Omaha daily bee., 1898-11-13
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riffs In the forest. Then when least ex-
pected the primeval woods give place to
man-made groves Of second growth. or
chards and plowed fields. Instead Of Jog
camps, farm houses come into view. The
railway station water tank and solitary |
tavern develop INFO villages with Railroad,
avenues and Main steet, and at length the
tourist steps from the car at Caribou-the
garden spot Of the great northeast.
Founding the Colony.
Hon. William Wigerly Thomas, ex-min-
lister to Sweden, founded New Sweden In
1870. He had been appointed a war consul
to that country in 1863 and then the idea
OF bringing the hardy and frugal Morse
man to Maine occurred to him. He aroused
the interest of. both the Swedish and the
Maine state authorities and after some years
Of delay he secured a grant Of 100 acres
of land In Aroostook county to the head
OF each family and aid until his first crop
could be harvested. Mr.. Thomas was also
appointed commissioner Of immigration by
the state Of Maine and had personal charge
Of the colony until. In 1873, the settlers
voluntarily relinquished state aid.
On June 25, 1870, under his guidance, nifty
one Swedes sailed from Gutenberg to Amer
lea. The colony was composed of twenty
two men, eleven women and eighteen chill
dren. All the men were farmers and many
OF them were also skilled In other trades
and professions. Among them was a lay
pastor. a blacksmith, a civil engineer, two
carpenters, a basket maker, a wheelwright,
o baker, a tailor and q maker OF wooden
shoes. It was a sturdy, stalwart party OF
picked applicants. There was not a physical
blemish on one Of them, and no one had
been accepted whose character had not been
properly vouched for. They came from nearly
every province in Sweden and were provided
with money enough to pay their passages to
their new home. After an uneventful jour-
ney the immigrants reached the borders OF
Maine on July %. AS they crossed the line
from New Brunswick the American flag was
unfurled and the party was greeted by a
salute of cannon by the citizens of Fort Fair
field.
Began Work the Next Day.
The day after reaching their destination
the Swedes began converting the wilderness
into homes. To put them in the way Of
earning their living by their own labor Mr..
Thomas set them to work telling trees, cut
ting out roads and building houses. paying
them 81 a day in provisions and tools from
the state fund provided for that purpose. At
the close OF the year, through births and
additional immigration, the colony had in
creased In numbers to ia; seven miles Of
road had been cut, twenty-six dwellings
built and about 800 acres of land cleared and
partly sowed in grain. A number Of the
dwellings were erected by the state and were
paid for in labor. These buildings were Of
peeled logs and contained three rooms each.
They were also furnished with cooking
stoves. The same year a public building,
called to this day The Capitol" was
erected, wherein all public functions not
given In the various churches are held.
It was hard work but everyone aided.
In the fields the men and women worked
side bv side. and the potato field was the
playground Of the youngsters. They rose
with the sun and went to bed at dusk.
Founder Thomas is fond Of relating the
following incident showing the indefatiga-
BILE industry OF these pioneers.
II met once he says. "a Swede woman
afoot, carrying on her back a bullying sack. -
"'What have you got in there?' l asked.
flour nice pigs
"'Where did you get themF
1.-Two miles below Caribou
THAT made a twenty-mile walk. and the
good wife was smiling to herself to think
what nice pigs they were"
Results N u Years Toll.
That is the way. they worked and that
In also the way they work even to this
day, So hard have they labored and SC
successful have they been that today there
are more than 100 Swedes In the colony
which now extends over seven townships
They have more than 700 buildings and
eighty miles Of turnpike roads. They OWL
about $50, 600 worth Of live stock, and In
1894 their farm products were valued al
sl73,73 That same year the total value Of
buildings. clearlngs. tools, stock. factories
mills and farm and mill products reached
nearly $500. 900. When one considers that 9
quarter of a century ago this territory die
not produce a dollar these figures are elo'
quent. Today there are upward OF 4.o0(
Swedes In Maine who are the direct result
OF this enterprise.
This is all New Sweden" continued the
driver, checking his team to give time tC
observation. We were at the ton OF Land
grin's hill. and from where we stood the
land slcced in every direction to the thick
underground that betokened a water course
and rose again, and thus on as far as The
eye could reach. rising and falling gently
peacefully. From the crest OF the hill. dowr
BOO feet runs the road, then up again to the
horizon. In winter the young swedes slid'
down this hill on their skis and . glorious
soort IL n. But now II IL shaded on ethel