The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1896-06-26
MAKE GOOD CITIZENS.
This Is Said of Icelanders Who
Have Settled in Dakota
They Are = Hardy and Cheerful People
and Are Noted for Their Honesty
and Faithfulness-Easiiy
Americanized.

There is here a large Icelandic popula-
ton, says Milton On. d. communica-
tion. No other people who have come
to this country are better equipped to
become citizens. The first settlements
were made by the Scandinavians, prin-
cipally NorwegIans.
The Icelanders are, as we see them
here, the most frugal and industrious
people in the world. They never fail
to utilize every thing of value in life,
from the shortest straw 10 the latest
minute of time. They are ut work al
ways, all of them, from the baby just
out of the cradle to the withered and
hobbling great-grandfather. Every
family makes sure that its own neceSsi-
ties are provided for. Each keeps few
sheep, some pigs, an abundance OF hens,
at least one or two COWS, etc, but moth
ing that consumes without producing
something in return. Most luNuries are
new to them on their arrival, and they
take to new articles, either of food or
raiment only when forced by their new
surroundings to do SO. They live with
in themselves, and always have some
thing to sell-chickens, eggs, butter,
mittens, socks, knit wammusses, leg
gins, hoods, yarns, cloth, ear tips, and.
of course, farm products.
All work necessarily but moderately
during daylight; and at night, While
visiting as if they had just met after
long separation, knit, spin, weave, sew,
work out rude implements, card wool,
make butter and manufacture gar
ments. OF course, the cloth for these
garments is homemade When some
thing is absolutely needed from the
store, the Icelander secures it by bar
tering an article of home manufacture
he never pays out money If IL can be
avoided.
The butter here is much like that
common to old Icelanh-that is, rancid.
1t is not the rancidity of the American
buttermaker-where butter, sweet at
first, has begun to spoil-but a peculiar
sourness resulting from keeping the
milk and cream until III yed." 1t Is
very disagreeable to Americans at first,
but it keeps far better than what we
call good butter. Butter, according
to the reports of the United States de-
partment of agriculture, is of the high
est form, bulk for bulk, of nutriment.
The Icelanders seem to have known this
always, and, although their "bootah" IS
strong enough to drive a dog out of
lanyard. it is just as nutritious as the
''gilt-cdged creamery" of their Yankee
neighbors, and costs less in labor before
and less in care after making.
There is absolutely no picture in
American life carrying SO perfect an
idea of domestic contentment and hap
piness as one may see in any ordinary
Icelandic home. They frank,
cheerful and kind-never noisy-and
have no vaulting ambitions, no false
pride, no false modesty. This utter
lack of prudery may account for their
virtue and, in part, for their simple
happiness.
The Icelander has no complex the
ories or philosophy. He thinks the first
man was an Icelander and was born in
Iceland. He scouts the idea that the
Norsemen discovered either America
or his own bleak little mole in the
arctic seas. He says he was always on
the latter, and always knew about the
former and about Greenland and Eu-
rope. He claims with pride that moth
ing good in the popular form of govern
ment is new with America, or that the
United States is entitled to credit for
the invention of a republic. He says
he had a better republic than this for
400 years, and that long thousand
years in Iceland did not develop SO many
sins, crooks and forms of maladminis-
tration as a year in America
All Icelanders, of course, are very
hardy. They are troubled, at first, by
the extreme heat of our summers, but
finally become acclimated. They do
not move about, and never return to
Iceland. They become AmericaniZed
even more easily than the Norwegians,
if that is possible, and make reliable,
peaceful citizens. The young women
are the most kindly, faithful and quiet
servants procurable, and all of them are
hOnest-N V Times