New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-12-26


careless about his work. Among the charges
lodged against him was one to the effect that ne
had neglected to take off his hat to the inspec-
tor, another that he had been caught asleep
while on duty. and that once the lamp had not
revolved for five minutes In word. the
charges were sufficient in number and grave
enough in character to have secured the removal
Of a dozen public officers, and so Mr.. Hanna
was removed unjustly and through the ntrigues
Of his enemies, he says Since his removal the
former lighthouse keeper has had only one aim,
one ambtion-to be indicated by reinstate-
ment-and to this end he has bent all his ener-
giles. finally succeeding in interesting his Con-
gresham who happens to be so exalted an Off
cial the Speaker in his
Mr.. Reed does not pledge his assistance light
IT, but goes 10 the bottom Of the matter before
he consents to give his aid. In this instance he
Is making thorough investigation. and spends
hours at time before desk in the Lighthouse
Boards office reading the papers in the case
and making mental memoranda Every now
and then he will look up from the papers he Is
reading and ask: Now. what was the occasion
OF this letter. and he listens to the explanation
with deep attention
Those who are familiar with the case say that
the Speaker has not missed point. and there is
his constituent has been unjustly treated he
will ultimately be restored. but at present there
Is no vacancy to which he could be appointed.
w w. Thomas. jr. the recently appointed
Minister to Sweden Is In town for the purpose
Of receiving his final instructions from the state
Department. This business finished. he VIII re-
turn 10 his home in Portland for his family. and
now hopes to sail on January 8 for his post. MI
Thomas comes from an old Portland family, and
for generations back his people have been inter-
ested in the development and government OF the
State The new Minister to Sweden was porn
In Portland In 1899. and educated In the puphc
schools OF that city and in Bowdoin CoHege'
where he graduated with the honors OF MS
class in 1860 Mr. Thomass connection with the
State Department began when he was only
twentv-three wears old as United States bearer
of dispatches Secretary Seward having selcc'cu
him to carry a treaty to Turkey. While he was
still in the Ottoman Empire Mr.. Thomas was
anpointcd to the Vice Consulate at CONSTANT
nople then acting Consul at Galatz. In the Pr.n-
cipality Of Moldavia and finally named as one
of the thirty war Consuls Of the United states
APPOINTED by President Lincoln and sent to
Gothenburg Sweden Mr.. Thomas remained IN
Sweden three years. mastering the language ana
studying the character OF the people. In lS9o he
went to Sweden, recruited a colony OF hfty-one
picked Swedes sailed with them across the
ocean led them up the St Johns River, sharing
their haxdshps and pr.vations as though ne
were one of their number. and founded n colony
IN tho forests OF Maine which has now grown
rich and PROSPEROUS and numbers three thou-
sand souls.
THE story Of New Sweden" said Mr.. Thomas.
in an address to his children in the wood as
he affectonateIy calls them, has no parallel In
New ENGLAND since the United States became a
Nation This Swedish settlement is the only
successful agricultural colony founded win ior-
egners from over the ocean In New England
since the Revolutionary War, and surely IN all
America there is no agricultural settlement so
young as ours that surpasses our model colony
In progress and prosperity
Mr. Thomas is naturally proud OF the part he
PLAYED in the founding of this colony, but he at
tributes It's wonderful growth and prosperous
condition to the superior character OF the pio-
neers who left their homes in Sweden to found
new ones here, and ne is never tired Of paying
tribute to The sterling qualities OF the men and
women whose confidence in him prompted them
to follow him to this country.
"In the early days" hc says, many OF the
Swedes cut their logs into lengths for pilng
with cross-cut saws. Whenever this was the
case you would see that the Swedish "fe had
hold Of one end Of the saw, ana she uid her
share Of the work. too"
To illustrate further the ind ornitahle perse-
verance of the women OF New Sweden, Mr.
Thomas tells the following stories:
"Once riding out of the woods. met one Of
IL