Johan Brunstad Letter

Below is a copy of the letter Christine's uncle Johan Brunstad that was also published in Norwegian in Cammalt fra Stange og Romedal 1975, pp. 10-19, Gustav Cjestvang, Norman Helger, B. E. Lund, Odd Stensrod and Kare Sveen.

My friend Jens Loken:

On the fifth of November at 8 a.m. we left Arendal, and in the afternoon of the same day we saw for the last time the mountain tops of our fatherland, and with a good wind we sailed over the North Sea and into the British Channel after about 2 1/2 days sailing; with a good wind we sailed on through the Channel and out into the Spanish Sea, and b the grace of the Highest, out near Madeira, towards Africa, on the 10th day after leaving. Sea sickness began immediately to be felt in greater or lesser degree among most of the passengers, but I was always free of it, and was not sick a single day. My wife and the two oldest children had sea sickness about two days, but it was of the milder type among the other sea sick passengers. My small children were always healthy on the entire trip. On the Atlantic it was very warm, especially before we came into the western islands coastline, then the thermometer stood at 38 degrees centigrade, but the evening were pleasant, so this was refreshing after the heat of the day. When it was good weather there was much gaiety among us, and we enjoyed ourselves with songs, music, dancing, and different Christmas games, which sometimes lasted far out into the night. When people got over their sea sickness we had no more sickness on board, and no one died on the entire trip.

After sailing about three weeks a child was born into the world, of a woman from Tyldalen; the baby thrived and grew strong; so there was one more person than when we boarded ship. Over the Atlantic Ocean we saw here and there a sailing ship but none could keep up with us with our faster speed. Meantime, we saw many big fish; we could see no forests for about five weeks, only the sky and water. On December 11th we sighted the coast of the West Indies island of St. Domingo on our left side. We were all very happy to see land, and it was a special enjoyment after such a long time. All the passengers were now healthy and there was a good feeling among us, since the trip across the broad Atlantic had gone so well.

On December 13 we reached the right side of the Island of Cuba, and after about three days sailing offshore of it we came into the Mexican harbor from which we immediately started for the mainland of America, which we first sighted December 21st, after having met a pilot boat about 40 English miles from land. All were happy and contented, and everyone thanked, from the hear, their Creator for his endless goodness and assistance over the ocean. It seems that we were especially blessed on our journey since we did not have a single dangerous storm, and no one was sick on board once the sea sickness was overcome.

When we came to the large mouth of the Mississippi river we met a large steamboat which guided us and three other large ships up the river to New Orleans. On both sides of the river the land was altogether flat, with growing cane and rushes. The water was dirty and yellow in color, and on the shore of the river we saw many horses and other animals which went and grazed, and it was almost Christmas time so it was strange to think of the cold Norwegian winter. When we ate dinner on Christmas Eve we found ourselves at 75 English miles from New Orleans, and that evening was as light and pleasant and cheerful as possible. We talked about home and our distant relatives and friends and wished fervently that all of them might have it as good as we do.

Christmas morning right after sunrise we saw for the first time the big city of New Orleans, and about 9 o'clock we cast anchor and could then set foot on American soil. Many wondered at the grand city where there was unbelievable activity. Thousands of large ships lay in the harbor, and there were about 600 steamships and most of these have an unheard of size. Nothing startling happened to us here, which deserves to be mentioned, and on the third day of Christmas about noon we left the Norwegian ship "Arendal" and bade farewell to our pleasant Captain Paulsen and steersman Karl Hageman (a nephew of Col. Hageman in Christiana). This man had on the entire trip shown many kindnesses toward me and my family and as proof of our friendship he has written to me since I came here, which is not true of any other passenger.

We left the Norwegian ship with three cheers, and a large American steamboat took us to the city of Alexandria, which lay at the shore of the Red River. From this city and also from New Orleans there is a train into the country. Because of the low tide we must go ashore in Alexandria, but the next afternoon we went on board a smaller steamship, which brought us to Shreveport, which we reached in the morning of January 3rd. (Between those cities we encountered the worst accommodations of the whole trip; some Irish passengers were on board who were annoying people and it was very cold, so it became miserable for the children. On this first steamboat we were worn out people.) Our belongings were now brought here, and all must lay out on the ground that first night since in that city there were no good lodgings.

