CHAPTER 1

Germany in the 1800's Wilhelm Oswald was born on August 14, 1873 in the southern German kingdom of Wuerttemburg. Anna Barbara Brenner was born a little over two-and-a-half years later in the same kingdom but approximately 15 kilometers (10 miles) northwest from where Wilhelm was born. They lived less than ten miles apart for approximately five years, but as far as we know, their families neither met, nor did their paths cross. Germany, during the 1870's and 1880's, when Wilhelm and Anna were born and still lived there, was not the cohesive nation that we know today, or even as it was in the days after the First and Second World Wars. The final remnants of the "Holy Roman Empire" which had lasted in central Europe for nearly a thousand years, since the days of Charlemagne, had been utterly destroyed in 1806 by the French armies under Napoleon I. After that, there remained a loosely connected conglomeration of various cities, states, principalities and minor kingdoms. Austria and Prussia became the two major German speaking powers, and the Kingdoms of Bavaria, Wuerttemberg (which was a kingdom from 1813 to 1918), Baden and others played minor rolls. There were several attempts to form a German confederation, particularly at the Congress of Vienna in 1914-15, but there was not a German nation that could act independently. The new German Confederation possessed neither a head nor the possibility of pursuing a common foreign policy. It also lacked a uniform legal system and a common currency and units of measurement. Even customs barriers between the various German kingdoms still continued to exist. This Confederation embraced 39 member states and cities, and also foreign rulers who exercised sovereign rights in Germany, as for instance, the British King in Hanover. On the other hand, regions which were part of the Austrian political community, such as Hungary, Veneto, and Lombardy, and the provinces of the kingdom of Prussia, such as East Prussia, West Prussia, and Posnania, were excluded from the Confederation. There was a Confederation Army made up of contingents from the individual states, but there was no parliamentary representation. Most of the German speaking peoples felt bound together by their language and common customs. Travel among the various kingdoms and principalities was unrestricted. In fact, up to 1914 one could travel throughout Europe without a passport. These common ties led many intellectuals to discuss the German speaking peoples' "common bond" and the question "What is the German's Fatherland?" arose. Was it the individual state in which one had been born, or should it not be the entire, larger Fatherland of the common language and culture? There could be no doubt that it had to be the “whole Germany". Austria offered itself for the "Greater Germany" solution. But Austria was the capital of a multi-national empire embracing many non-German peoples such as Hungarians, Czechs, and Italians.

In the course of its 500-year history Prussia had become under the Hohenzoller family dynasty, the most powerful German state alongside Austria. During and after the Wars of Liberation the idea of one "national Germany" had taken firmer root in Prussia than in the other German states. Prussia had also made the greatest sacrifices on behalf of the eventual victory over Napoleon.

