St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1915-08-11
COLONY OF FINNS
These Foreigners Are Reclaiming
Back Farms In AndOver.-Work-
ing On Their Own Responsibility.


In striking contrast with the dis
NAL failure Of the state to colonize
three parties of Swedes brought from
the old country some years ago, at
tention is called to the success of
some Firms in establishing them
selves in a district of worn-out and
abandoned farms in the town of An
dover. 1t is worthy of notice for the
illustration it affords that success
is to be obtained by going back to
first principles, such as have been
recently set forth in the books of
William Carleton, on zone Way
Out" and New Lives for Old"
Some years ago a Finn family in
Massachusetts was attracted by an
advertisement in one of the Boston
Sunday papers of a farm of 11O acres
in Vermont with buildings and apple
orchard to be had for $3.50. Con-
sulting with a lawyer who drew up
for them the papers, they made the
purchase and set themselves to
work in the true pioneer spirit to
make good. One who looks at the
farm today, since it has passed
through the hands of three success
advanced price, can but marvel at
grit that enabled that first family to
attempt a living upon this place as it
must have then appeared, remote
from highway, lands worn out,
buildings in decay, orchard bearing
chiefly wood. There was no roof be-
meath which their furniture could
find shelter from the rain. Moving
over all the acres that had once been
under cultivation, they gathered
barely hay enough the first summer
to feed one horse and cow. But
from that beginning has grown a col
ony of their countrymen which to-
day number 80 families and up
wards of 200 souls. And they are
making an economic success.
That first family advertised in the
Finnish papers and drew about them
those who took up one after another
of the abandoned farms, and those
about to be abandoned, in their
neighborhood. And certainly no
place in the state could have furnish
ed more such than this township.
This same family is now upon their
fourth purchase, having sold each OF
the former at an advance. A minia-
ture western boom in real estate is
manifest, and it has a solid basis,
which in some of the western ibooms
is sadly lacking, in that real values
have been put into these farms by
the improvements that have been
made in soils and in buildings. How
has it been done?
Working for Themselves.
Among the elements contributing
to success may be cited these. 1t is
a spontaneous movement, dependent
in no way upon outside aid, and
coddled by no patronage or alien
oversight. They are a sturdy and in
dependent folk, asking no more of
their Yankee neighbors than a fair
field and no favors. They are self
sufficient in their ability to secure
for themselves the fundamentals of
a comfortable existence. They have
the true pioneer spirit. Our fathers
had a virgin soil and no market.
They have a wornOut soil and good
markets. With this difference they
are much alike. They are co-opera-
tive, paying out absolutely nothing
for labor. The minimum of machin-
cry is needed, and the hay, the grain
and the potatoes are harvested by
exchange of labor. The women do
much of the work out-of-doors in the
hay field and in the care of stock; and
the potato digging is done by them
entirely in groups which make the
occasion one to look forward to with
joy because of its sociability. The
men are nearly all skilled as work
ers in wood or iron; and, when they
are not busted about home, find en-
ployment in the cities, especially in
the winter, as far distant as Fitch
burg, Mass, and even Pittsburgh,
Pa. For stock they have each a fam
lily cow or two and poultry, and
horses enough in the community for
their teaming. No pigs are yet to be
seen, for thus far, with one or two
exceptions, the milk is no more than
sufficient for family use.
In all but one of the families
young children are to be seen, fiaxen
haired and ruggy, numbering on the
average about a half dozen to the
household. Nearly one entire school
district is made up of them. The
old schoolhouse was burned, and
under contract with the town the
Firms put up an attractive new build
ing, slate rooted and metal sheathed
In several instances new buildings
have been erected for themselves,
showing a taste for something more
than bare utility.
They have this summer Jointly
purchased a gasoline engine and
shingle machine. One of their first
needs has been a tight roof over
their heads, which was secured by
the use of paroid, but of late
shingles from wood in their own lots
have been substituted. A threshing
machine is soon to come, and one silo
already built will call for a machine
for filling. They market in the win;
ter some pulp wood from their lots
and cord wood for fuel; in the spring
they have maple sugar to SELL Some
butter has gone to their countrymen
in Fitchburg, and cream for the gen
eral market is beginning to be fur
nished. For their own living aside
from bread, the staples are potatoes,