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an immigrant's bundle in the early 1900s


excathedra
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someone coming from ireland as a steerage passenger ?

do you know what they would bring ?

thank you

Plenty of Irish Whiskey, Guinness, a 4 leaf clover, a blarney stone, a leprechaun, your favorite rugby ball, a few books by Joyce and Beckett, and an Irish lass to keep you warm during those long winter nights! :biglaugh: :biglaugh:

You're Welcome! :)

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Another school assignment, Ex?

I can't imagine that someone in "steerage" would bring much.

Likely some clothes, some food to eat while in passage, as much money as they could scrape together, and maybe a picture of family, and a Bible.

I don't know about the Irish in particular, but I have read some diary excerpts from generic European immigrants of that era. Lots of them didn't bring a damned thing. It was all they could muster just to get a steamer ticket. I know my grandfather stowed away on board a freighter bound for Canada, then snuck across the border to Minnesota. He brought absolutely nothing with, other than the clothes on his back...

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Plenty of Irish Whiskey, Guinness, a 4 leaf clover, a blarney stone, a leprechaun, your favorite rugby ball, a few books by Joyce and Beckett, and an Irish lass to keep you warm during those long winter nights! :biglaugh: :biglaugh:

You're Welcome! :)

You forgot the steer. :rolleyes:

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Cooking and eating utensils. They were not supplied by the ship and

steerage passengers had to prepare their own food.

In some cases, they had to bring their own food as well.

Bedding, extra clothes, money, the family Bible and what few keepsakes

they could carry. Perhaps names and addresses of relatives, letters

of introduction.

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I thougtht the blarney stone was a stone that if you kissed you then would have the gift of Gab. My wife kissed it and she is non stop.

I hope she scrubbed her mouth good afterwards. Supposedly the locals .... on it and have a laugh at tourists kissing it. Ireland is so rainy that I'm sure it gets as clean as a stone can, but still I wouldn't touch it.

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oh mein ex...

just this very day I had occassion to happen upon evidence of a last conversation I had with my dad o'dad...

'twas about our American descendancy...

Seems Timothy Franics McCarthy came from County Mayo after graduating from Trinity College... no place for a southern Catlick redneck to be degreed from proper...he was an activist of sorts, it seems...had to emigrate or be hung...a compelling reason to leave the old sod...

For years I fancied that we were of the rough and tough stereotypical kick yer butt saloon variety of Irish immigrant...but I was wrong...

It seems TF arrived (not steerage) but still drownable...in 1894...

He landeed Ellis Island, but ended up Chicago way and became one of many vice presidents of personnel to People's Gas Light and Coke in Chicago...definitely white lace.

So what did the handsome chap bring with him?

His intent of pursuit, his degree, and good old fashioned Irish chutzpah...and interestingly enuf,... a letter of referral from his parents...

We arrived bona fide and first class...it took 75 years for us to claim our middle class status...lol..we are holding own...

Here's to the future...

X

M

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Thats an interesting question

I suspect Geo and Jim are pretty close, although I would bring at least a few special tools of my trade if I could. My relatives from Scotland arrived much earlier in the early 1700's

I know the first mstar, known as "James the Weaver", brought his 8 1/2 months pregnant wife with him who gave birth on the ocean to "Thomas the Seaborn".

They landed in Delaware, then somehow (whether they walked or what is unknown-there were no railroads at the time...)they made it to the Pa/Ohio line within a few months, where they built a cabin during the first winter. That was about as far as you could go at the time( at least with a family in tow). Somewhere they acquired at least some rudimentary tools to build their home, and acquire food to feed themselves and were also able to take care of a newborn during the journey amid encounters with bears and indians and traveling through what was pretty much wilderness.

These really arent "Ellis Islanders" so the situation is different, sorry I got sidetracked--

Im sure there were some fiddles and folk instruments that came through Ellis island--, the Irish (and everybody..) brought their music with them...

