Chapter 3
Starn Sweden 1863
Jons Jonsson stood on a platform with torches blazing on all sides. It was six at night and the sun had faded into the darkness. Gunard and Lars had just arrived and were surprised at the number of people who were already waiting to hear Jonsson speak.
Jonsson’s eyes were large and shiny, reflecting the light from the torches. The spittle was flying from the corner of his mouth as he spoke, interspersing religious rhetoric with the promise of the riches the new land, America, had waiting for them.
“God has made this land available for us Swedes and it lays in wait for us to plow the fields, lay the train track, to build our banks and start our businesses to make a new Sweden in this promised land. Where we can worship God in the way we want without a King telling us that his church is the only church. The crowd urged him on and he fed off them.
“How much does the land cost?” a squat man near the front yelled
“Gustav Unonius in his letter to me said America has so much land that they are practically giving it away. You can buy a forty acre tract of land in the Wisconsin Territory for twelve and one half cents per acre”, Jonsson told them.
“What about wages?”, cried a farmer named Paul Esbjorn.
“You can lay track for a railroad, called the Northern Pacific, and they will pay you $1.00 a day in wages, replied Jonsson. They have so much work to be done in America and they don’t have enough laborers to fill all the jobs.”
“How much does it cost to travel over to America?” Paul Esbjorn’s wife, a small woman with a pinched face and squat body asked.
“I have been in contact with the Bethel Ship Mission in New York and they have lined up passage for fifty people on a cargo ship carrying iron to New York. It will cost you twelve krona per person. They said the trip will take about seven weeks.”
“How do we know where this Wisconsin Territory is, Esbjorn asked, and how will we get there?”
Jonsson pointed a boney finger at Esbjorn and yelled, “By God Paul, good question. I was told by the Bethel Ship Mission that they will have a representative meet us at New York harbor when the ship arrives. They will arrange passage West across America to the Wisconsin Territory. Everything will be done for you. All you need is the courage to pack up your things and leave and a strong back once you get there to do the work that needs to be done.”
Jonsson raised both of his hands and looked to the heavens and cried, “Praise to the Lord for providing for His children. Amen brothers and sisters?”
The crowd shouted back “Amen”, and a big smile spread across Jonsson’s face
Looking over the crowd he said, “Now, are you coming with me?”
The crowd enjoined with a loud cheer, “We’re with you Jons; we are ready to go.”
“All right, then, if you are going, step up here and sign this manifest so I can get it to the shipyard tomorrow. The ship will be leaving the first of May.”
Jonsson jumped off the platform and started shaking hands with people as they started to leave. People were excited and there were men clapping each other on their backs saying that they would see them on the ship in May.
Lars turned to Gunard and said, “I don’t think I will be going with you brother. I just can’t see myself leaving my home. I talked it over with Candace at dinner tonight and she doesn’t want to leave and never see her sisters and mother and father again. She said it would be too much for her.”
“Well, Corinne and I decided that if the passage over there wasn’t too much, that we would go. I have the thirty six krona it will cost so I am going to sign the manifest Lars.”
The brothers embraced before going their separate ways.
“Come by tomorrow Lars and I’ll help you hook up the sled to the team so you can move it to your barn. Think you will be able to drive them without me?”
Lars just smiled, shaking his head as he waved before walking away into the dark of the night.