1859-10-01-Emerald Isle
Excerpts From a Letter by Heinrich Hug
Hug, Heinrich. "Excerpts From a Letter". Der Darsteller der Heiligen der Letzten Tage, (Dec. 1859), vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 8-13. Translated by Brooks Haderlie.
The 29th of September 1859 was a day of good news for us. The pilot came early in the morning, and he had command of the ship from now on until we were in the harbor. This was an indication to us that we were close to land; therefore this man, who came accompanied by two others in a small rowboat, was received by the passengers on the deck with great rejoicing.
In the afternoon, there was much noise on the ship: "Land, land!" From now on there were more people on deck than usual, for everyone wanted to see the land which was coming closer and closer. Towards evening a steamship came into the estuary by Long Island in order to bring our ship to New York. But the captain found the steamer to be too small to be able to bring our ship to its port of destination. Therefore the anchor was dropped to keep us in this position until another larger steamer came to provide the same service for us. Early in the morning, at the break of day, such a steamer arrived, and while the sun reflected her friendly face, our ship traveled like a revived morning pilgrim between two dear shores into the bay. All of the people on the ship changed their clothes, as fine and elegant as if we were expecting a great celebration. After our ship had been pulled in this manner for about 45 miles, we finally had the anxiously awaited New York before our eyes. Soon after this, the steamer left our ship standing at the port, and after a few minutes the examining doctor and the customs agents came and immediately commenced with their work. As to our baggage, things went much better than we could have expected; i.e., [p.9] they weren't even inspected. The first customs agent simply asked me in the presence of the first mate, "What kind of goods do all of you have in your bags?" To this question I answered: As far as I know, there are items of clothing, hand tools and kitchen tools, also bedding and other unimportant items. Then he asked me: But is this really true? I responded to him: I can give you no different or more accurate information than I have already given you. He appeared to be sufficiently satisfied with this information, so that our trunks could be removed from the ship with an examination, and yet we had more and larger bags than the others, which, judging by appearances, would have been worth inspecting. But no, we were spared this. This great favor, which was granted to only a few others, I attribute to another situation, which I will tell you so that it might be of use to you. -- When the inspection and the exiting from the ship began, there was a lot of crowding on the ship, for each person wanted to leave the same as soon as possible. When we saw this, we said to one another: We will wait until the last, we will still get on land as soon as the others. They had to go to a steamer and wait there until everything and everybody was transported there, and only after this happened would it finally carry us to the land. So we waited patiently until last, when we had time to bring our goods all on deck, and we could watch as the other passengers, who had smaller and less significant trunks, had to open them. But as there were many passengers on board, this business took up a great deal of time, and so it was that towards the end, the trunks had to be opened less often and we as the last ones could enjoy the great fortune of not being inspected at all.
When we were all finally on the above-mentioned steamer, it traveled to the Castle Garden. This is a large building furnished for the emigrants, which is one of the best buildings equipped for the immigrants into the new world to provide them protection and benefits. I want to tell you about it in a few short words with the intention of providing you all as much knowledge about emigrating as possible.
This Castle Garden is a large, round and free-standing building, lying close to the sea shore. To its left is a [p.10] beautiful garden area with many shade trees in which many wonderful walking paths crossed. On the right is the North River, a bay reaching into the land, where many steamers and sailboats rest.
This house which was built by the government for the purpose of immigration would have enough room to hold many ships filled with immigrants, even if they all disembarked on the same day and were brought to the building. This includes the trunks, which also are given their place. If you wish, you can leave them here for fourteen days without having to pay anything. Even the immigrant can stay here for eight days without paying, and eat and drink, much or little, expensive or economical, as he wishes; he is completely free (to do so). No riffraff can come into this building (but you can find it often enough outside of the building), who scheme to swindle the good emigrants in every manner and who know and use every dodge.
I must mention something about the baggage and the trunks. -- While still on the emigration ship we received a tag made of brass from an official from the Castle Garden, the tag having a number on it, and another tag with the same number is affixed to those trunks which one claims to be his property. One must take good care of the first tag, for only by means of the same can one obtain his trunk again. At the same time, this tag serves as an identification card which allows you to enter and exit the Castle Garden. Once one picks up one's baggage, one must surrender this token, and one no longer has a right to go into the Castle Garden.
