Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-05-19
New SWeden's
10th Anniversary,

Hon. William w. Thomas, former
United States minister to- Sweden. who
has lived in that country greater part
of the time during the iast few years
arrived at his old home In Portland
Sunday for a few weeks visit. Mr..
Thomas, as he stated to a reporter
in an interview Monday, returned to
Maine because of two very interesting
events which occur in June. The first
Of these is the 50th anniversary of the
graduation of his class from Bowdoin
College and the other is the 10th ami
lversary Of the settlement of New Swed-
en-.
The latter event is especially inter-
estinS to Mr.. Thomas because New
Sweden is a monument to his foresight.
enterprise ard ability. Forty years ago,
after laboring for three years III the
Legislature, he secured the passage of
an act to encourage Swedish immigra-
ton to the State of Maine. He had
| been the wartime consul in Sweden
and had seen great hordes of Swedish
immigrants embarkings@there for all
parts of the United States.
| IF these hardy, God-fearing people
can find homes in otner parts Of my
country, why can't they establish
homes and be prosperous in Maine.
where they will have the same eli
mate. the same woods, and practically
the same conditions that they now
have at home?"
Mr.. Thomas repeated this statement
many times to men in Maine whom he
tried to interest in this undertaking.
Finally he was made the commissioner
and went to Sweden to secure immi-
grants. lie devoted his whole heart to
this undertaking, selected the best ma
terial available brought them over to
Maine and established them in the
dense forests. of Aroostook county. 1t
was the beginning of colony which
has grown and expanded until today no
town in Maine is more prosperous or
has better citizenship than has New
Sweden ..s
1T was Mr.. Thomas VINO erected the
sigrboard pointing out the path to
Maine business men and legislators.
showing them how our State might
secure population for the vast tracts
of land Which are now lying idle and
are practically of no value. He not
only erected the signboard pointing
out the path, but he staid by it until
it was gilded with success and planted
so deeply in the soil that time itself
would mot uproot it. Had Maine fol-
lowed Thc example thus established
there would have been many instead of
four or five settlements like New
Sweden in this State.
To a Press reporter Mr. Thomas
said:
YES, l am back in Portland again.
7 arrived Sunday from across the pond
and am now back in my old home,
where | passed my boyhood days.
Portland is always to me the beautiful
city by the sea, but it never seemed
more beautiful to me than itSdoes now
| in the month of May. when the leaves
on the trees are coming forth in their
spring freshness and the robins are
hopping about upon the lawns.
an the little time l have had to GO
about since I arrived I notice that a
| great many new buildings have been
built or are in the process OF erection
since i was mere two years ago. and
these buildings, whether public or prl-
vate, are all of large, solid and sub
stantial kind. This shows that Portland
is growing and although she may not
he growing rapidly she appears to be
growing in a solid and substantial
way, which is the better growth.
81 have returned this year partly to
participate i'm two events which are &c
me of great heartfelt interest. The hrs'
event is the 50th anniversary of the
graduation of my class from Bowdolf
College, the class of 1860. in which were
MANY Portland boys. I may mention
among these Judge j. w. Symonds. Gen
John Marshall Brown, Col. Albert w
Bradbury. the two Boyds and the great
Speaker of the National House of Rep
1resentatives. Thomas B. Reed. we grad
uated in 1860 numbering Sc. There are
only 20 of these men living today and we
hope that all of these 20 will be at the
| Bowdon Commencement this year. bu'
| it is sad to think that the vacant chalrs
at our feast will outnumber those that
will have living occupants.
'The second event which is of great I'M
portance to me will occur on June 20 t"e
days after the Bowdoin Commencement
This is the 10th anniversary OF the ia!
on which a little band of Swedish COLO
nists set sail from the shores OF old SWe-
den under. my leadership to found ne"
Sweden in the forests of northern NAME
That little band numbered 81 men. Womef
and children. There are today in Maine
in our Swedish colony and I'm settlements
surrounding the original colony many
thousands of Swedcs whom the founding
of that colony added to the population OF
our State They are good, honest. M
dustrious, God-fearing band of fmmi'
grants who make good citizens here ano
Everywhere they settle.
1T does not seem possible to me, as
sit here this afternoon, that IT was AZ
wears ago when this Swedish colony was
drought over to Maine. / can remember
lust how it seemed when these coionists
determined to establish a new home fol
themselves in wilderness began chop
ping down the trees and preparing Tor the
clearing of their land. just think OF the
courage it took for these men and wo-
men to come over here into strange
Hand and begin new life in an unknown
country. For three years i had to stand
nv them to encourage and counsel them
and IA see to it that the new colony made
M mistakes and was firmly established
After several months of hard work the
men had their first burning of timber
i