Also, in 1867 Prussia's political and military predominance over the other German states had been established through the defeat of Austria in the "German War" of 1864-1866. Some unification of the German states finally took place in 1871, just two years before Wilhelm Oswald was born, due to the persistent efforts and diplomacy of the Prime Minister of Prussia, Otto von Bismarck. He was successful in getting the several German states (kingdoms), including the Kingdom of Wuerttemberg, to outwit the Austrians in the War in 1864, and in 1870 he managed to get France to declare war on Prussia. This war between Prussia and France eventually involved all Germans against France's efforts to once again secure supremacy in Europe. Austria adopted a neutral attitude in the 1870 French war. It was undoubtedly the 1870 French War with the German states that Ludwig Friedrich Osswald, the father of Wilhelm Oswald, was involved in as a soldier. Whether he was also involved in the German-Austrian War of 1864-66 (when he was between the ages of 21 and 24) is not known. He was married November 26, 1867, so he could have served before he was married. In 1870 Ludwig was nearing his 27th birthday, and his wife had given birth to two children (though the oldest had died at the age of two weeks in January 1869). Wilhelm remembered many of the experiences his father told him about while his father was serving in the German Confederation Army, fighting the French. After the 1870 French War Bismarck was successful in getting the kings and rulers of southern German states (kingdoms) to join with the North German Confederation to form a "Second Reich" (Second Kingdom). The First Reich (First Kingdom) had been formed as the Holy Roman Empire in the 800's and continued until the defeat of the Empire by Napoleon I in 1806. Later, in 1933, an Austrian named Adolf Hitler formed what he termed Germany's "Third Reich" and in an attempt to further unite other German speaking peoples in Austria, Czechoslovakia and Poland commenced the Second World War. Bismarck was also successful in having the King of Prussia Wilhelm I, proclaimed as the first German Kaiser (Emperor). That event took place on January 18, 1871, at Versailles, on the outskirts of Paris, while the German siege of Paris was actually going on. He thus caused humiliation to the French by proclaiming the new German Reich on French soil. Bismarck has been honored by Germans alongside Goethe (the poet-writer) and Martin Luther as one of their great men. He is considered the founder of the new "Reich". Wilhelm I of Germany, also known as "Kaiser Bill" was a Prussian. His methods of ruling were Prussian, which was autocratic and authoritarian. Prussia had always demanded submissiveness. This was difficult for the more lax and easy-going southern Germans. King Ludwig II of Bavaria, who ruled Bavaria from 1845 to 1886 along with other the other southern German Kings of Wuerttemberg and Baden objected, but finally became won over for the good of "Greater Germany." King Ludwig II of Bavaria, also known as "Mad King Ludwig" was born in 1842 and was one year older than Ludwig Friedrich Osswald, the father of Wilhelm Oswald. King Ludwig is known for his building of the still standing Bavarian castles of Herrenchiemsee and Hohenschwangau. The castle of Hohenschwangau is built on a high hill at the foot of the German Alps and is the castle which appears in most of the German travel advertisements. It served as the model for the Disneyland and Disney World Sleeping Beauty Castles. Mad King Ludwig died in 1886, drowned along with his doctor in the lake at the beautiful Herrenchiemsee

Castle. King Ludwig II was an admirer of Richard Wagner, composer of the famous operas, who was often summoned to the King's Castles. Kaiser Bill, the new Emperor of Germany, was 76 years old in 1873, the year of Wilhelm Oswald's birth. He reigned as Kaiser until his death in 1888 when he was 91 years old. It appears that Kaiser Bill was one of the catalysts in the decision of Ludwig Friedrich Osswald to emigrate to America. Because of the frequent wars in which the German Confederation had been involved, there was compulsory military service for all young men in the German Confederation. It was a special honor for a German male to wear the uniform of an officer. The officer corps was considered an elite class and at that time approximately 80 percent of the officer corps were from families whose social position came from land ownership -- the nobility. Nobility was generally designated by adding a "von" (pronounced "phone") to one's name, such as Ludwig von Beethoven. After an individual joined the corps, everything was done to ensure that he conformed to the army's traditional values. Even the mildest form of political opposition was prohibited and officers were encouraged to center their social life within the corps. The Prussian nobility set the tone for the corps and the possession of a "von" greatly facilitated professional success. One father advised his son "to be a successful German these days, one must be a successful soldier." It is doubtful, however, that Ludwig was an officer, since he did not come from the ranks of German nobility. While serving in the German Army, though, Ludwig apparently became recognized in some way by Kaiser Bill who commented on Ludwig's family of boys. In early 1881, several months before he left clandestinely for America, Ludwig had four boys under the age of ten years. The Kaiser is said to have remarked to him: "Ludwig, you have a lot of nice boys for my army." On March 12, 1881, the youngest son, three month old Karl Heinrich Osswald, died (another son who would later be born in America would be named after him). In August 1881 Ludwig left for America. To further put the Germany of the 1870's and 1880's in perspective, a German newspaper reported that even though Jews had fought for their German Fatherland during the Wars of Liberation and in the 1870-71 War, many people still considered them second-class citizens. In 1871 the Deutsche Mark was introduced as the new German currency. In 1875 there were 2,650 bookshops in the German Reich, whereas 40 years previously there had only been 860. Berlin, the capital of Prussia, had reached a population of over 700,000 and had ten daily newspapers. Goethe's book "Faust" sold as a paperback for 20 Pfennig, a price unchanged for 50 years, and Schiller's "Wilhelm Tell" had over 5,000,000 copies printed. A few years before (in 1846) Karl Marx, a German, had published "Das Kapital", which became the Communist Bible. Marx had been expelled from Germany in 1849 for inciting a rebellion, but returned in 1861. He was living in Germany at the time the Osswald family came to America. Telegraph lines were all over Germany. The German inventor of the indicator telegraph, Engineer Werner von Siemens had built the first large underground telegraph cable from Berlin to Frankfurt-am-Main in 1848-49. A contemporary music composer, in addition to Richard Wagner, was Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) who completed his First Symphony, opus 68 in 1876. In 1871 Germany was in the midst of an industrial revolution. Railway building from 1840 on had promoted heavy industry and the production of pig iron in the country had tripled between 1860 and 1870 to reach 1.8 million tons. Factories were offering new and easier opportunities of

