Everywhere Some Useful Advice for Emigrants to America

Some Useful Advice for Emigrants to America

Here is the English translation of an advertisement pamphlet published in 1870 by an emigration agent in Gothenburg. He offers some advice to prospective customers before they leave Sweden for America. In particular, note the dig at Irish passengers in paragraph 12, and the SwedishNorwegian criticism of Denmark in paragraph 15 for offering emigrants cheaper fares across the Atlantic. W hen someone decides to emigrate to America, the following questions arise: Which shipping line and which routes should I choose in order to avoid dangers and obtain the greatest advantages; what belongings should I carry with me; and, lastly, which destination should I aim for, so as to maximize my chances to find work, etc.

Since these questions should be answered before departure to ensure that the journey might be embarked upon with confidence, I the undersigned will address them based on many years of experience.

No.1: Anyone who is doing well in Sweden should remain there, rather than venturing out into the unknown. However, should your income not cover your expenses, then do travel to America while you still have the means to do so. Any remaining savings may be used on arrival to start a new business. Even though America has its problems, it also offers advantages that no other country can match.

No. 2: Anyone afraid of hard physical labour should not emigrate.

No. 3: As long as you do not have unrealistic expectations, you will succeed.

No. 4: Stay sober, honest and industrious, and you will succeed better there than anywhere else, because these are qualities that are respected and rewarded in America. Over there, laziness is despised and hard work is esteemed.

No. 5: Commence your journey with a firm resolution to establish a home. Apply patience, energy and persistence, and you will succeed.

No. 6: Choose Chicago as your destination, and accept immediately whatever position you are offered.

No. 7: People who do not possess professional skills should continue westward via Nebraska, e.g. to Iowa, Missouri or Kansas, since jobs are readily available there, as is arable land on favourable terms.

No. 8: Farmers, craftsmen and labourers, as well as maids, can always count on a secure and adequate income.

No. 9: Make sure that your trunks and bags are clearly marked, and don’t leave cash inside.

No. 10: Do not leave Gothenburg or England without ensuring that your accompanying luggage is present. Otherwise report the situation to Headquarters.

No. 11: When buying your ticket in Gothenburg, make sure that you are not embarked on one of the old steam freighters. Instead, ask for accommodation on the new Royal Mail Steamers whose prices are equally reasonable.

No.12: Take good care of your belongings and never leave them unattended, because a fellow passenger, especially the Irish, might steal them.

No. 13: Do not leave the ship in New York without obtaining a receipt for your belongings. This receipt takes the form of a brass plate with a number. Your belongings are marked with the same number. This procedure is not in use for crossings to Quebec. [Translator’s comment: Unsure about how this worked in practice.]

No. 14: Arriving emigrants are accommodated in an especially large building in New York known as Castle Garden. There they may remain for two days at no cost in order to recover after the sea crossing. The building is managed by the American Government and ensures that the emigrants are protected against local fraudsters who are not allowed to enter. This is also where you may seek employment, change money, buy railway tickets, etc. These services are not offered if the journey takes you to Quebec, because there the emigrant is left at the mercy of the shipping line.

No. 15: There is no doubt that the route via Gothenburg, Hull & Liverpool, and onward to New York, is the best. The other advantage of choosing this destination over Quebec is that the passage to New

York is not as obstructed by ice as the one to Quebec. In the latter case the passengers are often dropped off in Portland, Maine, even though their tickets state Quebec as the destination. As for travelling from Copenhagen, the following announcement by the Swedish and Norwegian Consulate General in Washington warns against poor standards and associated dangers. [The gist of ] the announcement is as follows:

As proof of the difficulty of informing emigrants about the most favourable route, I wish to mention that a ship-owner in New York told me that a large number of emigrants nowadays travel from Gothenburg to Copenhagen in order to transfer to American steamers destined for New York. Because the Royal Danish authorities allow more emigrants to be embarked than permitted by His [Swedish] Majesty’s decree dated February 5, 1869, the fares on those steamers are cheaper. The downside is that the emigrants do not enjoy the good treatment on the emigrant vessels that His Majesty had intended to guarantee them through the above-mentioned decree.

I have criss-crossed and visited most of the Western States in America. I am also in possession of detailed knowledge about the soil and its composition, as well as other conditions. I am therefore prepared to provide all information that may be of utmost usefulness to emigrants, either by letter correspondence (including postage), or by a personal visit to my office at Sillgatan 44 in Gothenburg. When there, please ask to see the undersigned.

Since I myself am an Emigration Agent, I will never hesitate to offer truthful information and advice; nor will I spare any effort to find the most advantageous deal for the emigrant, even if certain competitors might disapprove. To gain first-hand knowledge of the difficulties that emigrants may encounter, I undertake a [fact-finding] journey to America every year (usually during June and July).

Furthermore, I should mention that anyone who is conveyed to America by me will be received by my representatives on arrival in Chicago. They will also offer assistance with finding employment and work, thereby protecting the immigrants as far as possible from the multitude of fraudsters who usually descend on the newcomer in these places.

Nota bene: I only convey emigrants on the recently built Mail Steamers via Hull & Liverpool directly to New York. Martin Olsson Office: Sillgatan 44 Göteborg