The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-11-14
THE MIDNIGHT-SUN LAND.
A Trip to the Coast of Finland from the
Capital of Sweden.
Swedish Landscapes and Swedish Water
Ways-Habits and Customs of the In
habitants of Far Northern Europe.
Correspondents of the Indianapolis journal.

Correspondence of the Indianapolis Journal.
STOCKHOLM. Sweden, Oct. "a 1t was one of
those rare days in June, with twenty four hours
of daylight, that I entered myself on the pas
senger list of the steamship Novra Finland,
bound for the port Of Haaparanda. My trav-
cling companions were retired captain of the
British navy and a vessel owner from Newcastle,
the latter hard headed. practical and compan
ionabe Scotchman. I was induced to go by my
friend, the Captain as guide, philosopher and
interpreter, as neither the Scotch brogue nor the
English accent was of any value on visit
to a people that only spoke the Swed
ish languages; and limited as my
knowledge is of this pee ular and intricate dla
lect, it was sufficient to pilot US through that
strange tumble and intermixture Of voweis and
consonants one has to contend with in wrest-
ling with the Swedish tongue. 1t may be doubt
full If any of the journal readers have so far re-
tanned the early knowledge of geography as TO
be able to locate Haaparanda if. indeed, they
have ever heard of such place. but if they have
interest enough in this letter to take down the
map of Sweden. run their finger from Stockholm
along the eastern coast of Sweden up the Baltic
and Bay of Bothnia. they will find. at the utter
most extr ty of the latter near the dividing
lines hetwean Finland and Sweden, our
point Of destination. Haaparanda is
in latitude north GO and distance
from Stockholm about seven hundred English
miles The town itself has but little of interest
1t contains 1000 to l,5Co inhabitants The
houses are built entirely of wooden logs hewed
on two sides and put together after the fashion
rf ha Cf fha IF tho
West 1t is after the manner of all Swedish
towns of the north country. and while rather
prettily situated on the bluff, or hill about a
mile inland from the Bothnia, on the Torne-ef. it
is not place where one cares to linger very long
The architecture of. the Swedish towns are pain
fully monotonous, with their narrow streets,
laid out at right angles, wooden houses, painted
a bright vermllion from roof pole to foundation,
the SOBER cherries aspect OF the surroundings,
the absence of any commercial activity,
make them all of one characteristic
IL requires about eighty hours from Stock
holm to make the trip, including stops at FIVE in
termedate points of from one to three hours
each. The Swedish vessel owner understands
the needs and comforts of the traveller and there
is country in the world that surpasses this in
it's mode and convenience of water conveyance.
The vessels are thoroughly equipped, trim and
neat, and differed by careful and experienced
seamen. There is just enough variety in the
coast line with its innumerab'e granite islam DIS,
constantly rising out of the in the face of the
little vessel the rivers and fjords. with here and
there forests of pine, spruce and birch, with
their various emerald hued foliage, so intermixed
and woven to engage the traveller and relieve
him of the otherwise tiresomeness of a water
voyage In all this immense stretch of terri
tory sees but little of active life outside
of the villages. The entire surface of the coun-
try is barren desolate granite waste where
vegetation struggles with the elements and the
sparse soil for existence. with here aud there
an opening in some sheltered valley, where the
winds of winter are somewhat tempered. A lit
tie plot of cultivated land, and the red house of
the bonde. farmer peasant, are seen. Along
the water are found tie timber forests.
from which, In connection with the iron mines,
the entire wealth of the country is drawn. AT
Sundsval one of the most pcturesquely stu
ated towns in all Sweden, containing about 5000
Inhabitants the lumber trade constitutes the
sole business, there being eighty three saw-mlls
in and about the immediate neighborhood The
trees from which lumber is cut
rarely exceed twelve to fourteen inches
in diameter and are of a soft, brashy
nature. Lumber is exported largely to England,
France, Germany and the Australian colonies.
Sweden has long had forestry commission,
and only such trees as the commission permit
cut This prevents indiscrimnate and reck
prudent watchfulness, this very valuable. and
indeed only, aside from iron, native wealth of
the country The Swede is naturally econom-
ical. The sterile character of his country. its
poor return for his labor, his constant struggle
with poverty, has long since taught him the
necessity of rigid economy in his domestic life,
and being at the same time an inventive and
practical person, he permits nothing to go to
waste. All the offal that comes from
manufacturing the tree into lumber
is preserved and utilized-manufacture
into tar potash and wood alcohol
The northern Swede does not have the aspect of
joyous and happy disposition. He bears a
pinched and careworn look-his perpetual strug
gle for existence. the hard lines of his life salts
fed with its bare necessities, eight months in the
year snow and ice-bound in the rigors of an
artic winter, he In great contrast with his
more versatile and cosmopolitan countrymeu of
Stockholm and South Sweden. But he is an
honest, GOd-fearlng mantle lineal descendant
of those men who, with Gustave Vasa, estab-
lished government in Sweden and later car
ried the eagles of the north to the banks of the
Rhine under the great Adolph, and still
later. crossed the frozen Baltic with
Charles MI and destroyed the growing and
menacing Muscovlte power Simple in his ways,
curious and gueless as child. contented with
his lot hospitable, and in every way reliable heis
a sort of boundary line between the old and
civilization of northern Europe. This estimate
of the Swedish character must not be taken as
applicable to all sections of the kingdom, but as
compared with some other nationalites, the
Swede is pre-eminent in the characteristics of
honesty and politeness. The humblest bonde
will doff his hat to you and salute you in his
best manner. patiently answering all your in
quiries and neither maltreat nor rob you for his
Kindness The traveller is rare sight to him.
and he is pleased to have him visit his country,
and feels to some extent as his host. The world
to him is embraced in his northern home-bar-
rem. desolate. swept by the storms of winter; he
fulfls the mission of lfe-is born, labors and
dies.
Before the days of English and Norwegian
steamers the west coast of Norway to the
North Cape the route from Stockholm to
Haaparanda, the only one travelled by
those who desired to explore the Arctic region,
or look upon the midnight sum- For about ten
days in, June the sun never sets above latitude
GO, and from the middle of March to the mid
die of August, the twenty four hours constitut-
ing the day are as light as in Ordinary ATTITUDES
between the hours of in the morning and in