earning a living. Medicine and science were making great advances. In 1875 the German Reich enacted a law to require smallpox vaccinations. In 1876 the first four stroke combustion automobile engine was built in Germany by the Deutz Motor-works. In 1879 Werner von Siemens constructed the first electric locomotive in Germany. In 1881 the first local telephone calls were inaugurated in Berlin. At first only 94 Berliners applied for a telephone, but by 1882 the number had risen to 579. A few years later, a chemist, physicist, philosopher and Professor at Leipzig named Wilhelm Ostwald discovered the mechanism of the chemical process of the catalysis for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry. As early as 1848 Germany had hard surfaced roads, improved mail service, and shortly thereafter, railroads. Things were not all well in Germany, however. There was a very authoritarian and oppressive Kaiser ruling over the country. Though there was more education throughout the country, voting rights were limited to a few landowners and the Chancellor (Bismarck) treated parliament in such a way that no real political decisions could be taken there. The year Wilhelm Oswald was born, 1873, ended with the Great Depression. Profits dropped sharply because of the catastrophic drop in prices. German grain producers demanded protective tariffs against imported American grain. Prices continued to drop through the prolonged depression, which lasted until 1896. Mortgages and loans could not be paid back because of smaller profits and lower wages. In January 1875 Karl Marx predicted the approach of a "Universal Crisis". This crisis was the second catalyst that sent Ludwig Friedrich Osswald west. He had mortgages and loans that he couldn't pay off. .

Chapter 2

Early Life of Wilhelm Oswald The village of Riederich in the southwestern Germany is hundreds of years old. Ludwig Friedrich Osswald, the father of Wilhelm Oswald, was born there, as were his paternal ancestors for several centuries according to the Lutheran Church Parish Records. Wilhelm's mother, Eva Dorothea Schwab, was also born in Riederich, but her ancestors had come from the larger neighboring village of Metzingen, which was about four miles to the southeast. Church Parish records traced her ancestors as having been in Metzingen since the mid 1500's. Riederich is situated on the River Erms, which flows through the village. The rolling hills around Riederich were once covered with thick forests -- part of the famed "Black Forest" which runs across most of southern Germany. The Black Forest is so dense that it actually appears black as one looks into it. No light can be seen filtering down through the trees to the leaf laden ground surface. Earlier, many deer and wild boar used to roam through the thick forest, but much of the forest has been cleared for farming and hunting thinned out the forest animals. Wild boar have disappeared entirely. There are still thick forests around Riederich, but they are limited to the ridges and higher hills, where farming would be unproductive. The valleys are now covered with farmland, roads and villages. Many stories and fables have been told about the Black Forest and its inhabitants. Some of these stories have been made famous by the Brothers Grimm, who collected and published German folklore in their now famous book of Grimms Fairy Tales. Schneewitchen (Snow White), Hansel and Gretl, The Brave Little Tailor, and other stories all had their origins in the Black Forest. No doubt these stories were known and repeated by Ludwig Friedrich Osswald and his wife, Eva Dorothea, to their children. Ludwig and Dorothea were married in Riedrich on November 26, 1867. Their first child, a little girl named Dorothea Osswald was born in Riederich on December 28, 1868. She lived for two weeks and a day, and died on January 12, 1969. Fourteen months after the birth of their first daughter, Dorothea gave birth to Anna Magdalena Osswald, who was born on February 28, 1870. Next, the Osswald home was blessed with Ludwig ("Lew") Frederick Osswald, a son, who was born on January 26, 1871. Then came Sophie Katherine ("Katie") Osswald who was born on March 24, 1872. Ludwig Oswald Eva Dorothea Schwab

