Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1890-08-01
EngIiuh COIORisIs in Maine and in
Vermont.


At the same time with the recent visits
of Commissioner Valentine, Gov Dllllng-
ham and Governor to-be Page to the eX-
detrimental Swedish colonies recently es
tabished in Vermont, an interesting event
took place in connection with the we'll
known Swedish colony in Maine This was
the celebration of the twentieth anniver-
sarv of the founding of that colony in the
woods of northern Maine. public meet
ing was held speeches were made by prom
inent citizens, and in the evening con
cert was given An interesting part OF
the exercises was the reading of letter
from Hon W. " Thomas, jr., who, act
ing as commissioner for the state of Maine
brought over the Original colony, and who
is now the minister from the United States
to Sweden This letter recalls how, TWEEN
ty wears ago, the little band of 81 men,
women and children sailed away from their
fatherand, with the journey of 1000 miles
before them, to make themselves new
home in a wilderness in foreign land
They had not 81 much as 1.-THE scratch
of a pen, " the letter says, "by way of con
tract of obligation p their reliance was on
the honor and hospitality of the state of
Maine, and in their own courage and in
dustry The promised land was reached
near the end Of July Tin the depths of the
vast northern forest and the spot was
called New Sweden in memory of the past
aud as an augury Of the future,
From that hour the work of the colony
has gone on without haste and without rest.
''The little company of fifty, MIR. Viii
liams says, has grown To number a thou
sand. Where the dark forest stood wave
broad fields of grain Sleek cattle and
thick heeced sheep Craze in your pastures,
the busy hum of industry rises from the
mills along your water courses, free schools
open their doors for your children, on your
l-tops the church spire points heaven
ward with you are an open Bible and the
free worship Of God But how many blows
of the axe, how many drops of sweat 1t has
cost to turn each acre from forest to farm
land, only YOU and we who were with you
and witnessed your untirlng laborsr can
know. You have fought a good ight-a
hand 10 hand fight with nature. You have
conquered and it is right and fitting that
Won should celebrate the victory.
The success hewn out at New Sweden
has been notable one and it speaks well
for the pluck, perseverance, thrift and
other solid qualities of the Swedish peas
antry, such as make up the bulk of this
community, and such have now been
brought over 70 form the nucleus of a
movement To restore TO our Vermont hill
farms frugal industrious and enterpris
ing population. The impression gained on
the visits spoken of 10 the colonies IN VII
mington and Weston seem 10 have been all
good ones, aud they confirmed the private
reports previously heard of the intelligent
self-reliant way in which the immigrants
have gone 90 work and of the favor which
they have found among their neighbors
That the families taken 20 Vsrshire have
not remained there is not 20 be accepted a.
an unfavorable outcome of the colonization
movement From the first there was
doubt whether this location was favors-
bic one With the limited means possessed
by the colonists they needed a chance 20
work aud earn money at spare times out
side their farms while their first crop was
maturing this opportunity was lacking at
Vershire and the Swedes have gone on
their own account TO Norton Mills in Essex
county where they can find abundant work
at numbering while at the same time clear.
ing up the land and beginning life IN much
the same primitive way adopted by the
Maine colonists at New Sweden