The next day I rented a simple house for $1.50 a week and we stayed there one week. We must now buy oxen, a wagon, and horses, which you can believe was not easy for us, except that O. Bjerke understood a little English, and we were altogether unfamiliar with that language. The last day of our visit there we finally met a bachelor from Western Norway whom we hired for $5 as our guide. To buy a horse in America is difficult and I asked many before I found a horse trained to pull a wagon; at last I found one that was 4 1/2 years old, and I paid $70 for it. Later I bought two oxen and one wagon for about $84. We now had arranged to travel on the land, which was about 175 miles. We were now again in a pinch since the oxen could not understand the command words in Norwegian, but we quickly learned, little by little, to make ourselves understood by the driven oxen.

The journey by land is better so far than I had expected except that at each place we found endless tree stumps; and in there was too much rain it was not so good. Since there were many deep creeks and swamps on our path and these were difficult to cross, especially with the Norwegian wagons, since they had small wheels and are for narrow wheel tracks. (The front on the American wagons are as big as the back wheels on the Norwegian wagons and the back wheels are larger; also I believe that they are about nine inches or one foot wider between the wheels. On the ox wagon there is a pole from the front axle and on each side of this the oxen go with a yoke or harness which a man usually receives with the purchase of the oxen.) So far on the way we met with no bad luck, but it was very lonesome when we were 14 days on the journey between Shreveport and here.

On the way we had dry and clear weather, but it was very cold, and there were four inches of ice on the water so one had to have good bed clothes, and wearing apparel. With our arrival here January 23rd we were all welcomed by the Wćrenskjolds and treated to a noon dinner and coffee, and Mr. Waerenskjold and his wife were very glad when they saw so many of their people. Here many stayed in the lodging but since there was not room there for all I found lodging with Editor J. R. Reiersen, who lived two English miles from Wćrenskjolds; since Reiersen traveled I also that afternoon moved and I was welcomed with all possible respect and courtesy. Here I stayed for about three weeks.

The price of land here is now from six bits (eight bits is one dollar) to one dollar an acre, but I believe that in a short time that will rise to double. There is certainly a divided land here in the neighborhood for sale for the low price of 30 cents per acre, but then one must buy the entire farm, which is 2060 acres. Part of that land will be good and part just ordinary.

Good vacant government land one cannot find in the neighborhood, although all land is bought up by speculators. Since I could not easily buy a suitable acreage I decided to rent some to use for the first year, which many thought was better until I became acquainted with the situation and the land's character around here. Henrik Dahl and I have arranged to rent a field (in a plowed and fenced land) of 18 to 20 acres and we must pay rent of $2 per acre, and in the same agreement we have the right to live on the place mentioned.

This land we planted with about one-third spring wheat and the other two-thirds was planted with maize. I have bought five cows, of which four have calves, together with a three-year old heifer and one oxen, altogether the 13 animals cost 68 dollars; at last I also bought a grown sow with three pigs, one young cow, and ten other year old swine, altogether 15 animals for $26.

The land here is light and not at all cultivated and the farm machinery is not good. The fields are overgrown with lush grass, both in the forest land and on the prairie, and it is so tall it reaches to a man's shoulders, but in the forest land and on the upland prairie it only grows to a man's hips and knees, but, nevertheless, I believe that the land in time must be fertilized a little and it will yield very abundantly, in so far as it possibly lacks some nutrients, which I do not understand. The soil in many places is light and sandy, but overall there is a mixture of clay and the subsoil consists mostly of clay. The forest here consists mostly of leafy trees such as different darker oak, ash, elm, hickory, cedar, and many other unknown kinds, together with flowering shrubs and many kinds of grapevines which grow here in the wild, and these bear grapes in abundance and are very delicious. Peach trees also thrive well, and bear fruit the third year after planting. On the place where we live there is a yield of about 80 bushels of peaches for the last two years, and this place is the oldest at Four Mile Prairie, where people have lived for five years.

Most of the Norwegian settlers have come here in the past year or so and since the land is so new it is no wonder that some things are lacking, but I believe that in a short time this will be remedied. Congress has now appropriated money to build a railroad from New Orleans or Alexandria through the whole of Texas to Mexico, with other trains through different parts of the state.

