The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1933-07-21
FIFTY YEARS AGO

HIS Oiu llOlue III r1IlldIlQ ana Willie
there he ran across letter he had
written to his brother-in-law, Gustaf
Stromsnas, telling of his trip to
America. The letter was written in
Swedish and translated into English
by Oscar Bodin.
The letter is being published with
the idea of showing the hardships
endured by the emigrant so years ago
as compared to the easy and rapid
method of crossing the ocean at the
present time. The letter as translated
reads:
ST. Paul, the 5th day of March, 1888.
My Always Remembered Brother:
Now, when occasion permits, I will
fulfill your request and write and in
form you how our trip TRANSFERRED. On
the 29th day of January, 1883 we
Jared, ten persons, from Sundby, by
drayhorSes, to Tervajoki station. The
31st we went from there by railway to
TammerSforS and the LIST day of Feb
ruary We continued from there to
Hango. The second day of February
we went out to the lighthouse, in hope
of being able to board an Express"
which we could see from land where
it was lying in the drift ice. The ice
was not strong enough to walk upon,
so we had to be content to lie on the
floor of the house of the f1reWatch near
the light house over night. The Bird
we tried again but in vain. Two pilots
tried to make the ship by means of
small boats and succeeded in getting
on board in order to bring in the mail.
Late that evening Capt. KorSman had
two men go with him and help him
haul the mail on small sled to Gust
affSvard, as the ice was to weak to hold
horses. So we betook ourselves to the
town, one pilot in front with Ian
tern and an ice chisel to try the ice.
After him came Capt. Korsman with a
lantern and compass as it was so dark
we could not see land. After them
followed my brother-in-law, GuStaf
Strbmenas, and I, dragging a sled
loaded with post sacks. When we came
near GuStafsSvard, we were met with a
horse and Korsman took the mail in
the sleigh and drove to the city. We
were left standing on the ice and were
SO tired that it was all we could do to
walk and had almost again as far to
walk to the town as we had covered.
Then we saw light in window >and
went there and were permitted to
sleep on the floor over night.
The 4th we went back to Hango but
it was not until the 5th that we could
get on board the ship. The ship did
not leave until the night between the
9th and 7th and there was so much ice
in the way that we did not get to
Stockholm before the morning of the
8th There we bought tickets over the
White Star Line to st. Paul. That
evening we left there on the night train
and arrived in Gotenburgh on the
morning of the 9th. In Gotenburgh
we met an agent who escorted us to
the Office where we exchanged our
tickets and afterwards to the police
headquarters where we received our
passes and where our papers were
cleared. Thereafter, we bought some
tin kettles and some plates, knives and
forks, for our use at mealtimes. The
agent then took us to the ship of the
Wilson line which immediately de-
parted for Hull.
AS soon as we entered the North Sea
we encountered brisk headwind. On
the 10th we had a storm. ALI that was
loose skidded back and forth and all
on board were seasick so that there
were not many at the table at dinner
time. During the night came an over
whelming sea that swept over the
gunwale and down on the deck under
which we were sleeping on shelves
that reached from one end to the other
of the room which was quite long.
There we lay, about two hundred emf
grants, with our feet toward the side
of the ship and our heads towards the
center of the room with only board
between us to separate us and with no
other covers than our street clothes.
AS the wave hit us, one of the braces
under one of the shelves broke, the
shelves being arranged one over the
other, two high. Then the lights went
out. At the same time one of the
emigrantS hollered, Lord Jesus, now
the boat has gone to pieces and we are
going to the bottom" Then, believe
me. there was rush by all, half naked
as they were, to the only opening that
led to the deck. But when the first to
reach the deck got their heads up and
saw how the water was washing over
the gunwale and over the deck, they
dared go no farther but remained in
the opening while those below pushed
on upwards, shouting with all their
might. I attempted to still their fears
and to assure them that things were
not so bad as long as the water did not
fill up the room. At last, when the
lights came on again, one and all
crept back to the hunks where they lay
sick and too weak to get up. The
atmosphere was unbearable. 1t goes
without saying that we were all glad
when, on the 18th late in the afternoon
we detected the dim lights of Hull. It
was not until the 18th that we reached
land.
After we had passed toll inspection,
we were escorted by an agent to a
restaurant, where we were given some
thing to eat and later to the railroad
station. A quarter after one, we started
out over England Here was much to
see, as the whole land consists, to
great extent, of factories and shops.
Eight times we went through tunnels
under the earth and at times over
factories and towns, where there were
streets and two and three story build
ingS under the railway over which we
rode, so that it was almost aweSome
to look down, considering the speed
with which we travelled. We came the
same day, at six o'clock, to Liverpool,
where we were met by an agent who
took us to place where we were
quartered over night. The 18th, in the
morning, he took us to the railway
station, whence we had a quarter of
an hours trip to Alexandra Dock,
where we boarded the White Star Line
liner Republic" which was ready to
sail for New York.
We had brisk headwind from the
start, but, in order to avoid seasickness,
I tried to stay on deck as much as
possible and to help the seamen with
one thing and another. The 14th we
came to a city in Ireland, where we
lay at anchor for awhile and where
they took on mail and a number of
Immigrants. We then continued, still
against the same headWind The 18th