Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-08-18
H9ppy lcelamd.

WHERE TIE DOORS ARE NEVER LOCKED AND THKRR
n NO MED OF HOTELS.
There b . nation In existence that has preserved
its identity for more than thousand years whose
leading families claim an ancestry 50 remote that
IL Is almost NEUROLOGICAL and whose ninety thous-
sand people live under but forty-three articles
that form their whole Jurisprudence. It's history
records but two thieves; crime is almost unknown,
and armies ana policemen are never seen. seven
out OF ten OF the educated class speak. read and
write the Latin Language nuently, and greater
proportion the English language. These people
claim 70 be the freest on earth In doing Just as
os M
and provide ample hospitality for all visitors In
their homes They glory in the possession OF the
amslrZ mankind to-day, and claim the richest
traditions OF modern nations They live where
there are days In the year OF total dark
ness and like number OF perpetual sunlight
That nation Is on this earth, too, and inhaots the
island OF Iceland.
stads holder, a gentleman OF refinement, who was
highly educated in Sweden, and has Travelled ex-
tenstvely and has come TO this country TO practice
talk recently he presented the above striking facts
concerning his native land The DOCTOR speaks
English auently, having remained In the country
twenty-three months when he first came here In
1874 as commissioner to select the lands 10 Dakota
and joining British Columbia territory, upon
s1s % SIX anp
ing very soon. DR.. Won Dolcke recently returned
70 America from Denmark, and Is located at Grand
kapids. Mich, temporarily, but Is prospecting In
"a popular ignorance Of Iceland prevails" the
doctor said. sowing, think, largely TO the mis-
southern portion from May until october, when zen
aa snsep % %n'e ss
mas attracted travellers TO Iceland lately. good
line OF steamers sail from Copenhagen fortnightly.
The country Is under the protection OF Denmark,
but there the connection ends There are nine
provinces ca ID OF which elect twelve OF the Oldest
ana wisest 0f It's men 70 perform duties some
what analogous to q state legislature here.
There Is also a national gathering similar TO the
House oil Representatives and u body like the Sen
governing and no iaw.msSina to do. Each man
governs himself upon the broadest principles OF
personal liberty in everything: The Icelanders are
descended from the old Morse Vikings the free born
families tracing their lineage to Harold ana his
men, who, their ncn Morse mythology says, landed
IN 6la Your history makes 1t In the eighth CEN
Jury. The land Ii owned by few, and those who
work the estates are serfs, who pay rental. Trav-
elng Is by pony or deer, and 10 the mountains OF
northern Iceland mans foot has never trod. The
Icelandlc pony will take You as far as IL Is safe for
you 10 go. The city OF Redjav1c has about IL, 600
peopis, the greater portion OF the people living
upon the estates. There Is splendid hunting and
fishing, the wild game, similar TO the northern
part OF this country being nearly all white. Polar
bears that come down with the icebergs furnish
1.-THE Icelander is very proud Of his pure and
courageous Norman blood. You know that the
French, English and German arlSJocracy, II pos
sible, Will claim even trace OF Norman olo0d and
there is people that have nothing else.
II never heard OF but two cases OF thieving. One
was an lcelander who had broken his arm and
whose family In the winter were suffering for food.
He stole several sheep ana was nnally detected.
He Was at once put under medical care Tor his
injury, provisions were furnished his family, and
In time he was given work. That was his punish
ment. The other case was German who sole
seventeen sheep. He was In comfortable circum-
stances and the theft was malicious. His punish
ment was to sell all his property, restore the value
OF his thefts and leave the country or be executed
He left at once"
Disputes and trades are settled by arbitration,
the doctor says and the decision must be accepted
by all concerned. Public disgrace attaches 10 any
slight misdeed, and no one can live there and un-
derg0 the consequent modification. Besides agri-
culture, which produces barley, rye, and vegeta-
bes the great industry is sheep-raising. The ex-
ports are largely eiderdown, picked from wild
pumce stone, and sulphur, which Is found In simi-
"Vtneland Is the name OF America used by all
the people except the few who were educated
abroad" continued the doctor. at is the old
Morse name. No people In the world are esteemed
by Icelanders so highly as Americans, ana this is
why: The IcelanderS know that their blood is
purer than any or the European nations, where
every man Is generally lord or peasant, as he
Is born. But In America every 10y and girl Is born
prince or princess. The Icelander loves his own
personal freedom and princely birth. He thinks
That the man who has won both by the possession
OF political conditions for which he fought Is his
equal"