The Norwegians' economic position here is very good since most of them are renting from 100 to 640 acres of land, especially when you consider what they had when they came here. They have had little money and many still owe for their overseas trip. Their health is on the whole quite good, both among the late comers as well as among the new comers and not a single one, either small or grownup among the Norwegians is sick. I have so far not talked with any Norwegian who wishes he were back in Norway, where everywhere there is a rigid social system, and the most aristocratic officials. These have so many bottomless sacks that often many farmers must take the food from their own and their families mouths to satisfy them.

Norway also has many who prey on the people with horns and claws. When I think of all the unreasonable and incorrect things, which in Norway went on continually, of my own unfortunate situation together with most of the Norwegian farmers' dark outlook, then it is often that I am moved to happiness and gratitude that I made the decision to emigrate here. I assure you, as an honorable friend, that I would not go back to Norway and live there if I were offered money for the passage and the sum of 1000 Specie dollars, together with a release from other obligations. Each sensible man will understand, who makes the effort to understand America, that it is much easier to get ahead here than in Norway. But for him who has a large family and had no money it is not so easy in the beginning since all necessities are expensive and because land too is expensive, and because of the great emigration which now takes place annually.

The land is actually cheap and it is not necessary to fertilize it. For the most part, it is easy to turn the sod where there is hardly a stone compared to Norway. Taxes for the poor are unknown here, and the demands otherwise are just minimal, so that this is not a heavy burden. The state treasury in Texas owns 4 or 5 million dollars.

The cattle and swine here are unbelievably profitable. Wćrenskjold told me that three years ago he bought a heifer for 8 dollars and shortly thereafter the cow had a calf and up to now it had brought him about 40 dollars. Was that not a good interest on his money, and that was on an honest basis, without skinning anyone? Here every man can have as many cattle and swine as he is able to get hold of if he either owns the land or not; because here it costs nothing to feed them, except to cut wild hay to give them in between, when there is bad weather in the winter, and to bring the cattle home to the house. Here one butchers hardly any calves, even if one had hundreds of cattle.

I know well enough that Norwegian officials or rich farmers describe America in the darkest colors, for example, that there are many dangerous snakes and beasts of prey, but it happens very seldom that these do any harm and they should not be compared with the Norwegian wolves and usurers; for it was not a minor damage they did in just a year in Tomter, and the so-called Aasgaarde, and they finally did great damage in the same District, when they spared neither house nor home, and it was seldom I was out traveling I did not come across bailiffs and deputies. It is strange that some of the official class will lower themselves to tell such big lies about America as the bailiff, for example, has done at a party with First Lieutenant-- in time past, namely, etc., etc.

I am still advised that such laws do not exist here, so much more as no one here uses swineherders. I say this not to persuade anyone to travel to America, nor will I counsel anyone to do that, since the journey could be fraught with many difficulties, such as death, sickness, shipwreck, and if one has no one in the group who is familiar with the language then one could be the victim of cheaters in the cities and on the steamships. Therefore it is highly necessary to have someone in the company who understands some English. All these difficulties we rightly escaped, but it is not to say that it can always go so fortunately; even when one arrives here, one must be satisfied to find lodging in a simple log hut, where there often is neither table nor chairs, together with much other which is lacking. But when one has good health when one comes here and has some money, these difficulties can be overcome; and when one compares both the American and Norwegian outlook, as well as for the coming generation, I believe that it will not take long before one is satisfied with the decision (to emigrate), and the more money one has the better, naturally.

As stated before, my wife and I are well content with our decision and if we can enjoy good health and buy a piece of good land and build an attractive house, I hope that after a couple of years to be in such a situation that I could never hope to have in Norway. About 14 days ago we saw rye and winter wheat heading out and the new grass is already one to two quarters high, and you can believe it is a delightful sight to see the many cattle that now are grazing on the prairie. Four Mile Prairie, where I live, will be 20 miles long, and it is surrounded with leafy forests and, here and there, there are groves out on the prairie.

The other day there were 11 of us Norwegians in the town of Canton, 10 English miles from here, and we became naturalized. With this action we were asked if we had any titles of nobility, and at the same time we renounced our allegiance to the Norwegian kingdom, and King Oscar the First.

Greetings, etc., from your sincere friend,

J. Brunstad