Štefan (István) apparently was traveling with another
young man who was also from Vogdebrod (Drahovce) named István Rusznyak, age 24. This information is recorded on the manifest of alien passengers arriving in
steerage class in New York Harbor aboard the SS Imperator. The Imperator, pictured here, was at one time the
largest ship in the world.
István Ruzynyak was going to Lansford,
Pennsylvania, a coal-mining town (many Slovaks were employed in the mining
industry). On the manifest, Štefan Miklo
is reported to be going there as well – but this might have been a recording
mistake. Oddly, he reported that
his last permanent residence was “Jordot”, Iowa, which maybe was what Fort
Dodge, Iowa sounded like to the immigration officer when spoken in Štefan’s
broken English. We know that he worked for U.S. Gypsum in Ohio in 1909. Does
the note indicating his last known address was “Jordot” Iowa mean that he moved
from Ohio to Iowa before he returned to Slovakia prior to 1912? Or was this a recording mistake made by
the immigration officer?
The manifest indicated that Štefan was carrying $48. This was in response to the question, "Whether in possession of $50, and if less how much?" This was asked to assure that people coming into the country would not be a burden to the state. Štefan's response also corroborates the family story that he left Slovakia with $50 and a loaf of bread.
Here is a link to a 28-minute documentary
about the immigrant experience, and the passage through Ellis Island as Štefan, Sr.
would have experienced it. I once thought Štefan, Jr. had gone through Ellis Island as
well. But I have since found that he was spared this part of the immigrant experience. More on that in later posts. Click here for the documentary: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4wzVuXPznk
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