The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1893-10-20
CORRESPONDENCE.
FROM THE "WHITE CITY"
BERWICK, III, Sept. 2Sth, 1898

DEhMlCh, Ill, NCbll3 1COOs
To the Editor Of the Bdnner.-DEAR
SIR-An interesting scene in the Midway
Plaisance was the village represen-
tative of Lapland, that region of the
midnight sun and eternal snow. | was
in there early one morning before they
were ready for company, but sat down
in a sort of music stand in the centre of
the village and took general look
around Two copper kettles with skins
stretched across the open end conveyed
to my mind an impression of the pOssi-
bility of their producing higher grade
of music than anything | saw or heard
among the semi-civilized people of the
Midway. A turf-covered hut in promi-
nent place was marked king Bulls
winter hut" He is the patriarch of the
village, being 1l2 years old and great
great-great-great grandfather. 1t was
said that he had most of his descendants
with him, but l doubted that for there
was no great crowd that l saw around
him, but all ages were represented. Lap
landers marry at 10 or II years of age, so
it is not SO wonderful that he has become
many times a grand-parenr.
Their summer huts were covered with
bark or canvas. 1t was quite interest
ing to see reindeer, dogs, sledges and
everything just like the pictures have
represented them. There was scanty
supply Of Dalecarlien and Lapland curios
in care of Dalecarlien girls; they were
quite pretty girls, but their command of
English seemed to be quite limited. l
was at a loss in my efforts to locate them
and have since consulted my encyclope-
dia for information about their race, and
find Dalecarlia (Yalley country, was an
old province of Sweden; the people
we're celebrated for the part they took
under Gustavus Vosa in freeing their
country from the yoke of Christian III. of
Denmark in the early part of the 10th
century.
When saw those copper kettles used
for drums l did not realize it was good
representation of the natural wealth of
that region, but find that the province
now farms the land Tor country, as we
would say), of Fahlun, or Falun, in
Sweden, the capital, or county town,
which now has the same name, is also
called Gamla Kopparberget told copper
towns.
Gustavus Adolphus, who was killed in
1892. used to call these mines ''rhe treas
ury of Sweden" About 1850 the yield
was 5000 tons annually, but at present
the yield has declined to about 400 tons.
The excavations extend for miles under
ground and contain vast chambers where
Bernadotte, the late king, gave splendid
banquets.
But let us return from our digression
or we shall forget that we are in the
Midway and still have several more vii
lagos to visit; while we are dressed for
winter travel let us go to see the Esqui-
maux and their dogs and deer. They
were plump and apparently jolly, but l
thought the warm weather seemed to be
getting the better of them, and when
they exercised the dogs the latter skunk
off to the shade as soon as possible. One
amusement that caused them more exer-
else than anything else, was when visi-
tor put coin in the sand for them to
snap at with their long dog whips, and
the coin belonged to the one that hit it
first, which occasioued considerable good
natured strife.