The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-07-24
LAPPS STILL FEEL
FLOUR CITY'S AID
Impetus Given Them by Famine
Relief in 1902 Is Still
Effective
CONDITION OF POOR
IN NORTHERN SWEDEN
Told by Judge Kronlund to Man
aging Editor of The
Journal.

az. w. 3. CHAMBERLAIN,
Managing Editor of The journal.

BY. w. 3. CHAMBERLAIN,
Managing Editor of The Journal.
Copyright 1905, by The Minneapolis Journal.
Stockholm, Sweden, July 6.--Minne
apolitans will remember that about
three years ago they were appealed. to
for contributions to aid in relieving the
famine that scourged northern Sweden.
They may also remember-tho Mime
apolitans are not fain to remember over
much their charities-that a committee
headed by c. A. Smith raised some $780,
600 to swell the fund for that purpose.
This money came from all classes, but
largely of course, from Scandinavian
Americans An, leans The M Mip Gne Pesten
in recognition of Mr.. Smith s labors
made him knight of Vasa, while to
DR.. D. o. Bell of the American lega-
ton here, who was most active on this
side in raising money, he gave an auto
graphed photograph of himself togeth-
1t was with no little interest, there
fore, that l listened to Judge George
Kronlund's account of the conditions
now existing in that district, which he
represents in the lower house of the riks-
dag. Judge Kronlund has never for
pie, and speaks of it with the deepest
gratitude whenever he chances to meet
an American. =.
great charitable movement in which
Minneapolis took so noble part he
said, "is still felt in Swedish Lapland
1t is difficult for anyone who has not
visited the country to realize under
what conditions these 10000 poor folk
most part, the ancient ,Lapp language,
which. like the. people is Mongolian in
its origin, having died out. It is I'M
fortunate that they do not learn Swed.
ish, which would throw open to them the
advantages Of the schools and the read
like to give them: They occupy a terri
tory about II, 900 square miles, but the
ground is very far north and is compar,
ativelv barren. These folk support them
selves almost entirely by embarrassing
Of agriculture they know little or moth
the hoe. They do not know how tc
plow or how to take advantage of the
possibilities in the way of crops. And
OF course, they are densely ignorant. not
being able either to read or write. News
papers and books are quite unknown
among them. -
-. -:- Go $50 Miles for Doctor.
-. ',:.The distances are SO greatst thu
ordinary Lapp must travel 100 miles tt
see a clergyman or doctor, and tn,
reindeer or skis form his only metho,
of travel. Eight months out of tn
twelve are severe winter with the mer
curry from rs to so below much Of tn
time: They live, you know, above tn
Arctic. circle, much farther north thai
your Alaskan miners. The nights ar
long and dark in winter and there i
take advantage of the short season t
harvest the wild grass and cure it t
keep their cattle thru the winter. The
cannot raise hay, but they descend int
thu, valleys. and cut the swamp gras
and dry 1t IN the sun. If the season j
good they will stand inwater up to thei
waists and cut it. If, unfortunately
it has been a wet season, the water wi
be too deep for this and they will hav
to hook up what they can from boat!
AS they can get but little in this way
wet season means hard winter. Til
Lapps are then forced to kill off thei
cattle for food and that means banl
ruptcy and starvation for them, Some
times poor family for lack or hay wi
have to kill off all its cattle save on
lone COW, whose task it will be to SUI
"Cattle, do not do we'll at best in tha
rigorous climate. They are stunted an
poor, You can readily see that wit
some training in agriculture the peopl
could raise excellent crops in those fe
e. tile valleys. which might readily /
handed. For these reasons we hav
been, doing our best to get them int
ested in farming. Naturally the Lar
is. a wwiaeawake, true-hearted, indu
trl0us FELLOW; but he has been mac
spite of it all, these people are religion
and temperate. Alcoholic drink is u
:. known among them, and they trav
long distances to attend church. "
have found that the best method
small parties Of them a into the IS more % t al
HEED districts to see what life is real
like under healthy conditions. The
travellers then return to their settl
ments and spread the gospel of advanc
ment.
Lapps Visit Stockholm.
$50 well did I know the good effe
= OF travel on them that 1 could not r
7 train from bringing a party Of nil
holm on the occasion of the riksdag
extra session. They have been vie1
ing the wonders Of the city with ope
mouthed establishment, and they W!
go, back home and travel hundreds
miles among their kin relating the wo
derfql things they have seen: Some
tributed 400 kroner personally to aid Il
in this project. These men, many
them, had to travel $50 miles or more
foot to reach Haparanda, the port at t
head of the Gulf Of Bothnia, so tn
they might accept my invitation.
is true joy to see how helpful tn
are to their brethren when they Q
back to their own land. We have wi
them their teacher, man of about ;
We have small fund from viii
we are loaning to deserving Lap
enough to build a little house, buy
few implements and go to farmir
You would know the purest delight
see how happy they are in such an (
portunity to get ahead. They wo
like dogs and scrimp in order to p
back the loan. Our only difficulty
the smallness of the fund. If any
your generously minded people at hol
feel like helping on this work, we sh
welcome such aid most heartily. Ag
culture is the salvation of the Lap, I
agriculture would have prevented t
famine of 1902 to 1908. -
THEY DISREGARD faint.
Il II Sheffield, Ala, July 24-The Alabal
"a State Baptist association has vot
Id una nimously to accept s25, 900 offered
IS j. D. Rockefeller toward building S
ence hall to Howard college at 3;