This is the last letter from Anton Gustafsson, nephew of Jonas Victor Swenson. There is only part of the letter. He did return to Sweden. His daughter, Lillian, said she thought he liked America, but he did not like the weather. Roselyn
Cleburne, Kansas. June 20, 1909
Dear Brother in the native country.
I thought I would answer your letter at once, but the thoughts go that way, then they go away. It seems to be the easiest connection with the old country, to lie and think. If I was sure that you did not wait to hear from me, I would be silent. I know that Mother perhaps often asks when you fetch the mail, if there is a letter from Anton. That is why I reproach myself for my delay. Then I want to answer your letter.
Your words were not many, but they were the most sensible I could hear from anybody, who thinks of traveling to America. When I read that, I thought: "God's fear is the wisdom's beginning". I hope and cannot think anything else than that you remain in "the wisdom's beginning". If you do that, you are a hero.
With relief, I left home when I saw that you had come to faith. It was something that reproached me, because I felt that I should take care of my brother, but I could not. I had to take care of myself. Conscious of that, I left you alone in the world and in the fight. I can yet reach you an encouraging hand over the sea. Do keep your faith!
I have always felt that a higher force has driven me here, which I begin to be surer of. For the first time, I feel that I am in the right place in my life, in spite of being a stranger in a country with a harder climate. If I had walked some other life, I think that I would not have come here. Because of sin, we have to go many detours before we can understand ourselves.
To tell all that has happened since I went away, is not possible in a little letter. It will try to touch some thoughts and experiences.
The weather is very changeable. It can be so warm at Christmas that the pigs "dawdle". When I arrived on March 2, the weather was like mild summer. March 9, we had a snow blizzard, but it was soon gone away, of course. Another year at the same time it can be as warm as today. It is about 90-95 degrees in the shade. Body warmth is 100 degrees. It is better than you would think. It is very difficult to sleep. The warmest months are July and August.
This letter from Anton Gustafsson ends here.
Showing posts with label Anton Gustafsson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Anton Gustafsson. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Monday, September 26, 2011
50. March 7, 1909
Another letter from Anton Gustafsson, in his twenties and nephew of Jonas Victor Swenson. He arrived in Cleburne and is giving his impression of America. Roselyn
Cleburne, Riley Co, Kansas March 7, 1909
My Dear Parents and siblings in the native land!
I will now let you know that I have reached the travel's goal. I am now sitting in my room in Cleburne and am well, as I was during the whole trip.
I arrived in Cleburne last Tuesday. I had sent a telegram from New York. I was afraid it would be hard to find my way. For that reason, my Uncle asked a person from the town to meet me on Monday, because they thought I would come that day. On Tuesday, nobody met me and my Uncle was not at home. He arrived that evening.
It was easier than I thought, because nearly all are Swedes or talked Swedish. (Roselyn--at that time the Cleburne area was a Swedish community with many Swedish immigrants living there) It was very nice to come here and hear my own language. Since I left Chicago, I had only talked to two who could speak Swedish, and they were civil servants on the railway.
It is two miles to Uncle's farm (6 1/2 English miles=1 Swedish mile). The farm where I am staying is 4 1/2 miles from Cleburne in the opposite direction, 6 1/2 miles from here and to Uncle's house. Farms have no names here. I am staying with a family named Velen. (Roselyn--HF, son of Jonas Victor married Ida Velen later. They had been neighbors).
At every station there is a town, where you can buy what you need. Swedish and American churches are here, but only in the towns. A special part of the country belongs to the towns.
With the mail, at every farm, there is a mail box, where you fetch and and leave your mail. Then there is a mailman who visits these boxes twice a day. Of course, nearly all have a telephone, but not Uncle Victor. Aunt Anna does not like to hear the ringing.
I moved here last Friday, when my " house farmer" fetched me last Wednesday. I went with Uncle and Aunt to Randolph 4 miles away and on last Thursday, we went to Cleburne (Uncle and I).
We have two big horses. It is not like Sweden, where you walk on the hills. Here there are only deciduous trees and fruit trees, and there are large hills. There are no roads on the large hills.
At last I will tell you that I am well, and have not yet regretted my travel, and have not been deceived about my ideas about this country. Everything is good if I stay well.
I have seen that the work must be done quickly here, but the work is easy. There is not enough paper to tell you about what I have already seen in America.
Greetings from Anton L.(Leander) Gustafsson.
Do read at last! Do not forget that there is no rule without exception. So it is also with what I have written. This is not Sweden. It is America. (Roselyn--Could he be quoting his Uncle Victor?)
Cleburne, Riley Co, Kansas March 7, 1909
My Dear Parents and siblings in the native land!
I will now let you know that I have reached the travel's goal. I am now sitting in my room in Cleburne and am well, as I was during the whole trip.
I arrived in Cleburne last Tuesday. I had sent a telegram from New York. I was afraid it would be hard to find my way. For that reason, my Uncle asked a person from the town to meet me on Monday, because they thought I would come that day. On Tuesday, nobody met me and my Uncle was not at home. He arrived that evening.
It was easier than I thought, because nearly all are Swedes or talked Swedish. (Roselyn--at that time the Cleburne area was a Swedish community with many Swedish immigrants living there) It was very nice to come here and hear my own language. Since I left Chicago, I had only talked to two who could speak Swedish, and they were civil servants on the railway.
It is two miles to Uncle's farm (6 1/2 English miles=1 Swedish mile). The farm where I am staying is 4 1/2 miles from Cleburne in the opposite direction, 6 1/2 miles from here and to Uncle's house. Farms have no names here. I am staying with a family named Velen. (Roselyn--HF, son of Jonas Victor married Ida Velen later. They had been neighbors).
At every station there is a town, where you can buy what you need. Swedish and American churches are here, but only in the towns. A special part of the country belongs to the towns.
