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Birth of Allison Reber
Today was the day Allison Reber was born in Germany in the year of 1878. My childhood was hard because back then I was poor and was raised stuborn. I always liked to play with my brothers and sisters. My family left the country becuase it was to hardto live there anymore. -
When I got Married
I was 23 when I got married to Adam Reber. That day was the happiest day of my life! I had said my final goodbyes to my parents becuase he had told me we were going to America. -
Arrival at Ellis Island
I arrived at Ellis island in 1909. The trip was very rough and dirty. I didn’t have much room to move around. The first thing I saw was the Statue of Liberty, it was so amazing to see the symbol of America. When we docked the boat officers greeted us and gave us numbered identity tags. I spoke German at the time and knew a little bit of English. The officers were inspecting peoples bags and registering them. I got through, with the English that I knew. -
Finding a house
We had found a house close to friends and bought it a year later. As me and my family were riding home, I asked my husband what house we bought, he relied in a sweet tone, a big house to ourselves. We have been saving to get a head start out in New York. When we arrived I couldn’t believe my eyes. The kids carried my bags into the house, while my husband showed me around the place. It just kept getting better. We had indoor plumbing, it didn’t smell at all and we werent cramped anymore! -
Finding a Job
After we settled in our new house, I knew I had to get a job. So I looked for a job on the weekends while the kids were being watched. I finally found a job at The Shirtwaist Factory. I went to work the next day, I was paid $7.50 an hour. The conditions weren't bad, when every worker was in the room the boss would lock the door so we couldn’t sneak out. The boss was nice to me, it seemed like I was a favorite of his. -
Letter to Mother
Dear Mother, we are all doing so well out in New York. Things have been a change finally. The kids are doing fine and me and my husband found a job here. We are so much happier here. Can you believe that I finally had the money to buy a romantic house! Well anyways the kids have made many friends at there new school. Everyone in the neighborhood has been so nice and certainly friendly. Well that all for now, please write back, Love your daughter Allison Reber. -
Shirtwaist Factory Fire (continued)
I jumped into mid air and closed my eyes. Next thing I know is I'm in the net safe! Right as a opened my eyes I see dead bodies all over the ground and blood everywhere, I am lucky I survived. -
Shirtwaist Factory Fire
Me and all the other girls were working when we felt hot and sweaty. We all were confused, but then it hit me that it was a fire! It just a couple of minutes the whole building was in flames. All of the girls, including me were struggling to get out. There were girls left and right jumping out the window. I heard the fire department come, I looked out the window. They were holding a net so people could jump out and land safely. So I thought it was my only chance to live. -
Dreams
That night I tucked the children in there bdes and then I went to bed. My husband said good night and turned out the light. I fell asleep as quick as a heart beat. I started to have dreams about all who had died on march 25th. I say poeple covered in blood and it was so horrifing I woke up screaming! I hadnt told my family about the fire yet. My husband sat up and calmed me down. He asked me what was wrong and then I told him. -
Moving
Its hard to stay here with all the memories and things. My family and I have to move away becuase my husband was let go from his job, I was left without a job after the Shirtwaist Factory Fire. We packed up all of our stuff and the children said goodbye to there friends. We dicided to move to Maine. -
The trip
The trip to Miane was very long. Every hour the kids would ask if we were there yet. It was a unbarable time. We stoped to eat a couple of places on our way. It took about 10 hours to get there. When my family arrived we found a rentable house to stay in untill we had enough money to get our own. -
Steel Industries
My husband got a job at one of the steel industries here. Everyday I would pray that he didnt fall into the molds of the hot steel. He made big money working there. His boss was harsh to him and made him work late hours, from 7p.m. to 2 a.m. in the morning. The other workers and him only get a 15 minute break in every 2-3 hours. -
The death of my two Children (continued)
When he got home he told me that he tried to find a doctor but he couldnt since we didnt really know are way around the town yet. My husband inspected them, he told me that it looked like scarlet fever. We both held are children to there last breath of life. -
The death of my two Children
On this very day the children where playing outside a caught a cold. I told them to both dtay inside and rest. But that was just the beginning. They both started to get worse and red in the face. They begged me to go outside becuase they were so hot and flushed. There hearts were beating fast, I had no idea that they were going down hill from there. They laid down in bed as their father rushed home. -
Another horrible death (continued)
I opened it right away. I read it carefully, it had said that Adam had fallen itto the gigantic steel melting pot and banished right away. There was no way he could have sorvived that. I cried for hours untill I had fallen asleep. -
Another horrible death
My husband when to work that morning. I prayed again after our two children had died that he wouldnt go also. I was doing my daily chores around the house when I heard the doorbell ring. I wondered who it could be in the middle of the after noon. I answered the door and as soon as I opened the door I knew my husband was gone. There was a man standing there that my husband worked with. He had a letter in his hand and gave it to me, then left without saying anything. -
My death
On the day of july 30th 1915, I had killed my self. I could make a living anymore. Also there was no point becuase my family is already dead. So I dicided I was going to get my husbands old gun out and shot myself. I did it at night when noone waa awake. Bang! Bang! It was done. In the morning a close nieghboor had a plate of cookies for me. She rang the door about three times and figured somthing was wrong. -
My death (continued)
So she got her husband and they broke down the door and found mw in my bed with a gun in my hand and a picture of my family in the other.