The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-02-11
SWEDEN AND THE swEDEs.
Lecture by Hon. w. w. Thomas, Jr.l
at City Hall.


During the course Of his illustrious servi-
ces to the government as Minister TO Norway
and Sweden, Hon. W. W. Thomas. Jr., was
brought into personal contact with all classes
of the people of that country and acquired
an intimate knowledge OF their character
and habits, and of the land in winch they
live. Upon the earnest invitation OF the
members of the Lutheran Church, MT.
Thomas consented to deliver lecture upon
Sweden and the Swedes, in aid OF that
church, and City Hall was crowded last
evening with an audience composed OF many
of the best people of Portland who listened
with pleasure to the eX-minister's graphic
and eloquent descriptions of the Swedes and
their country.
Previous to the lecture, Chandeliers orches-
fra gave a concert, the programme being
rendered with the accustomed skill for
which the orchestra is noted. The speakers
desk was draped with the flags of Norway
and Sweden and the United States.
As Mr.. Thomas assembled the platform,
accompanied by Rev. George Rygh, pastor of
the Lutheran church, he was greeted with
applause which was frequently renewed dur
ing and at the close of his remarks. In in
Producing the lecturer, Mr.. Rygh said that it
was hardly necessary to introduce Mr..
Thomas to Portland audience Although
an American, he is regarded as fellow
countryman by the Scandinavians, and it
gave him pleasure to introduce that Scandi-
nayian-American, Hon. W. w. Thomas, Jr
Mr.. Thomas then delivered his lecture, of
which the following is an abstract, retaining
his hearers closest attention until the close :
In the extreme North of Europe lies a
most interesting Countrywide Peninsula of
Scandinavia. 1t lies in a somewhat remote
and isolated position Its eastern coast ls
washed by. the Baltic and the Gulf of
Bothnia. To the west the pillows of the
North Sea and the Atlantic beat upon its
rocky cliffs, while northward its rugged
headlands break the onset of the Polar Sea-
True! Scandinavia is joined to the main
land of Europe by Arctic Finland, but no
civilized man ever thinks of travelling by
that route
Everybody approaches Scandinavia by
sea, and practically this country is great
island in the northern waters. But the
north land is not only Isolated by the ocean,
its high northern latitude also renders it
remote. 1t lies far north of our own northern
State of Maine.
The extreme southern point of Scandinavia
is 800 miles north of the parallel of our good
city of Portland, and its north cape jutS out
to within 10 degrees Of the North Pole. The
Scandinavian peninsula contains nearly
100000 square miles of territory, and in size
is the largest country of Europe, Russia
alone excepted.
The lofty barren west coast of Scandinavia
is Norway. The lower and more fertile east,
Sweden These two sister kingdoms form
the Scandinavian peninsula. They lie side
by side, running north and south together,
Sweden being the larger of the two and occu-
plying about three-ffths of the territory. So
lie the most northern civilized countries Of
our globe.
1t is only in the South of Sweden that one
finds level plains and broad open eXpanse
of good farming land The great central
portion of Sweden is broken country of hill
and dale lnterSpersed with numerous rivers
and lakes, and covered for the most part
with great black forest, where roams the
elk, and prOwls the bear. To the north the
country rises into vast elevated tablc-land
or field, treeles, rocky and barren, covered
with snow, clogged with glaciers, swept by
the storm, uninhabitable save by scattered
bands of Lapp savages, who, with their
herds of reindeer roam these dreary wastes.
In travelling in Scandinavia the fact that
you are in the high north is ever present
with you. The snow covered fields, the chill
that comes over you whenever you step into
the shade, the sun running low by day and
the North Star twinkling almost over
your head by night, all speak to you Of the
far north.
The speaker gave a graphic account of a
journey through Sweden, portraying in vivid
colOrs the bold rocky scenery of the North
land, May poles on the village green, about
which the peasants, in their bright costumes,
dance and sing, through the short luminous
night of midsummer, the village market
with its quaint sights, and bridal process
sion marching along the rose uncovered
highway to the village church.
Rye, oats and barley are the principal
crops though in hard seasons straw and the
inner bark of trees are sometimes ground up
and mixed with the rye flour, that makes
the Norseman'S bread.
No race on the globe is more kind, courte-
Gus and hospitable than the Swedish. You
are warmly welcomed to their homes and
fresides and made to forget that you are a
stranger in strange land" The Swedes
religieusly observe all their holidays but
their greatest festival is Christmas. Then
every family enjoys a pleasant feast and the
games of Yule-tide, and in every house in the
kingdom stands the Christmas tree, with
ribbons fiuttering from its branches, and
wax tapers burning brightly from the tip of
every bough.
The speaker gave a glowing recital of
the great names which adOrn the annals of
Swedish history. He spoke of Gustayus
Vasa, the Washington of Sweden: of Gus
tavus Adolphus, the lion of the North, the
hero of the thirty years war; of Charles
XII. the mailman of Europe, who, a strip
ling of 10, with little band of 5000 SWedes,
on chill November morning, conquered
and captured 10000 Russians, behind en-
trenchments at Narva.
The present monarch, Oscar IL. the Chris
tan gentleman, occupies worthy place
among the great and good kings Of the
Northland.
Mr.. Thomas made mention of hosts of
great names in Swedish history, comment
ing especially upon Swedenborg, Linn@us
and Berzelius, and closed with brilliant
recital of the brave and gallant deeds
Sweden and the Swedes have done for the
welfare and honor of our own beloved
country, America