Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-01-04

his excited auditors exclaimed, breath
less at the thought of the former conf
panion's rare good fortune. The
speaker is right. Hans did go out from
this village ten years ago. And to
think that he is now one of those
American millionaire farmers. Well.
Well.."
Il suppose You will be asking me how
Hans made all his money in so short Il
time the lecturer continued. We'll.
it's no part of my lecture, but l don't
mind telling you that he bought a farm
out in Wisconsin, paying for it out of
his profits as they increased each year.
Lots of emigrants from Sweden are do
ing this every year. but then. it's none
of my business
More views of American scenery are
shown, and then another rural picture
is thrown upon the screen. 1t repre-
sents pair of prosperous looking
young men driving along a well-kept
country road in an up-tO-date buggy
with rubber tires. The horse is a high
stopper. The harness is heavily plated.
In the background a handsome man
sion is seen, toward which the young
Lage1lof brothers. remarks the lee
turer. gratuitously. Peter and Gustaf.
They used to live here, too. / think?
Yes: Well, that is their house and
that is one of their horses. They
haven't much to do now but drive
around and amuse themselves. They
worked hard for a few years until
they had paid for their farm. Now
they can take it easy
\ thrill of excitement runs through
the little audience, Il hum of conversa-
| ton arises. The more ambitious VIII
layers decide on the spot to go to
America by the first steamer. But to
| them it is a terra incOgnito. How shall
they go? Perhaps the kind lecturer
| will tell them. So the moment the lit
tie entertainment is over he is be-
siesed by his audience.
Il must not take you away from your
homes he says in reply to their fren-
lied queries. THE government will not
allow me to do 50. But may say that
the thing for you to do is to take the
beat to America and then the train to
| such and-such Il place in Wisconsin.
That is where all the fat farms are that
| w CtiH oDltIil dt SUCH
low prices. Your fellow townsmen who
have made their fortunes all went
there. Take all your savings with
you. By the way. /. myself. am going
back to America by such a steamer. on
such q date. and if you are on the boat
will see that you get safely to Wis
consin.' Then he packs up and
travels to the next town to repeat the
free stcreoptcon lecture
The favoritc port of embarkation for
ISwedish emigrants is Liverpool, Eng
land. and they generally patronize the
Boston boats. On the day appointed
the agent finds the dock crowded with
Swedes, their wives and families. all
waiting for that lecture man who
showed us the pictures of Hans An
dersen and the Lagerlof brothers.
The agent is there, too, before the sail
ing time and benevolently sees the little
army of emigrants aboard. He taken
them clear through to Wisconsin and
on their arrival sells perhaps 80 farms
to the party. He knows they are
hcrest and Industrious, and have not
only the desire but the ability topay for
the land in GOOD time. They are not
lcheated as gold brick man cheats his
Victim. for they do get fair return for
their money and are indeed transported
often from poverty to comparative
prosperity. But the methods of the
American agent are not always such as
would win the commepdation of the
stern moralist
| Now the government, it's eyes opened,
has adopted stringent measures to curb
the pernicious activity of emigration
agents. To give even & free lecture
with stereOpticon one must pay fee
of 500 a night and the speaker must
say not one word to induce his hearers
to. emigrate to America. But the mis-
chief has already been done. The
bucolic imagination has been inflamed
with is pictures of the wealth awaiting
his labor in the land across the seas,
and he won't DE kept at home. For
the man. content with mere animal
existence, with enough to eat and
drink and wear. Sweden is not such a
poor country to live in. But 1t has little
to offer the young and the ambitious,
and it is small wonder that they are
flocking in drOves to the land of oppOr-
tunity. the great Northwest of the
United States.