The Portland daily press., 1895-06-18
NAMES GARDEN SPOT.
New Sweden to Celebrate Its 18th
Birthday.
HON. W. W. THOMAS, JR., WILL
DELIVER THE ADDRESS.
How the Day Will Be Celebrated--Dis-
tiDguishcd Guests To Be Present
The Swedes Do Not Include Ball
Games and Bicycle Races in the
Programme.

The swedes Do Not Include Ball
Games and Bicycle Races in the
Programme.
ESPECIAL TO THE PREss,l
Caribou, June IA stranger driving
into the town of New Sweden sees little
to remind him that he is in country
which only quarter of century ago
was covered with forests. The hill sides
are now all green with the grass
and grain ripening in the warm June
sunlight, brown with the recently
plowed earth of the great potato fields
SO characteristic of the Aroostook county,
the garden land of the state Mingled
with the odors of the maturing crops is
the sweet scent of the blooming flowers
in the gardens before the comfortable
houses 1t is only when the traveller
gets near enough to notice the fences of
logs and here and there log house. with
great trees used in it's construction,
brown and bare and showing the signs of
the heat and cold of 25 years, that he
realizes that this is new country.
1t is no wonder then that the hardy
Swedes who left their old country to
found this new Sweden, and their chill
dren who were born in the woods of
northern Maine, feel that the 25th ami
versary Of the settlement of the colony
should be made festival day, when in
song and story it's history should be
given to the world.
In 1880, the 10th anniversary was ap-
propriately celebrated and at that time
Hon. VIM. W. Thomas, Jr., to whose
efforts the state owes this new and flour
25th year after the founding of the colo
ny he must again take part in festival
and address the people.
So On Wednesday, of next week, Mr.
Thomas will deliver the principal ad-
dress. 1t will be day when the new
Sweden people will take pride in show
ing their fine farms to visitors from all
seven hundred people will be their guests
on that day.
1t is characteristic of these industrious
people that their festival is not to be a
day devoted to horse races, ball games
and balloon ascensions. Instead there
will be remarks Of the guests and some Of
the colonists themselves, inspiring music
for the Swedes are lovers and makers of
good music; and then there will be pIen-
ty of good cheer which the wayfarer
finds in the homes of New Sweden where
the greeting is as warm and creature
comforts as abundant as in the homes
of old Sweden, famous the world over
for their hospitality. The principal exer-
shade of large grove near the Capitol,
the public building which marks the
centre of the settlement. The towns
people and their families will all be
there. With them will meet the people
of the surrounding towns and from all
the county. AS especially invited guests,
the New Sweden folks hope to see The
Hale, Representatives Reed, Dingley,
Milliken and Boutelle, Gen. Joshua L.
Chamberlain Hon. Sidney Perham,
Hon. P. P. Burleigh, Hon Albert Bur
leigh, Hon. Edward Wiggin master of
the state grange; Payson Tucker, Esq,
F.W Cram, ESQ.,. and many others. Els
pecially cordial is the welcome which
who will accompany Mr. Tucker in his
private car as far as Caribou. Elias
Thomas, ESQ.,. will also be among the
guests. Hon. VIM. W. Thomas, Jr., will
be accompanied by Mrs, Thomas.
The guests will reach Caribou on the
new fast train over the Bangor & Aroos-
took at O'Clock Tuesday evening, and
will be quartered at the two hotels here
Early the next forenoon, they will drive
to New Sweden, about nine miles dis
tant. The band will be in waiting at the
Capitol and will escort the arrivals to the
grove a. short distance away. The exer-
cises will then be begun with music by
the band, Rev. Mr.. jerks of Caribou will
offer prayer and the choir will sing Sc
lection flhnn tho Of tho n .xvil
be welcomed by Pastor Wv. Norberg,
who has for many years oficiated in the
little Lutheran church, the first erected
in the colony. Mr.. Norberg's address will
be short Following it the choir will
sing ooh, Columbia. - Landgrane,
ESD, the chairman of the day, will in
troduce Mr.. Thomas, who will deliver the
oration. At its close, the band will play
again. Then the invited guests will
have an opportunity to congratulate the
colonlStS upon the success of their enter
prise. Another series of short addresses
will be of interest to the visitors, for
Truls Persoan, Nils Olsen, Mp. Clase
Nils Person and AndeIs Svenson, by
whom they are to be delivered, are sur
neers who saw New Sweden when the
only buildings it contained We're the few
log houses built by the state for the
accommodation of the colonists. Mr.
Olsen was the first lay preacher, officiat-
ing until clergyman arrived to take
charge of the religious life of the settle
ment. Mr.. Clase or Captain Clase, as he
is entitled to be called, is man who
saw much of the world before he found
this spot in northern Maine which
seems to suit him better than any other
on earth. AS commander of large yes
sci, he made voyages to many countries
before joiningssthe colonists. Mr.. Fogalin,
lay minister of the Free Baptist church,
will also speak. TheEgood Judgment
shown by the committee in arranging
the musical numbers is shown by the
title of the next song deep in the
Woods" which will be sung by the choir
to the accompaniment of guitar and
violin played by G. r. Ristin and f. o.
Landgrane The exercises will close by
Rev. Mr. Ristin of the Baptist church.
From the grove the invited guests will
be conducted to the Free Mission church
where lunch will be served, the choir
and the band entertaining those present
with more good music.
In the meantime tables in the grove
will be loaded with food in which all are
invited to partake The Swedish mid
summer dance,s of which the dancers
circle around a tall pole, holding pendants
of flowers. will very likely ha a fnatI1rn