Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1896-07-01
MAKE GOOD CITIZENS.
This Is Said Of Icelanders Who
ii Have Settled In Dakota
They Are . Hardy and Cheerful People,
and Arc Noted for Their Honesty
and Faithfulness-EAslly
Amorlcanlxod.

tioD. No other people who have come
TO this country are better equipped to
become citizens. The first settlements
ivere made by the Scandinavians, prin-
"irally NorwegIans. ,,.-.- r,!.:.a-,...
The Icelnnders are, az we zee them
iIcrc,' the most frugal and industrious
,.eopie in the world. They never fail
10 utilize everything of value in life,
from the shortest straw to the latest
nuute of time. They are Mt work al
Ways, all of them, from the baby just
out, of the cradle to the withered and
hobbiiug great-grandfather. livery
family makes sure that;its own necessi-
ircs are provided for. Each keeps a few
shctp. SOME pigs. an abundance of hens,
1T least one OF two COWS, etc., but moth
ZIG that consumes without producing
something in return. Most Injuries are
new to them on their arrival, and they
take to new articles. either of food or
rairnent. only when forced by their new
surroundings to do so. They livewitb-
III themselves. and always have some
thing to scll-chickens. eggs, butter,
InIttens, socks. knit wanImusSeS, leg
Syns, hoods. yarns. cloth, car tips, and,
of course, farm products. -.
All work necessarily but moderately
during daylight; AMI at night, While
visiting us IF they had just met n fter n
long separation knit, spin. weave. sew.
work out rude implements. card wool
make butter and manufacture guI
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 # it can be
avoided.
The butter here is much like that
common To old lceland--that is, rancid.
II is not the rancidity Of the American
Observation-Disclosures butter, sweet al
first has begun TO spoil--but Il peculiar
sourneSs resulting from keeping the
milk and cream until "tiyed." 1T is
very dlSngrPeable 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-
paTtment Of agriculture, Is OF the high
est form. bulk for bulk, OF mutTimcut.
The lcrlundrrS seem TO have known this
always. and. although their "boOtah" IS
| strong enough to drive n dog out Of u
lanyard, it. is just as nutritious as the
"giIt-clge1 creamery" of their Yankee
nclghbnTS. and COSTS less i'll labor before
and less in care after making.
There is absolutely no picture in
| American life carrying So perfect an
| idea Of domestic conlantment and hap
| piueSs Us one may see in any ordinary
| Icclandic home. They arc frank,
| cheerful and kind--never noisy and
have no vaultiug 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 lcrlander has no complex the
cries or philosophy. lie thinks the first
man was an Icelander and was born in
Iceland. lie scouts the idea that The
Norsemen discovered either America
or his own bleak little mole in the
arctic seas. lie says he was always on
the latter, and always knew about the
former and about Greenland and Eu-
! rope. lie claims with pride that moth
ing good in the popular form Of govern
mcnt is new with America, or that the
United States is entitled to credit for
the invention of n republic. lie says
he had a better republic than this foi
400 years. and that "a long thousand
YEARS in Iceland did not develop SO many
sins. CROOKS and forms Of ntaladminls
tration as IL year in America.
All IcelandeTs, Of course, are very
hardy. They are troubled. Mt first by
the extreme heat of our summers. but
finally become acclimutcd. They dc
not move about, and never return tt
Iceland. They becolne Americanizct
even more easily than the Norwegians
If that is possible, and make reliable
peaceful citizens. The young woWcI
are the most kindly, faithful and quie'
servants procurahle. and all of them are
HONESTLY. Y. Times. -" g..