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Irish during the early 1900's, I doubt would have brought a family Bible, as that would've likely been the property of the eldest son, and eldest sons seldom immigrated. The immigrants would've have undoubtedly brought a rosary, perhaps a crucifix and/or pictures or statues of the Holy Blessed Virgin.

There is an excellent PBS film called "Out of Ireland," which my husband's stepfather, who originally introduced himself to me as "I am Irish. I am Catholic. I am a Democrat." owns. The next generation, my husband and his siblings, watched it one evening while I snoozed in a nearby lounge chair.

I do remember that starting in the late 19th century there was a movement in Ireland within the Church to worship the Blessed Mother. I'm not sure whether that is where the Marianists got their start, but those who came to the shores of America brought special devotion to Mary with them.

The Democrat part? Well that was a result of the bigotry against the Irish that promptly grew amongst the prim and proper merchants and landowners, who put in their help wanted ads and shop windows "No Irish Need Apply." The Democrat party rescued, legitimized and enfranchised the Irish, as they have been doing for minority groups ever since. Thus most Irish-Americans to this day will vote Democrat.

I'm not sure what the original patriarch of the clan brought with him, other than a 4'10" wife who gave him a dozen children and a whole lotta smarts.

But I'm sure about the Rosary to say the Hail Mary's with.

WG

Edited by Watered Garden
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you are so right watered g.

X you dear M

and all the rest of you

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxo

i just told my kid does he realize he's being educated by greaspots !!!!!!!

--

ps. i have to go dig up that thread on inventions. he got an "A" on his brainstorming ideas (greasespot's brainstorming ideas)

and he got an "A" on his invention although sorry to say, dear groucho, he called it "Presidential Polygraph" because he thought the "B.S." meter might not be acceptable !!!! ha ha ha ha ah ah ha (is he my kid ha ha ha ha ha ha ha)

love you all

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  • 4 weeks later...

I've never heard of him WG... and thanks for the BD wishes...

I just remember when I was helping my stepson learn it... and he had one of those 'why do we need to learn this stuff' attitudes...

I just thought up 'algebra is life' and then gave him examples one after another after another of how we use algebra in our lives everyday... and we do!

I did have an algebra teacher once (who scolded me for distracting the other students) who always said "Life is a bowlful of integers"... but I never got what that meant!

I'll look up Charlie Epps...

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I'm gonna look him up, too, WG.

Good on the A, ex!

I still vividly remember one particular day shortly after starting life after college in "the real world", we were in a meeting trying to figure out something and it hit me - "This is algebra!" - I proclaimed, all excited cause 1) I recognized it 2) I now knew how to figure out the answer and 3) we really do use it in "real life". :thinking:

The more seasoned employees weren't nearly as thrilled as I was about my little "light bulb" moment, but it sure tickled me to pieces. :biglaugh:

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There is a TV show on Friday titled "Numbers." It's about an FBI team. The leader of the team is Don Epps, who has a younger brother, Charlie Epps, who is about 27-30 yeas of age, and a bone fide mathematical genius since his childhood.. Charlie helps solve crimes with the use of algorhythms and other stuff I never heard of. The program opens with Charlie saying, "Math is life. We use it every day." No kidding, he does say that. Charlie is played by David Helmstrom, Hegbolt, I forget, except he was Bernard in The Santa Clause 2. Fuzzy haired, dark-eyed, very earnest.

Me? My wedding gift to Mr. Garden was a checkbook, and I have never balanced it since. Math may be life, but it's not MY life!

WG

OKAY - I looked it up. It's NUMB3RS, the actor's name is David Krumholtz.

Edited by Watered Garden
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Plenty of Irish Whiskey, Guinness, a 4 leaf clover, a blarney stone, a leprechaun, your favorite rugby ball, a few books by Joyce and Beckett, and an Irish lass to keep you warm during those long winter nights! :biglaugh: :biglaugh:

You're Welcome! :)

I dunno about the rest of you, but I'm emmigratin' with BUMPY!!

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