The Washington times., 1901-11-18
A STAY AT HOME PEOPLE.
Nearly All swedes Occupy Land They
We're Born On.

The population of Sweden in 1898, by
actual count, was 5.0s2,91s and the esti-
mate for 1891 Is 5,15o 600, nearly the same
as London. The men number 2,466,6Ss and
the women $50. which Is Loco men to
i,G53 women. whiIe-the ratio for all Europe
is 1,o00 men to t.024 women. The excess OF
women in Sweden is caused by the emil
grafton Of men.
Sixty per cent OF the population live by
agriculture. 10 per cent by manufacturing
and numbering. 10 per cent by commerce
and trade. per cent by mining. and the
remainder are 4 the professions and tho
army and navy and engaged in different
employments.
BY the last census there were 335. 900
farms Of which 5000 were occupied and
titled by the owners, and 5000 were
leased This IS a larger percentage of
ownership. l am told than can he found
in any other country except Norway. The
Swedish peasants have always been free
and independent and have owned the
land they till. They have occupied it for
300 years at least, and during all that
period have not assimilated with any OF
their neighbOrs, nor has their blood Deen
diluted ny mixture with any other nation
atty so that, except the Norwegians, they
claim to he of purer blood than other
Europeans.
There is nothing in Sweden to attract
immigrants The increase in population
has been entirely natural. The number Of
foreigners In the country now is very
small-only few thousand. Ninetynino
per cent of the Inhabitants were born in
Sweden ana more than 50 per cent upon
the ground they occupy. The present gen.
Grafton in Sweden, therefore, are pure
Swedes.
Tie peasants can trace back their an
cestry into the Middle Ages as well as
the nobility. The same families have
occupied the SINE farms for centuries
+a.I faf. de
of years by the ancestors OF those who
cultivate it now. Transfers of farm prop
erty are almost unheard of and farmer
WAS never known to move. The titles
descend by inheritance. The families are
intermarried. so that nearly the entire
population Of certain districts are related
to one another.
The geographical seclusion of the
Swedes, separated from the rest of the
world by natural boundaries has had a
marked influence upon the national char
scter. Industry, ingenuity, honesty, and
economy are its distinctive traits, and
until recent years the ability to supply
their own wants has been peCuliarity of
the Swedish people, even when the Scanty
harYests cGmpeiled the farmers TO grind
up the bark Of the birch tree and mix K
with their bread. Recently. however. the
migration from the country 10 the manu-
featuring centres has diminished the pro-
ductiye power of the agricultural popula-
tion and has increased the ni:mber OF
mouths to be fed.
Sweden with the exception of Norway
Is the healthiest country in the world, and
the mortality is lower than that of any
other. The two neighbors run a very
close race. Sometimes Norway and some
times Sweden Is a fraction ahead, and
taking the average for twenty years they
would be about equal. During the last
ten years Sweden has been little ahead.
and the death rate for the entire King
dom has been 1919 per 1000 population,
the lowest ever. recorded for Rny nation.
In certain parts of the United States and
Australia the rate Is lower, but not for
the entire nation. During the same pc
riod the death rate in Norway was 1863;
England. 1SS, and Frence, 22.2.
There are more Jews than Catholics in
Sweden The last census shows over B.
40 generally men of business. There Is
nothing in Sweden to attract the poorer
classes of jews from Russia, Poland,
Hungary, and other countries, from
which they emigrated in large numbers to
the United States. but the business op-
portunities are tempting to capitalists.
and some OF tlLeslargest enterprises in
the Kingdom are now owned or manag-
ed 10y Jews.
The Jews claim King Oscar as a friend
of their race, which accounts for the
friendly interest he has frequently shown
in their affairs. Before his reign there
was an intense religious prejudice in Swe-
den, but his favor has gained them pres
tlEe and has been largely influential In
moderating the hostility Of the clergy 1t
is stiil matter of dispute, bat Hebrew
authorities claim that BernadOtte. Napo-
Icons Field Marshal, who founded the
present dynasty OF Sweden, was of Jew
ish ancestry. According to his biography
the father Of Bernadotte was the mayor
of a little village near Pau, France. and
his home is pointed cut to tourtsts-Chi-
cago Record d-Herald.