Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-03-10
s"EOEv AND THE swErn.


ISL 20 LII
"e nan than that which filled its aoo,
ana galleries last evening when HI, w ~,
homas, Dr., of Portland, delivered hi. mel.
ieetare entitled ''Swedsn and tho
cues In the audience were mauv of n.
"''S' prominent gentlemen in the civ I'll
VIZ were well repaid for their attendance. NJ,
=, "onas iectured under the auspices Of rho
l NJ. Y. Association of Augusta. and xo.S
generously devoted the entire nrocooa. =,
the organization. From 7 80 to o,c,ock d.,
orchestra rendered delicious conce,,
Gnu a' the latter hour Hon. James W. Rad.
oory introduced the speaker in a very b.nn
manner. ""ppy
Mr. Ihomas occupied one hour and half
Al the delivery of his lecture, and a. tho ,;,,.
'nuicates' 1t was about the Swedes; and he
gave highly entertaining and instructive or.
count OF their customs, country, government
anu great men, and was frequently and hear.
lily applauded. Probably no native Amar;.
can mas been so intimately connected with
sweden as Mr.. Thomas. He was oon,r, -
that country in 1926, under Lincoln: also
minister IN 1885 He speaks the Swedish
language as his own and has translated Sved.
lsh literature into the English LANGUAGE NJ
lhomas was the founder Of New Sweden in
the forests of Maine. which now numhe-.
iooo contented and thriving inhabitants. The
lecturers manner and bearing were imnras.
slve as well as pleasing; his words eloquent.
Following is an abstract of the lecture:
In the extreme north of Europe lies a
most interesting countryside Peninsula of
1t lies in somewhat remote
and isolate position, Its eastern COAT !.
washed by the Baltic and the Gulf of Both
MA 10 the west the pillows of the North
Sea and the Atlantic beat upon its rocky cliff,
while northward its rugged headlands break
the onset of the Polar Sea. True, Scandi-
navla Is Joined to the mainland 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 a great island
i'll the northern waters. But the Northland
Is not only isolated by the ocean; Its high
northern latitude also renders it remote. II
lies far north of our own northern State of
Maine.
The extreme southern point of Scandinavia
10 more than 700 miles north of the parallel
OF your good city of Augusta, and its north
cape iuts out to within 10 degrees of the
North Pole. The Scandinavian peninsula
contains nearly 10000 square miles of terri
tory, and in size is the largest country of
Europe, Russia alone excepted.
The lofty barren west coast of Scandina-
IA hn In md IL
east, Sweden. These two sister Kingdoms
form the Scandinavian peninsula They lie
side by side, running north and south togeth-
or, Sweden being the larger of the two and
occupying about three fifths of the territsry.
So lies the most northern civilized countries
of our globe.
1t is only in the south of Sweden that one
finds level plains and broad open expan.e
of good farming land. The great central por-
ton of Sweden is q broken country of hill
and dale, interspersed with numerous rivers
and lakes, and covered for the most part with
a great black forest, where roams the elk, and
prowls the bear. t. the north the country
rises into vast elevate 1 table-land or field,
treeless, rocky and blrren, covered with snow
clogged with glaciers, swept by the storm ,un-
inhabitable save by scattered bands of Lapp
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 graphic account of =
journey through Sweden, portraying in vivid
colors the bold, rocky scenery of the North
land, the May pole on the village green,
about which the peasants, in their bright cos
tunes dance and sing. through the short, lu'
minous night of midsummer, the village mar
ket with its quaint sights, and bridal pro-
cession marching along the rose embowered
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 ground up and mixed
" it'll the rye flour that makes the Norsman's
bread
No race on the globe is more kind, courte-
Gus and hospitable than the Swedes. You
are warmly welcomed to their homes and fire.
sides, and made to forget that you are q
s.stranger in a strange land" The Swedes
religiously observe all their holidays, but
their greatest festival is Christmas. Then
every family enjoys 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
Dough.
The speaker gave glowing recital of the
great names which adorn the annals of Swed-
ish history. He spoke Of Gustavus Vasa, the
of Sweden; of Gustavus Adolf
phus, the lion of the North-the hero of the
thirty years war; of Charles XII, the mad
man of Europe. who, a STRIPPING of ~. with
/. little band of 5000 Swedes, on chill No
vember morning, conquered and captured
40. 900 Russians, behind entertainments at
Narva.
The present monarch, Oscar III, the chris
tian gentleman, occupies worthy place
among the great and good kings of the North
land.
Mr.. Thomas made mention of hosts OF great
names in Swedish history, commenting espec-
ially upon Swedenborg, Linn8us, and Der.
zelius. 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.