cotee,'' to the health of host and hostess and on
rising from the table each guest took both host
and hostess by the hand land thanked them for
thelgood dinner they had enjoyed, another good
old Swedish custom: Mr.. Thomas then proceeded
to the Baptist church, where a crowd had gather
ed and had been impatiently waiting for several
hours.
As Mr.. Thomas entered the church, the whole
audience arose, and hymn of welcome was sung
by the choir. This church was packed to over
aisles and rear were crowded BY a compact mass
cises.
marks when Nils Olson, gray-haired veteran,
one OF the original colonists, delivered an address
of welcome.
Mr.. Matthews was then called upon and spoke
of the good opinion in which the Swedes were
held in ArOOStOOk as citizens and neighborS. He
congratulated Mr. Thomas on the results of his
laborS i'll the Maine forests, which would ever be
to him "a monument more enduring than Brass
Mr.: Matthew's remarks were received with much
satisfaction. Then after hymn the pastor said
his flock would hear from one who needed no in-
PRODUCTION to them.
Mr.. Thomas was received with rounds of ap-
the present condition of Sweden, its growth in
stitutions and progress, and although he gave
full need of praise to the fatherland, he showed
the cOlOnists how much happier their lot was OH
the virgin soil of the woodlands of Maine. He re-
counted to them the scenes OF fifteen years ago
when in company with the first little colony of SO
Swedes, they had sailed over the ocean, toiled up
the river st. SOhn, and forced their way into the
primeval forest. This he viyidly contrasted with
ey are
buildings, good roads, mills, stores, schoolhOuses
and the church with spire pointing heavenward.
After the remarks OF Mr.. Thomas, of which the
above is very brief condensed translation, the
pastor, Rev. Mr.. Englund, said he wished in be-
half of the Swedes to give an account of their
stewardship OF late years. He stated that there
were in the colony two churches, -four Sabbath
schools, and six day schools in active operation;
that the coloniSts were universally happy and
c0ntented, and that no one of them could be III
duced to leave the good State of Maine and cast
in his lot elsewhere. He then called upon all in
for his VISIT to manifest it by rising, whereupon
the audience arose en- D1dSse. The Swedes then,
as they had done at the Lutheran church, pressed
forward, and filing from left to right took MIR.
Thomas warmly by the hand.
The day in New Sweden i'll company with the
founder Of the colony, was full of interest We
could realize somewhat the feelings of Mr.. Thomas
on returning from Old Swedeps where he had
represented so ably a nation OF 5h millions of
freemen, to this little colony OF 1000 SwedeS
Maine and we shared in the feelings of pleasure
he felt and expressed on beholding the growth
and manifest prosperity of the colony during the
years of his absence, We will only add that
Maine should be proud Of the success of the col
ony and of the scheme which it encouraged and
fostered 10 populate the wilds of Maine with the
hardy, Industrious and honest Northmen. IT, as
Mr.. Thomas predicts, large additions from
Sweden will soon be made to the numbers OF this
desirable class of emgrants,i the scheme"
which was SO long considered of questionable
utility, but which has now passed the bounds of
adverse criticism will finally prove that its orig