p.1...Next Saturday, the Swedish Communist Colony will celebrate the founding of its mother colony at Bishop Hill, Illinois, seventy years ago. This celebration is to commemorate one of Swedish-American's most important undertakings in this country.

As the Pilgrims come to Plymouth Rock, so came the Swedish colonists here to find religious liberty, and the history of the foundation of this colony is not so interesting only because it was the first Swedish colony in the west, but also on account of its peculiar characteristies. The founders composed a sect, which originated in their native land. This colony might be called communistic and was governed by the founder of this sect. Its history is both 2romantic and educating.

In the celebration next Saturday the Swedish-American California Club will take a preminent part. Two of its members, bank director, Henry S. Henschen, and the well-known lawyer, Edwin A. Olson, have been asked to speak on this occasion. The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad has arranged special trains to leave Union Station at 9 A.M., arriving at the destination at noen, whereupon lunch is served. The festival program will begin some time in the early afternoon. Dinner will be served on the train returning to Chicago in the evening. The cost of the round trip, including meals, is ten dollars ($10). Those wishing to take part will kindly register with Edward C. Westman, 518 Sherman St., N.A.Nelson. 30 N. La Salle St., or direct to Henry A. Henschen, 135 W. Washington St.

A short resume of the colony's history follows:

In the beginning of the 1840's a strong religious movement stirred up the people in Helsingland and adjoining counties in Sweden, its leader was a farmer, Erik Jensen, a man of a powerful personality, from Upland. He exercised an almost hypnotic influence on those with whom he came in contact, particularly on those who recognized him as their prophet. Otherwise he had much in common with the Puritan leaders. His new found conviction about the fallacy of the life and teachings within the Swedish State Church, was just as powerful as the two arms, with which he honestly fought to obtain the wherewithal for his family from the little farm he owned and worked. He started to preach. This incited the rabble to cause trouble at his meetings; then civil authorities took a hand in the conflict. Erik Jansson was thrown in prison and told to stay neutral in this spiritual fight. This happened several times. During all this a long nourished plan ripened into realization to find a place on the other side of the Atlantic where the sect would not be molested. Ever since Olof Olson from Kingsta in 1845 was sent out to reconnoiter the new land and having found a likable 4place in Illinois, Erik Jansson gathered together all his faithful and began that adventurous trip to America, reaching in due time Victoria, Ill., July 1st, 1846. The first parcel of land was bought in Henry County for $250, later 156 acres with buildings, cattle and crops and still later 480 acres were bought from the government for $1.25 per acre. The place was coded Bishop Hill after the leader's birthplse, Biskopkulla, in Sweden. Later about a thousand of Janson's followers arrived under the leadership of trusted men. Like the first Christians of old, they had everything in common, and this communistic system prevailed for a long time.

Out of the bleak prairie comfort and wealth was created. The people prayed and worked, new additions to the population arrived from the old land; some brought money with them, others enriched the colony with their education and experience, and everything progressed well for some time. Near the town 5was found clay suitable for the manufacture of brick, and in a short time, large solid buildings arose, many of which are still standing; among those is to be found the old colony church, built two years after the foundation of the settlement.

The colony's main occupation was, of course, farming, which was carried on scientifically, but many of the inhabitants were good mechanics in different trades and applied their knowledge to good advantage. In a short time the town had blacksmith shops, brewery, cloth factory, dyehouse, flour mill, public bath, and shops fer the manufacture of wagons, farming tools, furniture, harness shop, clothes, and shoes. Flax was raised on a large scale and cloth was woven. Surplus goods was sold in neighborhood towns and in Chicago. But all did not continue to go so well. In August 1849 a Norwegian troup brought with them cholera, and many died.

An attempt to improve the colony's ecomonic position by sending out a gold- 6seeking expedition to California did not succeed. The most serious tragedy happened shortly afterwards. A deserter from the Swedish Army, an officer named John Root, tried to kidnap his wife from the colony, who he married with the understanding that she was to remain in the colony, even if he himself wished to leave. In his attempt to break an agreement caused him to be taken to court, and in the court room in Cambridge, Root shot and killed Erik Jansson, May 13, 1850, then forty-two years old.

The colony was now without a leader neither spiritually nor worldly, as Erik Jansson had been the law. After his death his widow appointed Andrew Berglund as leader until her son Eric became of age. The latter is still alive, the veteran Capt. Eric Johnson seventy-eight years old and living at Clearwater, Cal., and will be present at this Jubilee, Saturday, as the most historically important personality there.

During this latter father's guardian leadership of Bishop Hill a revolution broke 7out, bloodless as it was, the leader was the powerful Jonas Olson, who had been in charge of the gold-seeking expedition. The affairs of the colony were now in the hands of group of seven men, composed of: Jonas Olson, Olof Johnson, Jonas Ericson, Jacob Jacobson, Jonas Kronberg, Swan Swanson and Peter Johnson, the latter replaced by Olaf Stoneberg. In the year 1854 the building of the city of Galva was begun, originally called Gefle after a large industrial city in Sweden.

This was an economic undertaking and a few years later the colony could show $1,000,000 to its credit, the direct result of meeting and working in harmony wrestling a livellhood from what was before a desert, and today surrounded by many other growing towns in the heart of the state. In about 1860 the colony reached its zenith. The communistic idealism was thrown overboard, and it was agreed to divide the property. Altogether 10,857 acres were allotted.

In this connection a long and costly court procedure sprang up, which was 8finally settled through a compromise in 1879. The colony's religious unity disappeared and so did the old "Janssonism." The colony looks today as it did in the days of old, only more overgrown with weed and moss. The younger generation, who had grown up at Bishop Hill, spread out through the west and there mingled with the rest of the population. During the Civil War a large number of these colonist joined the colors and fought for the preservation of the Union. Among these we find the above mentioned sons of Erik Jansson and Andrew Berglund, of which the latter won the rank of lieutenant in the battle of Shiloh, Many other well-known countrymen are descendants of this colony: The at one time so active politician, Jonas Olson, in Galva; the late editor of Svenska Tribunen, Andrew Chaiser and others.

On Sept. 23, 1896 the fiftieth anniversary of the foundation of the colony was celebrated with great pomp, it was really a "Home-Coming" day with participants from all over the country. Quite a few of the original colonists were still alive, among them the ninety year old leader, Jonas Olson, who now reposed on 9the ruins of the work, he founded, built up and wrecked. At this festival a monument was unveiled in Bishop Hill, with the following inscription: "Dedicated to the memory of the hardy pioneers who, in order to secure religious liberty, left Sweden, their native land, with all the endearments of home and kindred, and founded Bishop Hill Colony, on the uninhabited prairies of Illinois, Sept. 23, 1846. Erected by the surviving members and descendants on the fiftieth anniversary, Sept. 23, 1896."

In the later years a memorial festival has been held in Bishop Hill under the auspices of Bishop Hill Old Settlers' Association.

The festival this year is expected to surpass anything held hitherto and should compare favorably with the half-century celebration.