Page 131 - Family History

Family Stories

Feb. 27, 1872, A few days before I left, Father said to me, it was not necessary for

me to go to America as he had money there was mine and I could have it, and start out

for myself. I however wanted to go to America. I father gave me travelling expenses. 86

reigadales, 14 crowns, 8 shillings. With this money I left for America. Bought tickets in

Copenhagen for Chicago, Ill. from N. P. Fredericksen, agent in Hamburg and Liverpool,

England where a ship Minesota took us aboard for New York. After a stormy travel, we

reach Chicago, about April 1st. and was taken to Hotel Lansing St., where I stood

with tears in my eyes, having only 25 cents and not any friends. A stranger passing all.

A Dane passing spoke to me in my language and I told him my trouble. He went and found

a Danish woman living at 183 Browns St. who took me and some others in. We were five

travelling together. She took good care of us. We were made clean and wanted us to take

a few days out before seeking work, which was plentiful, coming right after the large

fire. I stayed in Chicago until April 15th. Andrew Erickson who travel with me from

Denmark had a brother living in Marquette, Iowa who work for him to come to Iowa and
sent him money for the trip. I went along and his brother carred for us until we found

work, which was filling around a depot, but only lasting a short time. I next tryed a

brick yard. S. Peterson was in Chicago, he was one of the five leaving Denmark and as

he was not in good health, I decided to go back to Chicago. So on July 3rd, I found work

near Oak Park with Mr. Harry Osburne Laville, where I stayed Nov. 5th 1872. From

there I left with S. Peterson for Wilcox Elk Co. Pennsylvania, and worked for the

Wilcox Lumber Co. till Oct. 16th 1875 except a part of the winter, I was staying with

Mr. Jacob Lock, a farmer, living near Wilcox. About this time stopt. Mills idle, no work

to be found. S. Peterson and myself thinking it bad to lay idle and spend in idleness but

what we by hand worked accumulated decided to try our luck at something. So we went to

Irvington, leased a lot, put up a cheap building and we started with 10 horse engines

making axe handles which eventually turned out ok and on May 15th, I left Irvington to

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