Letters from Hans Vold

These are letters written by Hans Vold, my grandfather"s brother who emigrated in 1883. The letters are written to his friend in Gausdal, Norway



Brodhead the 25th of May, 1884

Good Friend,

As I am sitting in this lonely room and everything is quiet around me, I will use the opportunity to let my thoughts flow and with a pen write some simple words. I have often thought I would write to you, but it never came about. I should first say that I am healthy every day since I arrived in America and am pretty happy here. I found America better than I thought. I have bad thoughts about it when I was in Norway and there are many who don’t find America as good as they had expected because there isn’t money hanging on every tree. But the ones that want to work and are fit for it can make a lot of money in a short time. There are people here who work for two days and then drink for three. Then they no longer have clothes. But most of the Norwegians have made it well. I am now working for a monthly salary and have promised to stay for six months. Ole has promised to stay for a year and he is going to get 200 “daler”. In a later year we can make more because we have learned how to understand and speak English. I understand
a lot and also understand and speak a little. I am studying a book with the title “100 Hours of English” which teaches me to read and write English. I have heard that there are lots of people coming from Gausdal this year and there is room for them in America because America is so big that it doesn’t matter if they even get a whole nation the size of Norway. The state is divided into counties and the counties are divided into townships and townships are divided into sections and one section is a square mile. I do not have anything interesting to write about this time except that I was in the town of Brodhead two days ago and saw indescribable theater. I can mention a few things, a snake so big that it could eat a horse, monkeys dressed up as soldiers with guns on their shoulders, elephants, horses, dogs and people who did all sorts of jumps and facial contortions.
I thought that my brother John would come to America this spring. I sent him money for the trip a month ago and if he hasn’t left yet please tell him to wait to the fall because I think he will have company on the trip. Greet him and tell him that I received his letter of April 14th. Greet also from me Johan and Marthe Møllersturen and acquaintances. You have the best greetings from me. Write back immediately and tell everything you know.


Here is a message from Ola Andersen. I have lots to talk about, but if we can meet some Sunday evening. I have lots to tell you. Greetings from Ole Andersen.
Friendly Greetings, Hans Johansen Wold
Brodhead Green
Wisconsin North America



Brodhead, January 1, 1885


Good Friend,

I received your letter a long time ago and I thank you. It is always fun to hear from an old friend. You asked me to write about the conditions and everything else, but my knowledge is limited, as you can understand. The people that interact with Americans immediately after arrival are like the deaf and dumb. That happened to Ole Andersen and me. One week came and passed and we were still dumb (not speaking), but now I can understand and speak enough to make it. I am working for the same farmer and making pretty good money. I had thought about starting in shoemaker work, but I got a five “Daler: raise for the month, so now I make 220 “Daler” a year. This fall I gave up King Oscar (Norway and Sweden) and became a citizen of this country with the right to vote. This fall we had a presidential election and I voted for president. There were people of all classes together. In America people are respected in regard to their abilities. Nobody will ask whether your father was a farmer or a businessman. They are looking at a man for what he is and their past is of little importance. The people that drink hard liquor are considered vulgar. As you have probably have heard, John arrived and he had a difficult trip and experienced storm and disease. Now I believe he is working in the woods. There are probably many people who are going to leave Gausdal this spring too. Hans Møller and Kristian Kværnum are probably still running the same trade. I should not complain about my fellow countrymen, but when they pay for immigrants and have them work half a year and sometimes a whole year to pay for their ticket, then I find that to be shameful. Immigrants who came with such a ticket are legally not supposed to be bound to the individual who paid for the tickets. However, in reality, they have to work it off. In one Norwegian settlement close by they sent for young men and women and almost all of them have left their jobs. Saina Opsalhagen came over this summer. She stayed and worked for a few days and then she left because of important things. (Next comes a sentence that neither Tom nor I can understand. Perhaps she left because of an abusive situation, but he is afraid to say anything this direct and, as a result, it is not clear what he menas) There are good schools, but no religious schools, no state church. There are member churches. Washington is the capital of America and it is being built at the time of this letter to be of a special design. There is a poorhouse in every county. Regarding young woman, I have seen both beautiful and ugly, but they are all dressed as fine young women and stay in the house for decoration. (Another unclear sentence referring to the women. I think he is trying to be funny, but his message is not clear.
I must end. . . (the end of this letter is missing).








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