Wilhelm Osswald, the fifth child born to the Osswald family, was the first child born in the Summer. He made his appearance on August 14, 1873 when his father was 30 years old and his mother was going on 27 years of age. A little over a year later, on November 18, 1874, his sister, Elisabeth Dorthea ("Dora") Osswald was born. Then followed Anna Maria ("Mary") Osswald, born on January 10, 1876 and Johann Cristopher ("Chris") Osswald who was born on June 26, 1877, giving the family a total of eight children up to that time, seven of whom survived. Following the birth of Chris, four additional children were born in Riederich, none of whom survived more than three months. Pauline Wilhelmine Osswald was born on August 30, 1878 and died on October 6 of that same year. Elise Babetta Osswald was born on October 25, 1879 and died on December 8, 1879. Karl Heinrich Osswald was born on December 5, 1880 and died on October 6, 1881. Another son bearing the same name would later be born in America. On October 1, 1881, Dorothea gave birth to a stillborn daughter, who was not named. School was mandatory for all children living in the Kingdom of Wuerttemberg, and Wilhelm, whom the family called "Willy" and later "Will", and this brothers and sisters started classes at about the age of six years. The Lutheran Religion was the predominant religion and religious teachings were included in the schools. Catechisms were part of the curriculum, along with reading and writing German and the learning of mathematical computations. No doubt Dorothea helped her children with their reading and writing practice and with learning how to add and subtract. Ludwig, the father, was often away either serving in the German Confederation Army (which took him to France during the French German War) or pursuing his trade of a stone mason, which often took him to neighboring villages where he stayed overnight. Sometimes he would travel to other countries such as Bavaria, Austria and Hungary to pursue his masonry trade. Raising the children was a responsibility that was assumed chiefly by mother Dorothea. Ludwig was an easy going, fun loving man. He loved to socialize and be with relatives, family and friends. He would often tell his children stories about his army experiences, about marching into France, about having boiling water poured out of second story windows by French patriots onto the heads of the advancing Germans, and about the cruelties of war committed by both the French and the Germans. Apparently Ludwig became one of the personal guards of old Kaiser Wilhelm I, the aging King of Prussia and Kaiser of the new German Confederation. A large picture of the Kaiser with his family came into the possession of Ludwig and his family, which was brought to America and retained until the First World War when being a German in America brought one into suspicion of spying for the enemy. Mother Dorothea, on the other hand, was a strict disciplinarian. She had a serious demeanor and was the strong personality in the family. She was physically strong and worked hard. She grew flax in a swamp close to the River Erms and processed and spun threads from the flax which was then woven into cloth. She made some of her own clothes from that cloth and took some of the clothes she had made to America with her. The family had a plot of land where Dorothea grew vegetables for family use as well as other crops which could be used or sold. They also raised pigs and calves which in winter were kept in the barn which formed the lower part of their house. In front of the house was the traditional pungent smelling “straw pile" which consisted of all elements cleaned out of the cow barn connected to the home. Dorothea was the farmer in the family. She had been raised in farming and at one time while her father was ill and