When we walked into the Castle Garden and came into the inner hall, we had another stopping point where we had to wait until we could pass through the Registration Office. One must go different paths there, and only after one has completed these prescribed ceremonies is one finally free, and one can leave immediately or remain there longer.
After we had passed this Registration Office, B. Lark, secretary to President Cannon and Branch President of New York, was waiting for us. Brother Cannon was in Philadelphia at the time, otherwise he would have picked us up. -- After we consulted back and forth at length about what would be the best for us to do, we went to an English inn, where many of our Saints [p.11] had taken lodging and which is only about five minutes away from the Castle Garden. For the money, one can have what one wants here, and we took our fill as the first time in a long time on solid ground. We were all quite happy, so that we sang a song among other things. Among them: "Ye Chosen Ones Rejoice". To the amazement of all we received the report here that we should stay here in New York this winter, because that was felt to be the most expedient for us.
In the morning (Saturday) it was hard to leave the good beds and the beautiful rooms. We stayed in the same place until the afternoon, in that we were well treated and comfortably lodged for this city. In the morning we retrieved our trunks, such that they were loaded on four large carts from the Castle Garden and were brought to Williamsburg (a large suburb of New York) to Brother Stone.
Towards evening Brother Lark marched at the head of our company through the busy streets of the city to the place to which we had sent the trunks. Along the way, we had to travel on a steamer across an inlet of the sea, which only cost one cent, or 5 Rappen in Swiss money, per person. When we arrived at Brother Stone's (president of a district), we were very well received. A good coffee plus all the accessories offered to us for evening meal. After dinner, Brother Lark, Stone and some other brethren came with me and Brother Stucki to look for apartments for us, during which is rained hard and night had already fallen. We came back after approximately one hour, during which we had rented enough apartments for the time being, but only one for one month and we paid the rent in advance.
Sunday, the 2nd of October, we attended meetings twice, which were held not far from us, and where the Saints in all of New York meet every Sunday. The number of the New York branch members amounts to almost 300, which are in turn divided into districts, of which there are ten. Each week, each has its own meetings, and priesthood meeting every 14 days, but on Sundays all of them meet here at this location. The presidents of the districts, with the president of the branch, take the seats in front, from where they preach, indeed they sit in a semi-circle which is raised a few [p.12] steps. To the side, below, is the vocal and musical choir, which is well-practiced. -- The following musical instruments are played: two violins, a bass fiddle, and a flute, which harmonize together very well.
On the 3rd, we set up our apartments, and then from this time on we looked as quickly as possible to obtain work and an income; for living here without an income would rapidly deplete our purses. The women and men who know a craft soon have positions and a good income here if they want to work. Especially those who understand English can select their own position. A maid usually earns 3 to 7 dollars per month plus good meals. Most of our people who wanted to work were able to start in service positions in the course of this week, and they received varying, larger and smaller wages. The brethren who knew a handicraft were also soon provided for, as quickly as the sisters; but to find places for those who have no profession was somewhat difficult, especially if they don't understand anything about the English language. However, even this can be done. We have come here happily, so that we can recognize the goodness and care of our Heavenly Father in all things and thank Him for this.
As to the fashions and customs here, I can only tell you that the German will put away many of his things and adopt many things from the Americans. Doing so puts one in a better position, and one avoids the finger-pointing. Naturally, the Americans don't conform to the immigrants, the latter must conform themselves to the former.
Journal of Henry Hug
Hug, Heinrich. Journal, donated by Kent Hug, translated from German by Brooks Haderlie, pp. 140, 142-47.
The 29th of September was a day of good news. Early in the morning, the pilot or pilot boat captain came, who was to take command of the ship from now until we reached the harbor; this was a sign to us that we were very near to land, therefore this man, who was accompanied by two others in a small boat, was received with a loud shout of joy from the passengers on the upper deck.
