Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-11-10
AROOSTOOK---NO. 50.
Interesting History Of the
French in Maine.
Graphic lccount Of Madayaska, Van
Buren, and other Places in North
ern AEOoStOoh.
Tho AmeriCanized French as Citizens,
Business Men and NeishbOrS.
BY Hon. Edward wiggiu.

In the northern psrtof Aroostook county
Is large French population, q part of
whom are descendants of the old Acadian
refugees and large portion emigrauts from
Canada aud their descendants. These
people, though American citizens and con-
sttuting a portion of the permanent popula-
ton of the State. are, nevertheless, in many
respects distinct and separate community
and will remsin so to great degree for
msny years 10 The Scandinavian
colonists of Aroostook have been in the
county but twenty years and a stranger now
riding through New Sweden will see very
litile to remind him that the town was settled
by a foreign colony and another generation
will find this people wholly Ameriesnized
and merged into the general. homogeneous
mass of the population of this section. This
is accounted for from the fact thst the
Swedes are of kindred blood with US and,
in common with us, are members of the old
Anglo Saxon stock. When trsnsplanted to
our soil they soon adopt the manners and
customs, as they already have the religion,
of the American people among whom they
settle and by association and intermarriage
very shortly lose their distinctive eharac-
teristies and become wholly Ameri-
can. With the French il is entirely
different. They are not only of another
nationality and with language, manners,
customs and traditions different from ours
but they are of different race also. They
are Of the Latin race which is not readily
grated upon Anglo-SsSon stock and hence
they are not readily merged into the gen.
eral mass of the population of this region.
There are of course instances more or less
frequent of intermarriage between the
French and native Americans and in some
cases the distinctive characteristics seem in
great measure to disappear in the next
generation, but as rule the lines of race
are as distinctly marked amid the general
population of the county as are the lines
of the Gulf Stream in the midst of the
waters of the Atlantic. For many years
the French have been inhabitants of Cana.
da. but they are still a separate people and
| the
Angio-Ssxons
have not as yet been able to absorb them
into common nationality. The manners.
customs. traditions. dress and language of
the people along the ST. Lawrence are still
largely those of France, rather than of
England or America, ard such they viii
continue for many years. So when we
reach the banks of the beautiful Sc. John
| 10 the northern part of Aroostock county
We ear in r,spy places readily imagine cur
selves In foreign country. It is true 3
considerable change has taken place ia
the last ten years even, 10 regard to
| the conveysnces, the agricultural imple-
msnts and the methods of farming among
this PEOPLE and many American ideas and
customs have been accepted. Schools in
which the English language is taught and
the literature of our country introduced to
= certain extent are having t:aeir influence
and -cme idea Of the fact this. they are q
part Of the State CT Maine ard of the
| United States is heeinning to make i.sslf
manifest especially among the younger
portion of the population. Noswithstand-
ing this the oh traditions remain and the
instructors and religions ceremonies of
Catholic France sill exert eoutrclling
influence anonS this people. With them
the New England Thanksgiving day Is
almost unknown aud Christmas is not the
Merry Csristmas'' that we enjoy. Their
holidays are distinet from ours to . great
extent New Years day is particularly .
day Of fssstirg and merrinsut, while
.sAiafdi grss" is the chief holiday of the
year. oshess there are bat they are those
handed down in the trs5:tians of the Gath
ole church and Of foreign lands and have
Little 70 do with cur distinctive American
institutions Fourth Of July is hftle
thought Of among this people and Ii will
Be long before Concoeds and Bunker Hill.
Or even Getty sburR and Appomsstox viz
have much significance 10 the minds Of Out
French fellow citisens. These remarks are