The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1896-10-15

GW@ '1'S '' and i'' 's%Sa
less than hundred
In all. What turned out to be O practl-
cal plan Of procuring immigration was
devised by Mr.. Thomas. He proposed
that a commissioner should Be sent
from the state Of Maine to Sweden. who
should thee recruit a colony Of young
Swedish farmers. picked men, with
their wives and children. No one.
however. was 10 be taken unless he
could pay his own passage and that OF
his family. A Swedish pastor was TO
accompany the colony. that religion
might lend aid In binding the emil
grants together. The commissioner was
10 lead forth the colony In a body at
one time. and aboard one ship, from
Sweden 10 America. Thus would they
be made acquainted with one another.
and be prevented from going astray.
Finally the commissioner was 10 take
the swedes into the northern forests.
In the Aroostock region Of Maine. and
there TO give every head OF a family
one hundred acres OF woodland for a
farm and do what might be needed 10
root the Swedish colony firmly 10 the
soil. When this was accomplished all
state aid was to cease. For Il was as
sumed that. when once the colony was
frmly rooted In the soil, Il would thrive
and grow OF itself. and throughout the
future draw 10 Maine a fair proportion
Of the Swedish emigration to the United
States.
Tho plan was successfully carried
out. The township set apart by the
state for the future settlement, and
now known a. New Sweden. lies In
latitude ~ degrees north. about the
same as that OF the city Of Quebec.
Hither. In the course OF 1870. Mr..
Thomas brought a colony Of ia
swedes. comprising IS men. 20 women.
and &c children. all OF whom had paid
their own passage from Sweden. Be
fore the winter weather had set IN
seven miles OF road had been cut
through the forest. $50 acres Of woods
had been felled. 100 acres had been
hand piled. burnt OF and cleared for
a crop. and 20 acres had been soWed
for winter wheat and rye: 20 dwelling
houses and one public building had
been built.
by the autumn Of 1874 the condition
Of the colony was excellent. The num-
Der Of settlers had increased 10 COO.
and outside OF New Sweden there were
az many Swedes located In the state.
drawn thither by the Swedish colony.
The settlement Of New Sweden had out
grown the township Of that name, and
spread over the adjoining sections OF
Woodland. Caribou and Perham. The
trees on 1900 acres had been felled.
OF this tract / 800 acres had been thor
oughly cleared and 400 acres had been
laid down 20 grass. by this time the
colonists had built 100 houses and near
BY as many barns and novels: they
owned p horses, "a oxen. 100 cows. -
calves. 80 sheep and 1875 swine. To-
day the town Of New Sweden num-
bers 1917 inhabitants. but these lg.
ures represent less than half Of tie
Swedish settlers massed around thea.
Names Swedish colony Is now ait
uated on seven different but adjoining
townships. forming a compact settle
ment comprising no fewer than s.t52
Swedes. nearly thirty times the little
band OF pilgrims that entered the
northern woods Of Maine on June %.
1870. II is worth noting. as proving the
yigor OF the Swedish race and the
healthiulncss OF the climate OF Maine.
that, from the date OF the settlement
TO the twenty-nfth anniversary. there
have been iSl births and only l49
deaths The immigrants have erected
$50 buildings and constructed Il miles
Of road. OF which &c miles are turnpike.
They own live stock valued at $4,000
and In 1894 they harvested crops val.
ued at si6l.OOO. besides producing SIO.-
900 worth OF butter, cheese, eggs and
wool. The product OF their factories
and mills In the same year was an.
praised at $4,000. and the total value
Of their buildings. elearings. machinery.
tools and live stock was t52s.ss5. All
this has been created In the heart Of a
primoyal forest, where not the worth Of
a dollar was produced twenty-five years
ago.
The story Of New Sweden has no par
allel In New England since the thirteen
colonies became federal republic. This
Swedish settlement Is the only success
iul agricultural colony founded by for
slgners from over the ocean In New
England since the Revolutionary war.