No. 670.
Mr. Fish
to Mr. Evarts.
[Extract.]
Legation of
the United States,
Berne
,
January 15, 1881.
(Received February 1.)
No. 330.]
Sir: I have the honor to inclose herewith an
extract from the Schweizerische Auswanderungs Zeitung of this morning,
respecting the emigration in July last from Rudolfingen, canton of Zurich,
of Heinrich Ruegger, an infirm Swiss, suffering from an incurable
cataract.
If the statements in the newspapers are correct, the emigrant in question
obtained a portion of the money for his journey from members of his family,
a portion by contributions from his townsmen, perhaps obtained by begging a
trifle from his commune, and 25 francs from the poor-funds of his town. The
contract for his emigration is said to have been made by the authorities of
the commune with the emigrant agency of Schneebeli & Co., at Basle, for
the sum of 160 francs. The man is described as being now in the poor-house
at Ottokee, Ohio!
I have written to Consul Mason, at Basle, to investigate the matter, so far
as the emigration contract is concerned, and I have requested Consul Byers,
at Zurich, to ascertain the facts concerning the action of the authorities
at Rudolfingen in the premises.
The same article gives us an idea of what the very numerous assisted
emigration from the canton of Argovie is. It would appear that, in some
cases at least, the property which those emigrants leave behind them is, to
a considerable extent, consumed by costs which they have no power of
controlling, and from which they derive no benefit.
The same newspaper contains the advertisement of the “Compagnie Général
Transatlantique,” who profess to carry emigrants at cheaper rates, and to
furnish them with greater comforts, than the other steamship companies.
* * * * * * *
I have, &c.,
[Inclosure 1 in No. 330.]
Mr. Fish to Mr.
Mason.
Legation of the United States,
Berne
,
January 15,
1881.
Sir: I inclose herewith a copy of this
morning’s Schweizerische Auswanderungs Zeitung, in which is published an
account of the emigration in July last of one Heinrich Ruegger, from
Rudolfingen, canton of Zurich, to the United States.
[Page 1109]
It is stated that said Ruegger was afflicted with an incurable attack of
cataract, was assisted by his commune out of the poor-funds, that the
authorities of the commune made a contract with Messrs. Schneebeli &
Co., of Basle, for Ruegger’s journey for 160 francs, and that Ruegger is
now at the poor-house at Ottokee, Ohio.
I will thank you to inquire concerning the emigration contract, and if
possible to obtain a copy of that document; and I should be greatly
obliged to you if you could furnish Consul Byers, at Zurich, whom I have
asked to investigate and report concerning the alleged action of the
authorities of Rudolfingen, with the name and description of the
emigrant in question, and such other information as will serve to carry
out his investigation.
I am, &c.,
[Inclosure 2 in No.
330.—Translation.]
Extract from the Swiss Emigration Gazette, No.
3, II, January 15, 1881.
unscrupulousness of the
communes.
Last July Heinrich R—, from Rudolfingen, in the canton of Zurich, an
infirm Swiss, emigrated to America to seek his fortune in that country,
which up to the present time, he has not found, nor will he find it, for
things have happened to him very differently from what they did in his
dear Switzerland, He has very poor eyesight, and does not see
sufficiently to enable him to perform all sorts of work; besides, over
there all work, even the simplest, is performed in a very different way
from what it is in Switzerland. (R—had been suffering from cataract, and
had previously been discharged from the hospitals because he could not
be cured!) The money for his journey was collected in different manners.
From his mother he got 60 francs; a sister supplied him with 30 francs;
from voluntary contributions of his townspeople he obtained 63 francs;
from the commune 10 francs; and 25 francs from the poor-funds in all,
190 francs (sic).*
The contract for his journey was made by the authorities of the town of
Rudolfingen with Messrs. Schneebeli & Co., of Basle, for the price
of 160 francs. The emigrant agent at Basle gave R—10 francs in money,
and he was to receive the remaining 20 francs by a draft on Warensburg’s
“Bundes Brudern” in New York. He went to Ohio from New York with pain
and difficulty, where he worked at Archbold—on the railway. From there
he went to Wauseon. After working there about three hours in the sewer
he broke his foot and was taken to the poor-house
at Ottokee, where he now is, but, thank God, was soon cured. Since then,
without work and without money, he greatly longs for the old country,
where he properly belongs; and in common justice we add that such a
casting out by the commune very strongly resembles a banishment.
A certain C—R—, from Wolfingswyl, canton of Argovie, writes us from
Nebraska:
“Inasmuch as the president of our village, Mr. Frei, wrote to me that our
commune had to pay 21 francs on account of our family, because somebody
had been to our place from the Swiss consul and had asked how we were
getting along, and as we had seen no one at our house, I wonder how this
could have happened.”
These are merely occasional specimens, but they clearly show that in the
sphere of emigration many things happen which are not shown in the
pictures painted of it; namely, how heartlessly some communes act to
their townspeople, even if they have not, in a criminal manner, got rid
of them by shipping them to America. Would that, for the welfare of the
unfortunate victims, and for the honor of the Swiss
fatherland, it might, in this respect, be otherwise!
