The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1891-05-13
The Swedes.--False Reports.

The Rutland Herald recently pub
lished certain alleged facts-derived, it
said, from a letter from one of the
Swedes at Norton's Mills, Essex
county, to Rev. Niles Nilsson of the
Swedish Lutheran church, Rutland
about the condition of the colonists in
that locality. Bitter complaint was
made of the hardships the tenants have
endured. Eleven had left the COL
ony, one walking seventy miles to Rut-
land where he obtained employment
in the marble quarries. An appeal for
aid was made to enable the colonists
to leave the forests" These statements
arrested the attention of the Swedish
vice consul at Boston, who addressed
letter of inquiry to Governor Page.
The governor asked Hon. S. ID. Hob
son, living near the locality of the COL
ony, to investigate and report the facts.
The result is letter from A. l.. Erik
son, one of the colonists, to Judge
! 1lODSOD. MT. ETlkSOn SAYS.
AS / am one of the parties referred to,
take the liberty to address you, and will en-
| deavor to give you true statement of the
condition of the Swedes living here, why
| they came here and what they are doing
MAMMAL Co., Springfield, Mass bar
| gained for a quantity of land in this town
ship from A. NJ Stetson of Boston, Mass,
for the purpose of settling these lands with
| his countrymen, Scandinavians. Myself,
/ f.fl Il
and moved with our families to this place
about one year ago. We were not obliged to
! make any payment on the land at the time
of purchase; had all the time to pay that
we required. Mr. Stetson owns and oper-
ates lumber mills at this place. We were
all given employment Immediately on arri-
val, wages S125 per day, house rent and
fuel free. The fuel was delivered at our
| door free of charge Every Scandinavian
has been furnished work on arrival and
offered steady work every day since at the
above-named wages. Some came here from
the New England states, others direct from
Norway. Mr.. StetSon advanced money to
several to send for their families, furnished
them with household goods ON arrival and
all necessaries to live on. Some of them
were furnished with all they require to
commence on their land; in fact they all re-
ceived everything they wanted, until some
OF them who were not accustomed to hard
work, or work of this kind, got dissatisfied
ana thought tney could do better in the fac
tories. They instiled this into the minds
of others. When the manager of the bust
ness here noticed this he refused to give
them any more credit, would give them
all work but they could not get any
advance any faster than they earned
| it. This is what some of them made
great cutlery about and went away,
the most of them owing Mr.. Stetson quite a
large amount While here they lived on
the fat of the land. There were two or
three that caused all the dissatisfaction, and
they persuaded some good men to follow
their example. None of them lived in the
forest AZ represented, but in thriving viii
lage. They were all treated kindly and
generously, and repaid the kind treatment
with abuse Those of my countrymen who
remain here (there are several) think are
satisfied and contented. In my own case
am well satisfied. am living on my place,
having built me house and got pretty
good start, have been treated kindly, and
been offered all the assistance may need
/ have no desire TO return TO Springfield
my former home. III have my health,
have good reason to think that in a little
while will have nice little home that
can call my own. In conclusion can truth
fully say there is not one word of truth about
my countrymen being destitute or in want
here; on the contrary, they are all at work