New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-12-10
THE CHRISTMAS EXODUS.
THOUSANDS OF SCANDINAVlANS AMI
ITALIANS GOING TO ENJOY THE YULE-
rInr rN THEIR NATIVE LANDS.


TIDE IN THEIR NATIVE LANDS
II the average New-Yorker were told that during
the last fortnight hundreds upon hundreds OF peo-
pie had been passing through this city on their
way home for Christmas he would probably tell
b,s informant that his dates we're mixed, and that
this was the second week and not the second day
before Christmas II this same sceptical person
will take n trip along the steamship piers on the
North River and in Hoboken, however some uhle
In the next few days. he will be easily convinced
He will find hosts OF merrymakers bound for homes
across the sea- and then he will know that the
annual Scandinavian and italian Christmas exodus
is at It's height.
The first week In December sees the beginning
of the rush In the far Northwest In Montana
and the Dakotas, the Swedish and Norwegian
farmers have been working over their crops for
months. As any one knows who has been there
large number OF the farmers in the Northwest are
ScandInavians They come from wntry chme
and seem TO prefer the same conditions here. They
are a hardy, big limbed race and are cut out TOT
the mans work which a great Western farm re-
qures In the early spring they begin WORK on
the farms and from then until the snow ana Dnz-
yards sweep over the plains In November and De-
cember It f. long. strong pull Then' when tho
farm tools have been put away and there Is no
work to be done the sturdy farmer begins to think
OF his Scandina Wan home. and II he Is prosperous
he perhaps starts for the other side or the ocean
He comes to New-York and as rule taxes
steamer for England. When he arrives there
train whIsks him of TO Grimsby or Hull or posi-
bly, Harwich and from one Of those ports ne jour
nevs across the North Sea to the Scandinavian
penInsula and thence inland TO the home OF MS
fathers He arrives there just In time for Chr'''-
mas and there he spends the two months Oh oeep
winter which close up tight the farms IN inc srea.
Northwest The Christmas festival Is celebrated
with old friends and with parents and relatives IN
Il1noa md h0 IA
quaint customs which mark this festival on inc
Norwegian or Swedish countryside
When March comes and the winter begins 10
break up he starts back TO his farm in America
make everything ready for the hard work OF the
summer The chances are two TO one that ne mas
renewed a boy and girl love In his native VlllhBe
has been married by the village parson and brings
back to his farm bride 1t s general that
they single men who came TO this country WIZ. h
th Usn Two quaes as capital succeeded course
whole families go back every year ana some OF
back to to stay but mos, Of them return to America
to make more money me pr9spery . "ne enar can
works the minds of the youths who are SUI IN
the nace Eve ana In the spring
directly due to this Christmas home-g9ing - me
story of the Scandinavian farmer in America Is
generally one of success as he Is frugal ana haro-
working .,o ,o., meal, ~ 90
have carried from this port second cabins and steer
ages filled with homeward bound Scandinavans
this year be in the neighborhood Of six thousand
people. The steamship agents say this Is large
humber and II is looked upon good evidence Of
the prosperity which the country Is at present en-
Joying. 49, i,
The Italians. who also follow this custom OF
going home for Christmas. are sailing for Italy in
they will number about ten thousand The Italians
are generally aborers and they come from all over
the country. They have the love for the
Christmas festival in their sunny home as the
Scandinavans do in the snowbound North. and
same way. They go by the German lines to Naples
and Genoa as a rule. Several hundred OF them
sailed the Auguste Victoria yesterday. and other
steamers sailing for the Mediterranean last week
tell the same story.
The American liner st. Louis which sails for
Southampton on Wednesday will carry the last In
stament of Scandinavians going home to spend
Christmas. They will reach their homes on Christ
mas II all goes we'll and about five hundred
have been booked for passage on the steamer. The
Umbria carried away about three hundred Of them
yesterday. and last Wednesday six hundred or
more sailed the St. Paul.