The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-11-18
A STAY AT HOME PEOPLE.
Nearly All Swedes Occupy Land They
Were Born On.

The population OF Sweden IN 1895. by
actual count. was 5.O62.9lS and the esti-
mate for 1901 is 5.I54r nearly the same
as London. The men number ,, lGG 65S and
the women 2,5yS,2So which is I,00O men to
1858 women, while the ratio for all Europe
is 1000 men to Z,02i women The excess Of
women IN Sweden Is caused by the emf
grafton Of men
Sixty per cent Of the population live by
agriculture, Is per cent by manufacturing
and numbering, 10 Der cent by commerce
and trade, per cent by mining, and the
remainder are in the professions and the
army and navy and engaged in different
emplOyments.
BY the last census there were 333. 600
farms, OF which $4,000 were occupied and
titled by the owners. and 5000 were
leased This is a larger percentage Of
ownership. ! am told, than can be 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 IL for
800 years at least, and during ali that
period have not assimilated with any OF
their neighbors, nor has their blood been
diluted by mixture with any other nation
atty, so that, except the NCrwe z-Iaas. they
claim To be Of Durer blood than other
Europeans.
There is nothing in Sweden to attract.
Immigrants The increase iu population
has been entirely natural. The number Of
foreigners In the country now h. very
Small-OuIy few thousand [iutty-uirIc
per cent Of the inhabitants were bJrr IN
Sweden and more than s. per cent uDyn
the ground they occupy. The present gen
Grafton In Sweden, therefore. are pure
SWeatE.
The peasants can trace back their an
cestsy into the Middle Ages as well as
the nobility. Tho same families have
occvp.-d the same farms Tor centuries
The soil has been cultivated for thousands
OF y'arS-by jAe ancestors OF those who
cultivate il now. Transfers Of farm prop
/. i Z 4 q az FFrrE.H
was never known To move The titles
descend by inheritance. The families are
lUtcImaTElDd. SO that nearly the entire
population 81 certain districts are related
TO one another.
The Geogra phicJI secIusIon Of the
SWtdts, separated from tine rest Of the
world by natural boundaries, has had a
HaIEeC lI-ueIg. upon The national char
aCier. Industry Ingenuity. honesty. and
economy are its distinctive traits. ard
until recent years the ability 90 supply
their own wants has been "a popularity OF
the Swedish people. even when the scaUty
EaTyCSts compelled the taRueIS 10 grind
up tie t@rE ~ the birch tree and miN +.
with their breed Recently. however the
migration from tho country 10 the manu-
featuring GENRES ItS diminished tle pro-
J dICtiye power Of the agricultural YDpuIa
ton and has Increased Ee number OF
Sweden. with the except on Of Norway.
IS tho heal tg-'St country On the world. and
I the mortality Is lower than that OF any
other. The two ueIphbcrs run very
close race Sometimes Norway and some
times Sweden Is fraction ahead. and
taking the average for twenty years they
, would De about equal. During the last
ten years Sweden has been little ahead
and the death rate for the entire King
dom has been 1913 per ] go population,
the lowest ever recorded for any nation.
lu certain parts Of the United States and
Australia the rate Is lower. but not for
the entire nation During the same Pc
TiCd the death rate in Norway Was I6g.
England, lS.S, and Frencc, %
There are more Jews than Catholics IN
Sweden. The last census shows over B.
| 90, 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 cmigrated ia large numbers "a
/ puTtuuities are tempting TO capitalists
/ the Kingdom are now owned or mauag-
| Cd by Jews.
] Tho Jews claim King Oscar as a friend
/ Of their race, which accounts for tn,
| friendly interest hC has frequently shown
/ in their affairs. Before his reign there
was an intense religions prejudice in Swe-
den. but his favor has gained them pres
| tEe and has been largely influential Dol
| ModcratiuE the hostility Of the clergy. Ii
| is -uI q matter OF dispute. but Hebrew
! authorities claim that BcrHaGotts. NapO-
| Icons Field Marshal. who founded tn,
| rl.s.n r dynasty OF Sweden. was Of jew
| .-H ar,, Ss-l.. According 20 his biography
tie .arE'T % EaII1iOttt was the mayor
/ mis- nome is pointed out 10 tOuTiSts-Chi-
i .Iar.r IA &C. H. o.