her brothers and sisters were away from home had taken over the work of caring for the acreage the Schwab family cultivated where the family raised food for their own cows as well as other crops. While she was still with her parents she had used a scythe to cut hay and grain and then carried it into their barn for storage. Will, with one brother and two sisters older than he and two younger sisters and one younger brother, found himself to be in the middle of the family. The family lived in the village, which had less than a thousand people. He had, as did his brothers and sisters as soon as they were old enough, chores to do, such as feeding the animals, hoeing in the garden, bringing in water, gathering and bringing in wood for the wood cooking and heating stoves. The girls would have done most of the cooking, cleaning of dishes and housework since that was considered "women's" work by the Germans of that day. As most houses had for its living quarters only a kitchen, a "Stube" or living room (where the family ate, worked, and spent most of its time indoors) and two or at the most three bedrooms, it is most likely that the boys shared a room together. Lew and Wilhelm probably shared a bed while the younger Chris slept in a crib or on a small couch. There was no indoor plumbing, no electric lights or telephones. Lighting was provided at night by oil lanterns. Water was brought in from a village fountain which was used by the entire village. Perhaps some water was also brought by buckets from the River Erms, since it was closer to the Osswald house than was the village fountain. An "outhouse" behind the regular house provided toilet facilities and weekly baths were taken in the kitchen in a large metal tub with water heated in kettles on the wood stove. Since it was too laborious to carry in and heat separate water for each bather, the children would all use the same bath water. Until the children got older, they didn't mind. After they got a little older they started objecting to bathing in someone else's dirty water and began to quarrel over who got the first bath. Will was fun loving and no doubt teased his brothers and sisters and was teased by them. His mother would punish him as well as his siblings when they were disobedient. Sticks or switches applied to the legs or behind were the most common form of enforcing rules. Since Riederich was small, having less than 1,000 people, Will and his brothers would know the area well, including the woods located near to the village. Woods have always had an attraction for children, especially little boys. There they could dream of the knights in shining armor riding

large and handsome horses in search of dragons. They could also, as do all young boys, find places to battle the enemy and recreate the experiences they heard from their fathers about engaging in battles with the French. They were also places to chase little fur bearing animals such as rabbits and squirrel, gophers and even skunks. It is not known whether the Osswald family had a dog, but it is likely that it did. Will loved dogs and had several of them after he came to America. A dog would have been fun to take to the woods because it would scare up and chase the rabbits and other little creatures. There were also plenty of birds in the dark forest. Their chirpings, warblings and calls would add to the woods' enchantment. Perhaps they would venture onto a witch's cottage, such as was owned by the witch who lured Hansel and Grettel, or they would find the cottage or the mine of the dwarfs of Snow White fame. Will and the boys would also have skipped rocks in the River Erms. It was slow moving and not too wide, but large enough for rock skipping. Flat rocks could get more bounces and they would much prized. Across the River Erms was the house of Will's Grossmutter (Grandmother) Anna Maria Osswald. She lived alone and took in washing, ironing and sewing to support herself. It appears that there was not a real close relationship between Dorothea and Anna Maria Osswald, Dorothea's mother-in-law. Will's father, Ludwig, had built a small foot bridge that adults could use to cross the Erms at a location nearer to Anna Maria Osswald's home rather than going a longer way to a public bridge. Apparently the foot bridge was quite rickety and Will's parents would disapprove of its use by children. However, Will and his brothers and sisters would sneak away when their mother was working in the field during the day and cross over to see their grandmother. Grandmother Osswald loved her grandchildren and always had cookies and candy for them. To assure the children's safety, she would then take them back across the bridge. All of the children loved their grandmother. Will's other grandmother, Christine Katherine Rieff Schwab, also lived in Riederich. Her husband, Johann Christoph Schwab, a carpenter from Metzingen, Wuerttemberg, had died in Riederich of dropsy in 1867, six years before Will was born. Will had two uncles and an aunt, the brothers and sister of their mother, Dorothea, who also lived in Riederich. They were all older than their mother. Dorothea's oldest sister, Christine Katherine ("Aunt Katie") married Johannes Hauber on October 3, 1876, about two months after Will was born. She was three days short of being 42 years of age when she married. One uncle, Johann Martin Schwab, had been married on September 9, 1869 to Pauline Wilhelmine Schmid, and they had several children. Their children, being in Will's and Will's brothers and sisters age group, would be cousins with whom Will and his siblings could play. Will's other uncle was Johann Christoph Schwab, who was thirty-three years old when Will was born. He never did marry. Christine Katherine Rieff Schwab Riederich, Germany lies north of the 48th parallel, so it gets cold in the winter and is often rainy in the spring and summer. Great Falls, Montana, as a comparison, is south of the 48th parallel.

