SLAVS
56
SLAVS
large and enterprising Press, publishing some four-
teen papers. The chief ones are: "Slovensky Den-
nik" (Slovak Journal), a daily, of Pittsburg; "Slovak
V Amerike" (Slovak in America), of New York;
"Narodne Noviny" (National News), a weekly, of
Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, with 38,000 circulation;
"Jednota" (The Union), also a weekly, of Middle-
town, Pennsylvania, with 35,000 circulation; and
"Bratstvo" (Brotherhood) of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsyl-
vania. There are also Protestant and Socialistic
Slovak journals, whose circulation is small. Among
the distinguished Slovaks in the United States may
be mentioned Rev. Joseph Murgas of Wilkes-Barre,
who, in addition to his work among his people, has
perfected several inventions in wireless telegraphy
and is favourably known in other scientific matters.
IX. Slovenes {Slovcnec; adjective slovenski, Slove- nian). — These come chiefly from south-western Austria, from the Provinces of Carniola (Kranjsko; Ger., Krain). Carinthia (KoroSko; Ger., Karnten), and Styria (Stajersko; Ger., Sleiermark); as well as from Resia (Resja) and Udine (Videm) in north- eastern Italy, and the Coast Lands (Primorsko) of Austria-Hungary. Their neighbours on the south- west are Italians; on the west and north, Germans; on the east, Germans and Magyars; and towards the south, Italians and their Slavic neighbours the Croatians. Most of them are bOingual, speaking not only the Slovenian but also the German language. For this reason they are not so readily distinguishable in America as the other Slavs, and have less trouble in assimilating themselves. At home the main centres of their language and literature have been Laibach (Ljubljana), Klagenfurt (Celovec), Graz (Gradec), and Gorz (Gorica), the latter city being also largely Italian. In America they are sometimes known as Austrians, but are more often known as "Krainer", that being the German adjective of Krain (Carniola), from whence the larger number of them come to the United States; sometimes the word has even been mispronounced and set down as "Griner". The Slovenes became kno\\Ti somewhat early in the history of the United States. Father Frederic Baraga was among the first of them to come here in 1830, and began his missionary work as a priest among the Indians of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, and finally became the first Bishop of Marquette, Michigan. He studied the Indian languages and wrote their grammars and history in his various English, Cierman, and Slovenian works. He also published several catechisms and religious works in Slovenian, and brought over several other Slovenian priests.
In Calumet, Michigan, the Slovenes settled as early as 1856; they first appeared in Chicago and in Iowa about 1863, and in 1866 they founded their chief farming colony in Brockway, Minnesota. Here they still preserve their own language and all their minute local peculiarities. They came to Omaha in 1868, and in 1873 their present large colony in Joliet, Illinois, was founded. Their earliest settlement in New York was towards the end of 1878, and gradually their numbers have increased until they have churches in Haverstraw and Rockland Lake, where their language is used. They have also established farm settlements in Iowa, South Dakota, Idaho, Washington, and in additional places in Minnesota. Their very active immigration began in 1892, and has been (1900-1910) at the rate of from 6000 to 9000 annually, but has lately fallen off. The official government statistics class them along with the Croatians. There are now (1911) in the United States a little over 120,000 Slovenes; practically aU of them are Catholics, and with no great differences or factions among them. There is a leaning towards Socialism in the large mining and manufacturing centres. In Pennsylvania there are
about 30,000; in Ohio, 15,000; in Illinois, 12,000;
in Michigan, 8000; in Minnesota, 12,000; in Colorado,
10,000; in Washington, 10,000; in Montana, 5000;
in California, 5000; and in fact there are Slovenes
reported in almost every state and territory e.\cept
Georgia. Their immigration was caused by the
povert}' of the people at home, especially as Carniola
is a rocky and mountainous district without much
fertility, and neglected even from the times of the
Turkish wars. Latterly the institution of Raffeisen
banks, debt-paying and mutual aid associations,
introduced among the people by Ihe Catholic partj'
(Slovenska Ljudska Stranka), has diminished immi-
gration and enabled them to live more comfortably
at home.
The Slovenes are noted for their adaptability, and have given many prominent missionary leaders to the Church in the United States. Among them are Bishops Baraga, Mrak, and Vertin (of Marquette), Stariha (of Lead), and Trobec (of St. Cloud); Mon- signori StibU, Buh, and Plut; Abbot Bernard Loc- nika, O.S.B.; and many others. There are some 92 Slovenian priests in the United States, and twenty- five Slovenian churches. Many of their churches are quite fine, especially St. Juscph's, Joliet, Illinois; St. Joseph's, Calumet, Michiftan; and Sts. Cyril and Methodius, Sheboygan, Wisconsin. There are also mixed parishes where the Slovenes are united with other nationalities, usually with Bohemians, Slovaks, or Germans. There are no exclusively Slovenian religious communities. At St. John's, Minnesota, there are six Slovenian Benedictines, and at Rock- land Lake, New York, three Slovenian Franciscans, who are undertaking to establish a Slovenian and Croatian community. From them much of the information herein has been obtained. The Francis- can nuns at Joliet, Illinois, have many Slovenian sisters; at Kansas City, Kansas, there are several Slovenian sisters engaged in school work; and there are some Slovenians among the Notre Dame Sisters of Cleveland, Ohio. Archbishop Ireland of St. Paul, Minnesota, sent to Austria for Slovenian seminarians to finish their education here, and also appointed three Slovenian priests as professors in his diocesan seminary, thus providing a Slovenian-American clergy for their parishes in his province.
There are several church and benevolent organiza- tions among the Slovenians in America. The princi- pal ones are: Kranjsko Slovenska Katoliska Jednota (Krainer Slovenian Catholic Union), organized in April, 1894, now having 100 councils and a member- ship of 12,000; Jugoslovenska Katoliska Jednota (South Slovenian Catholic LTnion), organized in Jan., 1901, having 90 councils and 8000 members; besides these there are also Slovenska Zapadna Zveza (Slovenian Western Union), with 30 councils and about 3000 members, Drustva Sv. Barbara (St. Barbara Society), with 80 councils, chiefly among miners, and the semi-socialistic Delvaska Podporna Zveza (Workingmen's Benevolent Union), with 25 councils and a considerable member- ship. There are also Sv. Rafaolova Druiba (St. Raphael's Society), to assist Slo\'enian immigrants founded by Father Kasimir, O.F.M., and the Society of Sts. CjtU and Methodius to assistSlovenian schools, as well as numerous singing antl gymnastic organiza«- tions. The Slovenians publish ten newspajDers in the United States. The oldest is the Catholic weekly "Amerikanski Slovenec" (.\merican Slovene), es- tablished in ISOl at Joliet, and it is the organ of the Krainer Slovenian Catholic Union. "Glas Naroda" (Voice of the People), established in 1892 in New York City, is a daily pajier somewhat Liberal in its views, but it is the official organ of the South Slavonic Catholic Union and the St. Barbara Society. "Ave Maria" is a religious moiillily ])ul)li,<hed by the Franciscans of Rockland Lake, New York. "Glas-
