The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1921-02-23
AND HIS NAME WAS JOHN.
(By Gunnar Bjornson.)


(By Gunnar Bjornson.)
7 IT'S NAME was John and he had come from
II Somewhere in Europe bound for nowhere"
= = in America. He did not know, when he
left Europe, that America as large as it is.
When he landed in New York he could not find
anyone who spoke his native language. After
much wandering about, he found the office of the
steamship line that carried him over. He made
known that he wanted something, but what it
was was not easy for an ordinary, plain Ameri
can to make out.
They tried out several interpreters on him be-
fore they found one to match.
John told the interpreter that he wanted to find
some spot where there were more Johns. The in
terpreter told him that Minnesota was pretty
spotted" state and that probably he could find
there just the shade he was looking for.
An errand boy was sent with him to the prop
er railroad station ticket was procured and John
was hustled abroad west-bound flyer.
The great terminal station, the throngs that
were coming and going, the hustle and the hustle
of it all, and the many tracks and trains, were
something to startle one who saw them for the
first time, but not so with John. He was Impress
ed, many times he wondered whether or not it
were possible that all the people in America came
to New York every evening" to stay the night and
then went out again to their work in the morning.
Surely there could not be more people in Amerl-
ca than were leaving that station that morning!
Thus this silent meditated, wondering at
what he saw; but not surprise on his counten-
anee, not question in his look-he expected to
see things in America, so why should he show
surprise?
ND SUCH beautiful train! Of course, the
II brakeman had seen that John not zone
of u.s." and so he had hustled him on into
the smoking car. But what of it! To John it was a
palace on wheels He had never taken ride in
anything like tk9t before! Those large windows!
Those soft springy seats! Those brightly shining
lamps!
How different from that dirty steerage!
For three weeks John had been locked up In a
pig-pen, surraunded by puking peasants and pull
ing kids.
What relief! What difference!
The train emerged from the city into the sun
light!
John had never before gone as fast as that in
all his life.
And now cigars and pipes are brought out from
grips and pockets and soon the car fills with
that peculiar atmosphere which exists nowhere
outside of an American smoking car!
To John it was the aroma of the gods. Such
delicious tobacco smoke he had never before ex-
perienced the luxury of inhaling!
He fell asleep and dreamed that he was reclln-
ing on a bed of down, his face cooled by aternat-
ing currents from perfumed fans in the hands OF
beautiful fairies!
Poor john for several years he had dreamed
about America, and here he was, making for the
sn r0o1 oY1r
matter-of-fact way-and yet in dream!
- re FOUND his "spot' in Minnesota, where
- they spoke the tongue he could understand
! = The dream is over John is very much
awake now.
He arrived about month before harvest and
he had been hard at work trying to get himself
adjusted to conditions he had never known and
to positions that he had never dreamt Of
r was a hard month for John, this first month
in America.
His countrymen, who were themselves new
comers," could not give him employment and So
he hired out to man who talked English.
Johns body was not accustomed to the food
that he got, his hands were not used to the work
ha was assigned his ears refused to convey any
;ntellipent idea of the language that he heard
and his tongue could not articulate single Woro
that could make his wishes known
Iohn was no longer dreaming about fairies and
perfumed fans.
NJ was milking cows that were everlastingly
su;tchinp their dirty tails in his face.
And then came harvest!
Unless YOU have been newcomer" and gone
+hrouoh harvest, when they cut with the old
reaner that had the rakes on it, and bound on the
ground. YOU don't know what John suffered that
harvest!