News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1890-08-07
Press Comments on Swedish

FFSSS comments on Swedish
COLONIES.
As presently situated the poor peo-
pie will be obliged to support them
selves and to obtain their income from
the moving lands and cultivated
flelds, as the pasturage is unused for
lack OF stock. 1t will be seen that
these people are made to begin to
climb at the lower round of the ladder
absolutely, and if they can succeed
what shall be said of the prospects of
the average Vermont farmer st. Al
bans Messenger.
Two decades ago a colony of Swedes
was established in Maine through the
agency of Mr.. Thomas, now United
States Minister to Sweden. The col
ohy, which chose for itself the name
OF New Sweden, celebrated last week
the twentieth anniversary of it's foun-
dation, one feature of the celebration
being the reading of long letter from
Minister Thomas conveying his best
wishes to his former prOteges. By a
noteworthy coincidence at the time
| this celebration was in progress a
visit was being paid by Governor
Dillingham; of Vermont, and other
State officials to the recently estab-
lished Swedish colonies on the hill
sides of the Green Mountain State.
The officials inspection was satisfac-
tory, the Swedes being found content
ed, prospecting as we'll as could be
expected. 1t is interesting to note
that the importation of these Swedish
settlers has directed the attention OF
! some Velmonters to the possibilities
of their own State, and led them to
purchase certain of the abandoned
farms about which there has been so
much talk.-N Y. Tribune.
The first few months of such an ex-
pertinent as that attending the locat-
ing of Swedish settlers on some of the
abandoned farms of Vermont usually
affords a pretty segexs test of the grit
of the colonists and of the wisdom of
the colonizing policy If such an ex-
pertinent is to fail, it is pretty sure to
do so before the colonists have had
an opportunity to gather their first
crop and to get accustomed to their
strange surroundings. 1t is crafty
ing to note, therefore, that Governor
| Dillingham; and Commissioner Valen-
tine, who have just paid a personal
visit to several of the Swedish colo
MES. find the settlers prosperous and
contented with their lot, and with
satisfactory outlook for the future.
! The coming of these Scandinavian
immigrants has benefited the State.
not only by bringing in this new and
reliable element in the population,
but also by attracting public notice
to the fact that good farms could be
had in Vermont, with churches and
schools and plenty of neighbors all
around them, at prices not much
above those asked for unbroken land
amid the solitude of the Western
prairies. AS a consequence, some of
the deserted Vermont farms are being
re-peopled by native settlers from
other States-suggesting that the
real trouble with Vermont all this
while has been that it did not take
sufficient pains to advertise it's mani
fold natural neutrality-suspicious.
Journal
In response to several inquiries
from correspondents asking how the
Swedes are doing, we will say: They
are doing finely, They speak in the
highest terms of the land here and
are impressing their neighbors and
all visitors by their thrift and indus
try. They have lots of push and
nothing discourages them. If they
want or need tools and do not feel
like buying them they go to work and
make them. Some their home made
tools are rude but they answer the
purpose and save expense of buying
Our people have taken an interest in
them a good deal in different ways
like furnishing them work when they
do not need to work on their farms.
Some of them are now earning 81 to
S1.25 per day at work out, and their
employers report them good and
faithful workers. Some of them have
sent to Sweden for their families to
come here and it Is expected that Il
few more will arrive in a few weeks
Springfield Reporter
1t would be interesting to know just
what those Swedes cost the State per
head. They must have come high
And it must be intensely interesting
to those Swedes to have the Governor
of the State visiting them one day
and the Governor elect the next
They will likely get the impression
that the State is inhabited chiefly by
Governors and Commissioner Valen-
tine, Suppose they take thirty or
forty native Vermont farmer boys
and put them on some of those aban-
doned farms and give them a show
instead of letting them drift to the
cities as they are now doing. Would
not the experiment be worth trying?
st. Adams Sentry.