The afternoon brought noise to the upper deck: "Land, land." From now on, more people were to be seen on the upper deck than usual, in order to see the land which was coming closer and closer. Towards evening, a steamer came in the mouth of the dock at Loup [UNCLEAR] Island in order to bring our ship to New York. But the captain found the steamer too small to bring our ship to its place of destination. The anchor was thrown to our ship, and one waited in this position until another large steamer would come which could probably perform the service. A ship of this sort arrived early in the morning; and in the beginning of the 30th of September, while the sun reflected its friendly face magnificently, our ship traveled like a newly revived morning pilgrim between two lovely banks along the bay, and all of the passengers changed their clothes, such as we had never seen the people on the ship, so beautifully and gracefully as if one were awaiting great festivities. After the ship had been pulled in this way approximately 45 miles, we finally had the long-awaited New York in front of our eyes. Soon afterwards the steamer left our ship stand in front of the roads; and after a few minutes the examining doctor and the customs people (four customs officials there, who rapidly performed their business on the ship). As far as our trunks were concerned, it went better than we could have wished for. That is to say: They weren't even examined. The first customs official simply asked me in the presence of the first mate: "Now what kinds of goods do you all have in your trunks?" To this I answered: "As far as I know, there are items of clothing, hand tools and kitchen utensils, and also butter and other insignificant items, as far as I can imagine." Whereupon he asked me: "But is this really so!" My response to this was, in short: "I can not provide any different and more accurate information than I have already told you." He seemed to be sufficiently satisfied with this information, that our trunks were able to be brought out of the ship without being inspected, even though we had the largest trunks in number and size, which gave the greatest appearance of needing to be inspected. But no, we were relieved of this! We also ascribe another reason to this, which I would like to write for your instruction so that it might be of use to you. For as the examination and the exodus out of the ship started to take place, there was a large crowding because everyone wanted to be the first to leave this inhabited ship. When we saw this, we said to one another, "We will wait to be the last; in the end, we'll get onto the land just as soon as the others." For they just had to go onto another ship (a steamer) which was designed to bring us and everything across, where it would then take us to the land. So we simply waited calmly until the end, such that we could then leisurely bring our things up to the upper deck. Also, after we were on the upper deck, we could watch to see how often the other passengers, who had small and insignificant trunks, had to open the same. [p. 146] However, since this business was time-consuming, and many passengers were now on land, towards the end, the opening occurred less and less often, until we Germans had the great fortune of not even being checked. I intend to write this because it can be of use to you during your emigration if you take note of this.
As we now found ourselves on the steamer, about which I wrote previously, it proceeded to the Castle Garden (Schlossgarten in German), a building arranged for the emigrants, which is one of the best buildings for the immigrants into the new world for their protection and use, as I would like to explain with a slightly meandering account. This is also with the intent of providing you with as much knowledge as possible relative to the emigration.
This Castle Garden is a large round building, and apart from all houses, lying right next to the artificial shoreline. Located very closely on the left are many shade trees in which many walking path cross. To the right is the North River, a bay which draws into the countryside, where many steam ships and sailing vessels lie at rest.
Thus, this house built by the government for the emigrants to use would have enough room to hold many ships filled with emigrants if they disembarked on one day and were to be brought to the same; the trunks included, which also had their good and well-ordered places. If one wishes, he can leave them here 14 days without charge. Even the emigrant can stay here 8 days overnight without charge, and can order something or nothing to eat, or much or little, or expensive or inexpensive. In short, he can live as he wishes. And no bad riffraff is allowed in this building, which one can meet often enough if one goes outside of the same, who desire to use all methods to swindle something out of the good emigrants and who know every trick, and who try to use them.
I still need to say something regarding the situation with luggage and suitcases. When one is still on the ship, one receives a token made of brass with a number, which an official from the Castle Garden gave us, while he attaches my other token with the same number to the trunks which one claims. Therefore one must take good care of these tokens. For only with these numbers or tokens can one retrieve the trunks. Also, these tokens are like a passport for leaving and entering the Castle Garden. As soon as one gives up these tokens, upon receipt of one's trunks, one no longer has a right to go into the same.
Now as we entered into in this house I just described, and came into the inside lobby, once again we had a standstill, where we had to wait until we could pass the registration office, where one had to go through different ways. And once one finally has these required ceremonies behind one's self, each is immediately free to leave, or to wait longer and eat and drink whatever he likes; in short, then one is free.
Once we passed through this registration office, Brother Lark, secretary to President Cannon and Branch President of New York, waited for us, for Brother Cannon was in Philadelphia at that time, otherwise he would have picked us up. On this evening we found our way, after we had counseled back and forth what would be the best to do, to an English inn which had already put up many of us Saints, and which lies approximately only 5 minutes from the Castle Garden. At this place we all found ourselves very amicable, as this was the first time in a long time that we were on solid ground, and where one can have what one will for the money. On the whole we were all cheerful, so that we sang a song among other things. One of them was "Rejoice Ye Chosen Ones."
