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Birth
I was a small boy, growing up on a scanty Finnish farm with a brother, sister, and two parents. For the duration of my entire childhood, my family was poor and rarely did we have enough food to fill our bellies. We worked bitterly hard on our cold estate.I was an overly curious, quiet child nd made it by like that until the day my parents past. By the time my 20th name day rolled around, my parents died. My siblings dispersed and I've decided to head to the United States to gain a better life. -
Event #1
I, Kettu Jokela, have finally arrived at the widely known Ellis Island. A place acclaimed for opportunity and fresh beginnings. I was so dreadfully tired after the long ship expedition and thought that after we left the ship, things wouldn't be so crowded. However, Upon my arrival, I and all of the other immigrants were herded like cattle in an endless, winding line. It looks as though my life in America is about to unfurl. -
Event #2
A few months have wandered by. I now deem it appropriate to say living in the United States is difficult. After leaving Ellis Island, I went in search of an uncle rumored to be staying in New York. On my way, I suffered from lack of food. It was nothing new, but no one ever really gets used to being hungry. I stumbled my uncle in a small tenement deep within the city. My English is terrible and no one wishes to help me, but I heard talk of jobs in Michigan. They say I could find a job mining. -
Event #3
I travelled over to Michigan via railroad. As I arrived, I found a job mining. I had originally wanted a job in farming or forestry, but those are scarce and the chance of owning a farm is even scarcer. It took a small while to get the job, mostly because the workers are almost all of Asian descent. I can hardly understand English, let alone the Chinese tongue I hear being shouted. However, after much misunderstanding and horrible communication, I've made it into the workplace. -
Event #4
Because I work for this mine, I've been given a residence located a few miles away.
It's a long and tiresome trek to get there each morning, but I persevere. My job pays less than a dollar a day. The work is dirty and I have yet to understand the workers and their language. -
Event #5
Michigan has not been kind to me in the few months that I've lived here. I've seen many men become seriously injured or ill due to working in the mines. It's backbreaking work that lasts all day, 6 days a week. My boss is not kind to me, though he is fully aware of my inability to speak fluent English and I suspect he takes advantage of that. I had been minimally abused by a few prejudiced people in town, never to any awful extent. A more pressing issue has come.Today, I found a small terrier. -
Event #6
I've stayed in America for a little over a decade. My English has improved considerably. Because I've had only myself and my terrier to support, I was able to earn enough money to buy myself a small farm. It isn't optimally placed on rich ground, but it's enough. I've heard pressing news that there was an attack at Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor Virginia. Some say it marks the beginning of a war. I guess we shall see.
