1888-10-30-Wisconsin

Journal of David H. Morris

Morris, David H. Journal (Ms 1895), vol. 2, sec. 3, pp. 14-24.

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Oct. 30 - The people were all alive this morning getting their things together preparing for leaving the ship. I wrote a letter addressed to the captain and officers of the ship acknowledging in behalf of the Saints the kindness [p.19] shown towards us during our voyage. Brother Quigley signed it as president and I as secretary of company. During the morning the elders raised a little money of 14/$3.50 among themselves to tip the steerage stewards for their attention to the saints. From yesterday noon we had 252 miles to go but owing to the steam steering apparatus getting out of gear we were detained a little at Sandy Hook so that we did not get in until between three and four o'clock.

Our ship was brought to a stop a little ways out when the doctor and custom house officers came aboard. All the steerage passengers were marched by the doctor, each showing his vaccination card that he received from ship doctor. Then when we got started all cabin passengers, 1st and 2nd class, had to swear that he or she had only so many as the case might be trunks, boxes, bags, etc., and if they had anything that duty should be paid upon and what it was. Arriving at the docks all the cabin passengers were allowed to go off and then their baggage was examined by the officers. All the steerage passengers were to remain on board during the night as there was not time for them to have their luggage examined and then go through Castle Garden that night. The elders were allowed on board and the captain instructed to feed us good all hands. So after supper Brothers Quigley, Hill, Bradford, Giles, Seegmiller, and I took a stroll through Broadway. Brothers H. [Hill], T., B. [Bradford], getting tired came back to ship and the rest of us after seeing the sights on the streets went to 14 Street between 3rd and 4th Avenue to Tony Pastor's Theater of Varieties and spent a very pleasant time. There was one circle in which we went paying on schilling, 25 cents, I mean. New York is alive with political banners and cartoons in favor of both parties. The streets are not so well lighted as those of England or Ireland. The pavements are very rough and the streets rough.

Oct. 31 - Early this morning everything was on the move to all appearances. The Saints were off the boat at 8:30 a.m., got their boxes so as the officers [p.20] could examine them. Then after getting through with that part theirs and ours were put on board a tug and all of us got on board, elders, cabins, and steerage passengers, and taken to Castle Garden where the steerage passengers only got off, and after passing through came back we all got off at the Old Dominion Line docks where we went on board the "Breakwater," S. S. I must confess that when the elders went to bed it was to spend a sleepless night. You see that we all were anxious about the way we would pass as some twenty of last company were detained. So when we were ready to sail from Castle Garden, I could have thrown in my hat in the air and yelled for joy.

After getting on the "Breakwater," I got all the letters that were to post and with Charlie Seegmiller went to the general post office and bought some stamps, then changed my money at an exchange. Sent a telegram to Mrs. Adlamson at Ogden and then took a walk over the Brooklyn Bridge. The night of arrival in New York, Brother Q. [Quigley] and I gathered all the money the saints had and today Brother Q. [Quigley] changed in for them. Mr. Gibson and the Guion Line agent took all the responsibility of making us happy and it seemed as if he done all that was possible for he stayed with us until we were through the Gardens.

At 3:30 p.m. we sailed away from New York in a nice little steamer, but while we the elders, were provided with the best of accommodation having rooms on deck, the steerage passengers were very crowded not being room to lay down. Some slept while sitting up and others had to guard all night as there were others besides ourselves i.e. not belonging to the church. New York to Norfolk 380 miles. We had Negroes for waiters and American food and it was good.

Letter from John Quigley and D. H. Morris - November 1, 1888

Quigley, John; Morris, D. H., [Letter] Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star 50:48, (Nov. 1, 1888) p. 764.

Norfolk, Virginia, Nov. 1, 1888.

President George Teasdale,

Dear Brother, --

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We arrived in New York on Tuesday the 30th ultimo, but too late to go to Castle Garden that night, so we all remained on board.

Mr. Gibson, the Guion agent, met us at the dock and attended to everything that was necessary to make our transfer complete, and gave us what instructions we needed to enable us to proceed on our journey.

We all went on the tug after having our luggage examined by the customs officers, from the ship to Castle Garden, where the steerage passengers went ashore and passed the officers satisfactorily in less than a quarter of an hour, after which they came back to the tug where the cabin passengers and the luggage were. We then went to the Old Dominion Docks, where we all went on board the "Breakwater," and at 3 :30 p.m. we sailed for Norfolk.

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