With the mail, at every farm, there is a mail box, where you fetch and and leave your mail. Then there is a mailman who visits these boxes twice a day. Of course, nearly all have a telephone, but not Uncle Victor. Aunt Anna does not like to hear the ringing.
I moved here last Friday, when my " house farmer" fetched me last Wednesday. I went with Uncle and Aunt to Randolph 4 miles away and on last Thursday, we went to Cleburne (Uncle and I).
We have two big horses. It is not like Sweden, where you walk on the hills. Here there are only deciduous trees and fruit trees, and there are large hills. There are no roads on the large hills.
At last I will tell you that I am well, and have not yet regretted my travel, and have not been deceived about my ideas about this country. Everything is good if I stay well.
I have seen that the work must be done quickly here, but the work is easy. There is not enough paper to tell you about what I have already seen in America.
Greetings from Anton L.(Leander) Gustafsson.
Do read at last! Do not forget that there is no rule without exception. So it is also with what I have written. This is not Sweden. It is America. (Roselyn--Could he be quoting his Uncle Victor?)
Sunday, September 25, 2011
49. February 1909
This is a letter from Anton Leander Gustafsson, son of Gustaf Albert, who is a brother to Jonas Victor. Anton is his nephew, who is on his way to America to see what it is like. Roselyn
Anton Gustafsson
Chicago, Ill
February 28, 1909
Dear Parents, and siblings in the native country.
Because I have time here, I will write something about my trip up to now. I had not thought to write before I got to Cleburne, but the trip has been longer than I thought. I expected to celebrate my birthday in the place of my destination.
We went back to Southampton, where I was when you last heard from me. We left from there at dinner time on Wednesday, February 17. It was calm, beautiful weather. The same day before twilight, the steamer passed Cherbourg in France, where some passengers stepped on board from one of the outgoing steamers.
The day after that when we had nearly finished dinner, we passed Ireland in the same way. The Irish came on board with trade; apples, oranges, pastry and wool--for example, shawls and scarves. The wool from Ireland is the best. The funny thing was how the Irish stepped on board. They came in small boats and threw up lines. The passengers helped them on board.
When we left Ireland, the wind began to blow, so much that many got sea sick. I was not so sea sick that I vomited, but I felt sick and lost my appetite for two days. On Saturday, I felt nearly as well as I did on land. Then it began to be a heavy sea. If I had not been used to it I would have been quite sick, but now I was well. I realized that sea sickness is very troublesome. Some of the passengers had to stay in bed nearly the whole time. I loathe the sea trip.
The food is rather good on the ship. We had breakfast at seven o'clock, dinner at twelve and supper at five. Then we had an extra meal at eight o'clock. If you are not sick, you manage with that food. I had no food with me, but I did not starve. The worst of it was that they do not have anything other than wheat bread. They had only a little crisp bread, which was finished quickly, but there was plenty of wheat bread.
As I said, the high seas began on Saturday and continued the whole time with some decrease last Wednesday, but blew much worse the day after. We were not far from land, so the waves were not as big.
We arrived in New York last Thursday evening, but were not allowed to land until Friday.
When you read this you must realize that the time is about seven hours later here in Chicago, six hours later in New York and it will be about eight hours later in Cleburne.
We left New York at eight o'clock and arrived in Chicago at four o'clock in the morning. We will leave here at half past nine this evening. The time is now six o'clock here and where you are it is one o'clock in the morning.
If everything goes well, I will be in Cleburne at last on Tuesday, March 2. I feel good.
Dear greetings from Anton
Anton Gustafsson
Chicago, Ill
February 28, 1909
Dear Parents, and siblings in the native country.
Because I have time here, I will write something about my trip up to now. I had not thought to write before I got to Cleburne, but the trip has been longer than I thought. I expected to celebrate my birthday in the place of my destination.
We went back to Southampton, where I was when you last heard from me. We left from there at dinner time on Wednesday, February 17. It was calm, beautiful weather. The same day before twilight, the steamer passed Cherbourg in France, where some passengers stepped on board from one of the outgoing steamers.
The day after that when we had nearly finished dinner, we passed Ireland in the same way. The Irish came on board with trade; apples, oranges, pastry and wool--for example, shawls and scarves. The wool from Ireland is the best. The funny thing was how the Irish stepped on board. They came in small boats and threw up lines. The passengers helped them on board.
When we left Ireland, the wind began to blow, so much that many got sea sick. I was not so sea sick that I vomited, but I felt sick and lost my appetite for two days. On Saturday, I felt nearly as well as I did on land. Then it began to be a heavy sea. If I had not been used to it I would have been quite sick, but now I was well. I realized that sea sickness is very troublesome. Some of the passengers had to stay in bed nearly the whole time. I loathe the sea trip.
The food is rather good on the ship. We had breakfast at seven o'clock, dinner at twelve and supper at five. Then we had an extra meal at eight o'clock. If you are not sick, you manage with that food. I had no food with me, but I did not starve. The worst of it was that they do not have anything other than wheat bread. They had only a little crisp bread, which was finished quickly, but there was plenty of wheat bread.
As I said, the high seas began on Saturday and continued the whole time with some decrease last Wednesday, but blew much worse the day after. We were not far from land, so the waves were not as big.
We arrived in New York last Thursday evening, but were not allowed to land until Friday.
When you read this you must realize that the time is about seven hours later here in Chicago, six hours later in New York and it will be about eight hours later in Cleburne.
We left New York at eight o'clock and arrived in Chicago at four o'clock in the morning. We will leave here at half past nine this evening. The time is now six o'clock here and where you are it is one o'clock in the morning.
If everything goes well, I will be in Cleburne at last on Tuesday, March 2. I feel good.
Dear greetings from Anton
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