Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-01-15
GOING HOME RICH.
A Laborer With 5000 a Baron in
Hungary.


Hungary.
1t is estimated that within the past
three years over six hundred thousand
dollars have been sent to Hungary
from the Shenandoah (Pa.) region by
the foreigners who came there to
struggle for a few years by roughing
it, and then return home rich men.
These foreigners come to America,
live like animals, send home their saw
ings, work for next to nothing, live
cheaply, and in a few years save
enough to go back to Hungary and
live on the fat of the land ever after
ward. A sample story will fit into
hundreds of communities.
A reporter met an intelligent Hun
on his way to New York. He was
bound for Hungary. He could under
stand English only fairly, but suf1i-
GENTLY well to take part in q converse
ton. The following conversation took
place:
"You go back to HungaryP'
eyes"
elbow long have you been in Amer
ica?"
':Four years"
"'Your age"
s'Thirty-ive."
Glow much did you pay to come
here?"
':Sixteen dollars. 1 come under
contract. l work for my passage.
Pay to re agent so much a week until
it is all paid"
''Do many come to America in that
way?"
"Nearly all. A law is against it,
but foreign labor comes in nearly every
day under contract with some AGENT
why do you return to Hungary"
81 have saved enough money;
worked very hard; lived like a hog;
now | 90 back to live like a man in nv
native country"
How much have you saved in four
years?"
"Six hundred dollars. I sent all my
savings home by the month"
"How do you send money homer"
''With the postmasters. They do all
our business. We trust them"
''How much can a laborer earn in
Hungary by working hards"
"Six guldens a month, or about two
dollars and forty cents. In America 1
average eighteen dollars a month"
''Quite a difference"
eyes"
Glow much could you a v out of
your eighteen dollars?"
'sAbout thirteen dollars a month. It
costs five dollars a month for board,
wash, tobacco, rum and boots"
Nothing for clothes?"
81 bought one suit in four years"
"Then you saved $l56 a year, or 1924
in four years?"
81 sent home 5000, and 1924 1 have to
go back home with"
''How much does it cost you to live
in Hungary a year?"
"About $50; but then I live very
good"
''How will you invest your say
ings?"
S'Buy land or loan it out on first
mortgage"
Chow much interest can you get in
Hungary for your 5000 savings?"
Gone hundred guldens bring six
teen guldens interest a year; that is,
$40 American money bring $6.4O in
terest a year, or 5000 bring 1896 a year.
interest to me; three times more than
it will cost me to live"
''You have closely calculated it,"
"Long days and nights l calculated.
I do not overstate it. 1t is true. In
terest is high in Hungary. 1t keeps
all the people poor"
'.Then you will be a little nabob
when you get back homer"
OF get back safely I will be all
right. Il is a great risk to come to
America. Like a big lottery. Come
three thousand miles over the sea:
work hard here four years; live in a
shanty all together like pigs; eat rough
black bread, cheap potatoes; drink bad
rum; smoke strong tobacco; live with
rough, bad men, all men and no
women; very cold in winter; nothing
clean: sleep on straw on the floor; risk
in sending money home, might get lost
at sea; l might get sick, might get
killed; now l go back; must cross the
sea once more; do 1 get back? See
what a big risk-big lottery!"
"Where is your baggggage?"
81 have one when l come; I have
none when I go. am baggage. No
more"
"Did you never become a citizen of
the United Statcs?"
''No Sir. Out of about two thousand
Hungarians l know in America only
is a citizen"
';What is the highest wages you ever
got in American"
''Ninety cents a day."
"The lowest?"
"Fifty cents"
"HoW much did it average you for
board?"
Five dollarsa month. One man do
the cooking for twenty Huns. We paw
in so much apiece to pay for ALL"
"Do all Hungarians live in that way
herep"
'Nine-tenths of all who come to
America to stay only a few G ioin
together, and live cheap in that way"
Then you work cheap and cut down
the average rate of wages for labor in