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A GLIMPSE INTO THE LIFE STORY OF AN IMMIGRANT

Anne Sophie Thorsen was born August 19, 1865, on the island of Utsire, Haugesuund, Norge (now spelled Utsira, Haugesund, Norway). Utsire is a very small island in the North Sea west of Haugesund. It is the westernmost point of Norway. On the north it has a perfect harbor which was the first harbor seized by the Nazis during the "Occupation" April 9, 1940 - May 8, 1945. She migrated to the United States in 1887, at the age of twenty-two, with her cousin Mathias Olsen and his wire and thirteen other young people, including two children. The cousin and his wife had been in America for a number of years, and upon their return to their home in Norway, told such glowing tales that thirteen of their young countrymen, from his village and from hers, decided to try their chances in the new world.

They traveled steerage on the Liner "City of New York" of the White Star Line at a cost to each of about eighty dollars. Although their fares included meals on the Liner, they could rot eat the food at first. But they had prepared a lunch to eat on the transcontinental train, - pumpernickel, goat cheese, dried lamb and zweibach, and this served very well on the ship, as long as it lasted. Then they partook sparingly of the steerage fare during the rest of the nine day journey. Anne Sophie, fortunately, was not seasick, being accustomed to fishing boats on the North Sea.

The party was detained at Ellis Island only long enough for the medical examinations and Anne Sophie was extremely embarrassed when it was necessary for her to bare her upper arm to show the vaccination scar. Then they were rushed through to the train for San Francisco, via New Orleans. At the station in New Orleans, Anne Sophie saw some of the most beautiful red apples she had ever seen, and, in the absence of her cousins, purchased some by pointing to them and holding out her money. All the members of the party helped themselves, but they believed they had been badly cheated and one after another of the "rotten apples" (but I suppose they said "raadne aebler") went out of the window - all except one. For just then the cousin appeared, "Oh, where did you get the lovely tomato?" she cried, and proceeded to eat the remaining one.

The entire party traveled together to Oakland, California, where relatives and friends met them. They never ceased teasing Anne Sophie about the grapes, for on the second day after her arrival in Oakland she went to a store, pointed to the grapes and laid ten cents on the counter. She returned with double the usual amount for that price. Two days later she went to work as cook for a retired Norwegian sea captain, whose family consisted of a wife and small infant. Here she remained two months, receiving in addition to her room and board, ten dollars a month. Next she worked as cook for an English couple who had five children, and here she received thirteen dollars a month and her room and board. She could not speak English, but understood most of what she heard. The work was pleasant, for they let her to do as she pleased, without instructions, - no doubt her methods were discovered to be better than those already in use. They were very helpful in teaching her to speak English, especially the old man and his twelve year old son. The first evening she was sent to the cellar for jelly of a certain kind, and had to go to the cellar four times before she brought the right kind - she never forgot that variety. The second day she was sent to a neighbor's to borrow some ink and repeated to herself all the way what she had been told, "Please lend me ink." But the sentence must have been recognizable, for she returned with the ink. The twelve year old boy was very fond of good things to eat, so he taught her a great many English words while begging her to cook things for him.

She was allowed to go to a Christmas party, and when the young man called to escort her to the party, he asked Anne Sophie's mistress how late she could stay.

"Until twelve o'clock," she answered.

When the party was at its height, Anne Sophie's escort told her to get her hat and coat, for it was ten o'clock. But she insisted that it was not time yet for her to leave. They tried to get her to tell what her mistress had said, but she would not.

"She said, 'Until ten o'clock,'" the young man teased.

"Until twelve o'clock," Anne Sophie corrected.

The second month Anne Sophie was employed in this home her wages were increased to seventeen dollars. A few months later, because some of her friends were earning twenty dollars for the same kind of work, she decided that she must have twenty dollars. Instead of asking for more wages she obtained another place at the desired amount, and when she was leaving the English people told her they would gladly have paid her the extra money.

