The St. Johns herald., 1900-04-21
SwEDES IN NEW ENGLAND.
The Latest Census Indications Point to Large Increase
 Among Them.
Very truly yours;
 c. 0. Howe.

By the federal census of 1890 there were nearly 100000 Scandinav:ans in the United States, including 476,G0O na- lives of Sweden, 322.00O natives of Nor way and 132.000 natives of Denmark, the Finnish natives of Russia then resi- dent in the United States not being separately enumerated, and the natives of the two Scandinavian provinces of Germany being included in the number of natives of Germany. Of these Scandi- paviars fully three-quarters were in the group of north central and northwest ern states, which includes Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, the two Dakotas, Iowa, Nebraska and Illinois. There have been in recent years number of Swed- ish residents on the Pacific slope, nota- ply in California, and there are many Norwegians in the state of Washington, and very considerable Danish colony in Utah. In other parts of the country, particularly in the south and in the New England states, Scandinavians have been few and the demand for their labor has been slight. The last federal census, however, showed a considera ble number of Swedes in some of the prin- cipal New England cities, $500 in Bos- ton, 1,4O0 in Providence, 4,5C0 in Wor- cester, 500 in Lowell, 75O in Cambridge, 400 in Lynn, 600 in Hartford, 2,000 in Portland, Me-, and TOO in Bridgeport.
 It has come to be an established rule in New England that the first immi- grants go to the large cities. In the city of Boston, by the census of 1870, there were 56,000 natives of Ireland, but go years later that figure had been in creased by 50 per cent, and the Irish
 immigration into New England has spread to the minor towns within the next ten years, and it has now extended to the country districts, many Of the So-called abandoned farms of New Eng lard now being in possession of Irish tenant farmers. About 1880 the immi- grafton into New England of French Canadians began seriously, and it has since extended to nearly all the large cities of that region, and is now extending to minor places. In like manner there are many reports of increased immi grafton into New England cities of Scandinavi- ans, but more particularly Of SwedeS, some of whom find farming land cheap and available and offering better oppor- tunities than the northwest. The states of New England offer to Swedish immigrants many attractions. The climate is not much dissimilar from that of Sweden. The topography of the country is much the same. The church congregations and school systems are very similar, and the shipping interests of New England, always considerable, resemble in many respects those which have for many years maintained Sweden as a maritiEe country. Moreover, the New England states are more accessible to Swedish Immigrants than those of the extreme west, the item of traEspor- tation across more than one-half of the continent by railroad being worthy of consideration by thrifty newcomers, and the demand for women ;n domestic service, urgent in many parts of New England, offers the Swedish girls an op- portunity not to be found in other parts of the country to the same extent. There has been recently, too, in conse- quence of the course of the Russian government, large exodus from the Finnish provinces of that country and a considerable number of Films have ar rived and are arriving in New England. By the census of 1890, there were S8,0G0 Swedes in the six New England states, 10000 Norwegians, and like number of Danes. From present indications there will be returned by the federal census of 1900, 15O,oO0 Swedes and Films in these six ststes.-N. '. Sum-