Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-02-03
OLE BULBS DREAM.
Downfall of his Norwegian Colony In
Pennsylvania.
From The ge,D York Telegram.

wanna, lar rom CIVILIZATION, are INC uAuo
of three small villages. Thirty years ago
these were thriving settlements, founded
aud governed by the famous violinist, Ole
Bull. When Ole Bull conceived the idea
of starting Norwegian colony in these
mountain Businesses, he purchased a tract
Of land 40 miles square and brought over
five or six hundEed of his cOuntrymen TO
TO make a settlement in this wild region,
which is not unlike Norway, with It's
rocky sleeps, fertile valleys and evergreen
foliage. The houses built by the settlers
have many of them tumbled down, the
farms have become oYergrown with SCRUB
oaks and bushes and the inhabitants have
sought homes elsewhere, many OF them
returning to the Fatherland, which they
had left only to find cruel disappointment
and blighted hopes IN the New World, or
which they had heard and read 50 much.
The houses we're built IN an odd, foreign
sort of style, with windows and porches
of the most unaccountable shapes in the
most unexpected places. Many OF them
are sort Of cross between SWISS chalet
and an Indian bungalow, and visitor
can easily make himself believe he ia any
where except in America. The steep
roofs and narrow, high pOrches are like
those OF the houses the cOlOnists left be-
hind ia Norway and would look still more
strange were there any dwellings Of the
American style OF architecture with
which to contrast them.
NEW BERGEN.
Leaving Condersport in an old-fashioned
blackboard wagon, New Bergen is the first
settlement reached. The post office. which
Is the principal building, is a small one
and-a-haif1tOry structure, which 10 used
for hotel, court house, hospital or auc-
ton hall, as necessity demands. The
village, If village it may be called, was
originally located in the little
valley now occupied by the
post Office alone; but it was soon
moved to the hill near by, probably to es-
cape the spring floods which every year
pour through the little valley, making a
clean sweep. Half dozen or more crazy
looking, tumble-dOWn dwelling houses are
scattered on the steep hill side, and, with
their basement stories and high pOrches,
they look like group of children's block
houses which gust of wind might over
throw.
THE VILLAGE OF OLEONA.
A short distance from New Bergen is
Ole0na, which was tohaVe been the CAPT
tai of the new territory that Ole Bull in
tended 10 govern, and near which his
residence, known as the castle, was built.
The village misplaced on a small plateau.
A fair-slzed steam, fed by mountain
springs, always furnished an abundance
by hills, the plateau on which the village
stood is large enough for gOOd-sized
town. But the iowa was never built, and
evensthe little village could not hold its
own after its founder and patron
neglected it. Gradually it was deserted.
the tenants moving away one after an
other, until now there Is-little left except
threeOr four houses, the hotel and one
store.
AQUERR HOTEL.
iFhe hotel is kept by pleasant, intelli-
gent and thrifty-lOOking Norwegian, who
saysit was built by ole Bull. who at one
time had2a music han attached to il, where
he treated the settlers 20 such music as
he neverRaVe elsewhere. The hall has
been torn down for hrewOOd, and the adj
mirers OF the great musician, whose
strains Of melody seem to nave been vast
ed in a spot like this, can only see the
foundations aud wish It had been spared
as a relic. The he'd is a rambling, two
story frame building, with small rooms. !
1t was either built one room at a time or
else without any definite plan, as il is re-
markable for its careless arrangement.
The windows are of all sizes, the doors Of
all widths sEd the ceilings vary in height
from 7 10 10 feet; but there is, after all, a
touch OF originality about it that com
mands respect.
ONE SUCCESSFUL MAN.
Not far from the hotel, between the store
and the stneascs is the home OF wealthy
Norwegian, who came TO this country to
stay. He settled among the lumbermen,
after the dscontented grumblers had gone
away, and has succeeded in making his
fortune In wilderness where many men
could not live six months. He is the
owner Ofthe Village store, which is filed
with an attractive stock of cheap goods,
such as lumbermen and spOrtsmen are
likely to need. His home Is pleasant and
tidy, and everything about his place tells |
of thrift and enterprise. He does not be-
lieye the story that was told by certain
patriotic NOEsemen TO the effect that fraud
was practiced upon Ole Bull when he
bought the lands in Potter county, where
by an imperfect title was given. This. the
StoFekeeper says, is a "eeck and bull
story" The facts are that ole Bull tend
cred In payment Tor the property certain
drafts upon bankers who either failed in 4
business or would not honor the drafts,
and for this reason the owners of the land /
took back their property. This is not the
usual version OF the story OF the failure
of the colony. One thing is certain, as.
The records OF Potter county show. The
settlers did not get good titles to their
property, and this led eventually TO the
disbandment, but whether IL was the fault
of ole Bull or OF some other person re-
1nains an unsettled question.
DESERTED VILLAGE.
Two miles below Oleona, after a drive
up over the COO, green mountains, through
wooded parks, wheFethe pheasant drums
amid tangles of alder, clematis and
Eumac, we.reach New Norway. the last OF
the three settlements. From here OleBulPs |
castle eau be seen, on an eminence mid /
way between 0ieORa and New Norway.
From his castle windows the mild ruler
of this little realm could see his men at
work in the valley below. If we except !
one small house, il is safe to say that
New NOrwayis entirely gone, with moth
Sng left behind but here and thers the
moss-grown stone foundation Of an Old
house, long since rOtted away. The VII
1age and the villagers have gone, but /
even now looking at the level, grass-coy- 4
cred plain, one can, imagine that IL was a
pretty place, with green lawns aud fine I
yards, for the.ground is rich and moist |
bearing luxuriant grass, even in the dry
gst weather.
OLE BULLS CASTLE.
A crooked road leading TO the ruins OF
the castle leaves the main highway near
Now Norway and runs by an easy grade
20 the summit Of the mountain. From
here the view IL grand and IL is no won
der ole Bull was fond Of his retreat. The
castle was a peculiarly shaped house,