She had entire responsibility for the two children in this lawyer's family, and her wages were later raised to thirty dollars, at a time when the best cooks were receive only twenty-five dollars. The only time she had to herself was one evening each week from seven until ten and every second Sunday from two until ten o'clock. The the place she worked she had entire responsibility for three children, even having the care of the baby at night and the care of all of the children's clothes. She reluctantly consented to wear the cap and apron of her service, except that she absolutely refused to wear them down town. Here she had no Sunday afternoon to herself, and only one evening a week, although occasionally she obtained permission to attend church Sunday morning, leaving the baby in the grandmother's care.

About this time she became engaged to marry a young man who worked as a coachman nearby, and set the wedding for when he would be more financially able and she had visited her home.

In August 1891, she and another Norwegian girl went to Norway for a visit to their homes, and she visited Norway again in March a year and a half later. This time she was accompanied on the journey to the "new world" by her sister Janna (Karenkjistiana), her cousin Martha Olsen and a friend, none of whom had been in America. In order to catch the "Urania" from Liverpool, they had to go from Stavanger, Norway, to Liverpool in a fishing boat although this boat had no conveniences whatever for passengers. During a bad snowstorm they encountered between Norway and England the propeller was broken, the holds filled with water, in which the trunks floated about, and the passengers were thoroughly frightened. All night they crowded together in the one cabin, the fishermen carousing and fighting and the women passengers crying and praying. The next morning a tug towed them to a small seaport, and in the bitter cold, sitting on top of their baggage piled high on a wagon, they rode to Liverpool, and arrived just in time to board the Liner.

The steerage conditions on the "Urania" were much better than they had been on the other Liner a few years before. The meals were edible, such as they were, and each one washed his own dishes in a tub of water set on deck, - one of them described the water as being "thicker than bean soup." The sleeping quarters consisted of one large room, where the bunks were arranged close together in rows and in layers from the floor to the low ceiling, and they had difficulty keeping their clothing from contact with the lousy ones of the people next to them. One day the doctor needed Anne Sophie's aid in interpreting for some of her countrymen, and told her to hold her skirts about her as she went through the crowd. One group of immigrants they passed were fairly alive with vermin; so that they could actually see the crawling things, despite their haste through the passageway.

In the immigration station in Brooklyn she saw a Swedish girl sitting in a sort of cage, all by herself, crying. Upon investigation, she learned that the girl's ticket had been purchased in San Francisco and sent to her, and was for a different railroad line than those of her friends who had purchased theirs in Norway, and the friends had been obliged to leave her. Two young Swedish men were trying to help her, but seemed unable to accomplish much. After a great deal of talking and pleading with the officials, Anne Sophie persuaded them to exchange the girl's ticket for one on the line on which they, as well as the two Swedish men, were traveling so that they enjoyed one another's company across the continent and the girl was met by her relatives at the Oakland Mole. Back in Oakland once more, Anne Sophie took a place in a family for a few more months.

September 27, 1893 Anno Sophie Thorsen was married to Waldemar Andreas Schmidt. (Both Schmidt and Smith appear on the marriage license; so without any more ado they chose the name Smith.) They rode to the church in a carriage drawn. by a matched pair of black horses and with a coachman up front. The bride wore a white satin wedding gown made by dressmaker Laura Martin, her Maid of Honor, and her old black shoes with a hole in one sole. Her white satin slippers were at home, forgotten.

Half way to the church she realized this, but said nothing about it until afterwards. Her dress touched the floor and she walked very carefully. They went home from the church to the little home at 83 Hamilton Place, Oakland, which they were buying on installments, and lived there for a few years.

Then Waldemar Smith bought the company for which he worked, but they had to sell their home to finance it. By dint of much saving, and borrowing and repaying, after a few years they had the business and property paid for. It was not until fifteen years later that they were able once more to have their own home, and by that time two of their children were almost through high school and the other in grammar school. The story from this time on is just like any other story of a family struggling to keep up a middle class standard of living. They succeeded very well, but now, more from habit than necesssity, are still scrimping and saving; so that I sometimes wonder if they will over have time to enjoy their prosperity.