The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1888-03-21

tire Population OF .J,ooU HeODIe &c
Manitoba--The Land and People.
(From the Philadelphia Call)
In the western part of Pembina coun.
ty, D. T., but a few miles from the
Canadian boundary, lie three townships
settled entirely by Icelanders, most OF
whom lived a short time in Manitoba
before crossing into the United States.
Near Sioux Falls, in the same territory,
are few Icelanders; there is another
settlement in Iowa, and still another in
Wisconsin, while in Manitoba the -four
ishing settlements OF Chill, Thingvalls
and New Iceland contain several thou
sand of the same people. All these set
Elements, in both countries, have much
the same history, and illustrate the pain
full fact that for the third time in its
history Iceland is threatened with de-
population. For the third time the
climate Of that strangely Interesting
island is changing for the worse; and
this time the change is so prolonged that
scheme is projected IN the Canadian
northwest to bring all the remaining
$4,000 in Iceland to the new world.
The extinction of such people would
be calamity to the sentimental, and we
may well refuse to believe it possible;
for no doubt remnant VIII remain, viii
find life much more tolerable when The
surplus population is removed, and,
when nature again becomes genial, will
thoroughly re-people the old land.
Iceland is the most Interesting island
in the world. About as large as Ohio, it
contains as many volcanoes as this con-
tinent; and with population never as
large as a Congressional district, 1t
has produced more poets and ro-
nance writer's than any State, and
has history as fascinating as
that of any nation. When all Europe
was sunk in the barbarism that
followed the Northmen's destruction Of
Rome, Irish priests and scholars found
religious community in Ireland; and
when civilization had revived In only a
few Mediterranean provinces, and that
but feebly, Iceland was in its golden age
of poets, preachers and scholars. There
is good evidence that Columbus OBJ
tanned his first ideas of the western
world in Iceland, and there is undoubted
history that people of that race dlscov-
cred America long before the Spanlards.
Once In its LOLA years of authentic his
tory blight fell on Iceland, its popula-
ton sank to minimum, and for 200
years it had neither scholars nor histo-
rians; at another time the cold increased
for term Of years and threatened gen
eral destruction, and now the same phe-
nomenon is being repeated, with the
additional evil that the ice flow from
Greenland comes later in the season and
has formed permanent mass against
ttae north side Of the island.
No class of foreigners become Ameri-
canized so rapidly and easily as the
Scandinayians. This is true Of the
SWe5es, Danes, Norwegians, and pre-
eminently true of the Icelanders. Those
in Manitoba are enthusiastic for the con-
federation, and liberal supporters OF all
English Canadian schemes Of progress;
they have several newspapers In their
own language, and maintain good
schools and churches. In the three
Icelandic townships IN Dakota are some
600 voters, and the high standard Of IN
telhgence is remarkable. In the church
library in the little village of Mountain
Containing less than fifty houses) are
several hundred volumes IN English,
French, German, Norwegian. Icelandic,
Greek and Latin, and the resident
preacher Gutheran) is a most accom-
plished scholar, both in the classic and
modern languages. There is no country
in the world, probably, where educationis is
so universal as in Iceland; the morals Of
the people are good, save the one vice OF
the Scandinavians. We may Judge the
extent of that from clause in the latest
trade report to the effect that the import
of brandy has ssdeciDed to twenty-four
quarts per capital If the $4,000 people
IN Iceland must leave there (Which I'll
scholars will pray will not be) Manitoba
could not get better settlers, and should
they follow their hnsmen into the
United States, they Will add valuable
element to the much composite Yankee.
Naddodr, Norwegian viking, dscov-
cred Iceland IN $50, and four years later
Garthar Svafarrson sailed around it.
Ten years later Norwegians colonized it,
but soon found that Irish Christians had
located there at least $50 years before.
Their record adds that the remaining
Irish left .when the Morse pagans
came The Norwegian settlers were
disafected citizens, unwilling to submit
to new form of government just estab-
Ished In Norway and In 92S they made
Iceland republic; but 354 years after
ward they renewed allegiance to Haco,
King of Norway, Iceland retaining her
separate legislature. In 1887 Norway
and Denmark were united, and when
again divided Iceland fell to Denmark,
to which it is still attached. In 1874 the
Icelanders celebrated the l000th ami
yerssry OF settlement, which attracted
visitors from all parts Of the world. The
first era of cold and famine is but im-
perfectly reported, but about 1850 a
series of calamities began, including
volcanic eruptions. Nearly all the do
nestle animals died, and the population
shrunk to $4,000. Prosperity returned,
and the population soon exceeded l00,-
900. Now it has shrunk to $4,000, not
by famine this time, but by emigration.
The climate is remarkable. Though
the Arctic circle touches on the north,
the average winter, in the valleys, IS
milder than that of Ohio, while the sum-
mer temperature very rarely reaches 60