ER from New York to California

Reedley, February 6, 1923

Three days have passed since we reached our destination and I have not told of the last part of our nearly two-month long trip. Will do it now before new events replace the impressions of these last travel days. But let me tell it the proper order and at least for the time being, not to mention our life in the new country, in a completely different situation.

The last time I wrote in my diary was ten days ago and we were still rocking on the waves of the big ocean. That was Sunday and on Monday, January 29, we landed in New York. At early dusk we could see the lights that told us that we were nearing land. As daylight took over, we recognized the coast, watching it come nearer and nearer. After a few hours, we passed the Statue of Liberty that stands at the entrance to the New York harbor and soon were able to make out through the fog the outline of the Manhattan skyscrapers.

It was very cold, real winter weather, and everything was covered with snow.

Before reaching the harbor, the ship dropped anchor and a medical corps, coming on small boats, came aboard and once more checked on the health of the immigrants.

After the last meal, we disembarked. United States citizens were permitted to go on while immigrants were taken to Ellis Island, which is located not far from the city, to await the final permission to enter this country.

Hardly knowing what was happening, Frank, Arthur and I were separated from our relatives and taken aboard a small boat, frightened and anxious of what was going to happen. To our great relief, we noticed that our uncle and aunt were permitted to come along. They would try to get our permits right away so we could continue our trip. We were about 20 minutes in the small boat and, during that time, were able to get a close-up view of the skyscrapers. It is interesting to see these huge buildings, but I would not want to live in or near them.

On Ellis Island, we, that is the immigrants, were taken into a large hall and again were separated from our relatives. Then in a long queue, we were led past some doctors who again examined our eyes, fingers and hair, and up a high stairway into another large hall. Here, we were told to sit on numbered benches and wait our turn to be questioned about our coming and going. The official who questioned me claimed to know German, but did not even pay attention when I told him that we were not alone and that our uncle and aunt were nearby.

A sharp order sent us upstairs, that is, my brothers, Frank and Art and me, and of course other immigrants. Mrs. K. and her daughter were sent downstairs, we did not even have a chance to say goodbye (since her husband awaited her in the U.S., she was able to go on the same day).

We found ourselves in a gloomy room furnished with long wooden benches. As the windows were barred, it was easy to think of oneself in a prison, as one of the immigrants expressed himself. There were some travelers who had been delayed as long as five days without knowing the reason for it. This was not encouraging, but we fully trusted the Neufelds that they would get us out as soon as possible.

True, we were treated as prisoners, that is, as people who have no choice in their affairs. At six o’clock, we were led like a herd of sheep to a large dining room furnished with long narrow tables and benches. I don’t know how many people were there but I guess at least several hundred. They were mostly Poles and Jews, very few with whom we could converse.

It was not a very polite company. Each one had to look after himself if he wanted to get a fair share. After supper, we gathered again in the vast central hall where we were treated to a movie. The intentions might have been good but we understood little of the wild story, since we could not read the English comments, and besides we cared less, being tired and uneasy.

After the show, the children and women were given a cracker and milk in a paper cup. The families were separated, men one way and women the other way. This caused hardship, especially in families with small children.

Since there were so many of us, everything took a long time and one had to hold one’s patience. At each door stood an official, directing us where to enter and counting us with counting gadgets as we passed through.

In the passageway we saw for the first time a negro, who handed each a paper towel and a small square of soap. Another negro, standing on a stool near a huge pile of dark wool blankets, threw each one of us a stack of four or five.

In the very large sleeping room, the metal beds are built close to and above each other, separated by link fencing. One the wire netting, some of the blankets served as a mattress, others as covering. The rolled up coat made a pillow of sorts. Though this kind of a bed was not exactly cozy, I slept well during the first part of the night. The chilly air coming through the open windows did not let me fall asleep again and I was glad when we were permitted to rise. We were kept locked up until the last of us was dressed and ready. After a breakfast of oatmeal, bread, jams, coffee or milk, we were sent to the same upstairs room where we had sat waiting the day before. We were expecting to hear our names called any time, but in vain.

Anxious and worried, I was working with great diligence to make a soft pillow. This helped to pass the time and ease the tension and some of the other women envied me for my occupation.

Finally, it was almost noon and we heard our names. In our free moments we were ready and taken into an office for more questioning. To our great joy, we were reunited with the Neufelds and together left this island. Though life in this institution had not exactly been pleasant, one had to admit order and efficiency.

A traveling agent took us in a small boat to the City of New York. At this time, we saw something interesting: a plane gliding through the air left a white trail that formed letters and the letters made a word, advertising some product.

After buying our railway tickets, we rode by subway to the main station. All the while, we had to keep our eyes on the brown-suited agent, lest we lose him and our way. Regretting that we did not have more time for sight-seeing, we followed the agent to our compartment on the train. We were impressed with the comforts of the American trains compared to the Russian ones.

 In Washington, D.C., we changed trains and had about three hours to wait, from seven to ten. The stretch from New York to Washington is well populated, with no wide open spaces. The railway station in Washington , with  its arched colonnades, statuary and white walls seemed more like an art museum than a prosaic depot.

Even though it was dark, we could stroll through the wide streets, admire the park-like boulevard, the memorial statues and especially the Capital with its gleaming dome bright against the black sky. No noisy trucks on these streets, just shining black automobiles. After supper in a restaurant, we returned to the station by streetcar, knowing that it was time to go aboard.

I had a chance to watch the porter make up the pullman beds. Although everything is handy and functional, I fully realized that it was hard work. It was wonderful to get a good night's sleep while the train was rolling along.

Our train trip lasted five days. During this time we ate a few times in the diner on special occasions, but most of the time we enjoyed our meals in the pullman using the small table between the seats.

The scenery between Washington and Los Angeles is very diversified, but I will not go into detail describing it. Before reaching New Orleans, we were amazed at the red soil, where vegetation seems to have a hard time to survive. The train was taken across the Mississippi on a ferry and long before and after we saw water, water everywhere. Since we could not see the tracks it seemed as if the train was slowly finding its way below water.

In the next few days, the train took us from the low Mississippi Delta to the higher country of Texas and New Mexico. Might mention here that in the South, we saw so many negroes that they no longer aroused our special attention.

In Texas, we traveled through desert country that was very interesting for its variety of cacti and rocks. 

We changed trains in Los Angeles where our relatives, the Dycks, met us at the station. There was lively happy conversation while we awaited our next train.

We regretted that we traveled through Southern California with palm trees and orange trees in the dark, but there was a sight I will not easily forget. Waking early in the morning, I looked out and saw a beautiful, but exciting, panorama. The moon light was bright on the snow-covered mountains and we were in the midst of this.

Like a black snake with fiery eyes, our train found its way around the mountains and when it could not go around them it went through them. In a rather short time we came through at least fifteen tunnels.

In the morning, we entered San Joaquin Valley with its vineyards and orange groves, where the oranges temptingly hung on the trees.

We were quite excited on this last day of a long journey. About ten o’clock, we arrived in Reedley where the Neufeld family joyously greeted their parents and rather shyly their strange cousins.