[Ger-Poland-Volhynia] Ger-Poland-Volhynia Digest, Vol 115, Issue 12: Voyage Costs across Atlantic, minimum funds on arrival

[Beth Burke]

Having been at Ellis Island and taken the tour, we found it interesting that
at one point the immigrants were separated into three different groups.
There was a long stairway that was divided into 1/3rds by the handrails and
people were separated into these three groups and then led down the stairway
that indicated where they were going. 

One group was immigrants that were leaving the New York area and heading to
points further north. south or west.  Luckily for me, my grandparents were
sent down that set of stairs. Another set was for those people who were
planning to stay in the New York area. The third set of stairs was for those
people who were not going to be allowed entry and they were taken back to
ships for transport back to wherever it is they came from. 

As a three-some family, I went down the set of steps because I was going to
Leduc, Alberta, Canada, just like my grandparents did, although later that
same year they returned to the US and settled in Gillett, Wisconsin.  I sent
my husband down the "staying in New York" set of stairs just for the heck of
it. And our then 13 year old son was sent down the "you're going back to
where you came from steps."  He was at that age where I would have
considered that had I had that option! HA!

Beth Burke
Verona, WI


-----Original Message-----
From: ger-poland-volhynia-bounces at eclipse.sggee.org
[mailto:ger-poland-volhynia-bounces at eclipse.sggee.org] On Behalf Of Nancy
Gertner
Sent: Friday, December 14, 2012 8:08 AM
To: bonnie foster
Cc: ger-poland-volhynia at eclipse.sggee.org
Subject: Re: [Ger-Poland-Volhynia] Ger-Poland-Volhynia Digest, Vol 115,
Issue 12: Voyage Costs across Atlantic, minimum funds on arrival

I believe there was a requirement upon entry to "certify" that the immigrant
had a certain amount of funds ($25 Canadian, $30 USA?). This was so that the
immigrant could purchase a train ticket to somewhere else, and not remain
penniless in the port entry city. 

I suspect many arrivals may have had more than this minimum amount, but the
requirement, I think, was to only certify that they had the required minimum
amount. So if people had currency hidden in their clothing, they did not
have to reveal the amount of their funds. And so there are no official
records, and perhaps little oral history.

Nancy
Minnesota

On Dec 14, 2012, at 6:47 AM, bonnie foster wrote:

> I don't know the total cost to travel from Volhynia in the 1800s, but I do
know that my grandfather, Rudolph Tittlemier and his father Heinrick arrived
in Montreal in 1910 and the family story is that there was not enough money
to go to South America so they went to Manitoba.  The story also relates
that they only had $25 between the two of them and the money was passed from
father to son to show to the official that they both had money.  They
traveled on the Prinz Adalbert.
> I have a photo of my great grandmother posing with hops and that story is
the "officials wanted to send the photo to the old country to encourage
immigration to Manitoba".  So perhaps some help was offered by Canadian
agents?
> Good Luck in this search....I will follow it carefully, Bonnie Foster
> 
> 
> Today's Topics:
> 
>    3. Voyage costs (Randy Svenson)
> 
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> 

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