Southern Germany's humidity is much higher than in the western part of the United States. Snow falls in the Black Forest, and in the wintertime, Riederich would have its share. Little German boys, like boys everywhere, like to build snowmen and throw snowballs in the winter. Will did the same. Moist snow packs into balls better than the dry snow that is so prevalent in the western United States, so making snowmen was easy, even if heavy. Snowballs could be made icy by squeezing them tight, and of course, they caused more damage when striking their target. Will and his brothers would get into snowball fights with other children of the village, particularly on the way home from school in winter, when the frustrations accumulated from a long day of struggling with scholastic subjects gave way to the freedom of a stroll home. Children wore long underwear. Sometimes the weather got down to a minus 20 degrees or more (Fahrenheit). Some European mothers were known to have sewn their children into underwear for several months during the winter. This probably did not happen to Will or his siblings. However, baths were less frequent in winter than in summer, simply because of the logistics of obtaining and heating water. Other wintertime activities for the boys were to track rabbits and other furry creatures through the forest. Sometimes fox tracks were seen, but seldom were the elusive animals found. When Will was just about eight years old some Mormon missionaries came into Riederich. In 1881 Mormons were not highly regarded. Often the missionaries were physically driven out of the villages and those villagers who befriended them were ostracized. Will's widowed grandmother, Christine Katherine Rieff Schwab, was contacted by the missionaries and given a Book of Mormon. She did not tell anyone about it and hid the book near her bed, reading it at night when no one knew what she was reading. She became interested in this “new religion.” She and her family were Lutheran, as were practically all of the villagers. It is not known whether she and her family were "strong" Lutherans. Grandmother Schwab apparently told her children of her interest and Will's father and mother, his Aunt Katie and Uncle Johannes Hauber, his Aunt Dorothea Schwab, and his Uncle Johann Christoph Schwab all started meeting with Mormon missionaries Carl C. Schramm of Payson, Utah and Charles Schneiter of Salt Lake City, Utah. The families sometimes took the missionaries into their homes when the villagers became too hostile. In addition to teaching religion, the missionaries told the families about America, in particular, Salt Lake City. Since Ludwig had returned home from his military service, he had contracted to do masonry work on various houses and buildings. Sometimes he would not make enough on the construction to pay for the material and labor which he agreed to provide and he found himself deep in debt even though he worked very hard. In trying to make settlements with his creditors he was obliged to give mortgages on the home he owned. Some of the creditors were threatening to foreclose. Liens were also placed upon the pigs and calves which Will's mother was raising. Once when creditors were trying to seize their pigs and calves to satisfy the liens, Will's mother confronted them by saying that they were her animals and could not be taken. A conflict arose and Dorothea was struck by the creditor’s cane. Being a strong woman she grabbed the creditor by the collar and choked him, took his cane away and hit him with it, then pushed him out of the door, throwing his hat and cane after him. She was seven months pregnant at the time. She gave birth to a stillborn daughter on October 1, 1881, two months later. In addition to the pressing financial obligations, Will's father, Ludwig, had other concerns. He had served as a guard to the now 84 year old Kaiser Wilhelm I. On one occasion, the old Kaiser

had told him: "Ludwig, you have a lot of nice boys for my armies." Ludwig had seen the effects of the wars. He did not want his boys to have to serve in the Kaiser's armies. Ludwig formed a plan, which he disclosed only to his wife, Dorothea. He would take his family to America. His interest in the L.D.S. Church would direct him to Salt Lake City. He would go as soon as sufficient money could be saved for his fare, then he would send for his family. They began accumulating everything they could for his fare. On August 11, 1881, at 10:00 P.M. at night so as to not arouse suspicion of the Riederich villagers, Christine Katherine Rieff Schwab, Will's grandmother, her daughters Christine Katherine Schwab Hauber and Eva Dorothea Schwab Osswald and their husbands, Johannes Hauber and Ludwig Friedrich Osswald, and Christine Kaeherine's younger son, Johann Christoph Schwab, were baptized in the River Erms by missionaries Carl C. Schramm and Charles Schneiter. On the day of August 27, 1881, Ludwig worked laying the bricks of a chimney in the vicinity of Riederich. That evening he laid down his trowel and told the owner he would finish when he came back. He did not come back. No one except his wife, not his mother, not his children, knew what had been planned. On August 28, 1881, having saved sufficient fare for his passage and trip, he left Germany for America. Since passports were not required in Europe, he likely found his way approximately 35 miles northwest to Stuttgart, then went by train and riverboat to Holland, where he crossed the North Sea to England, and from there he would have gone by steamship to New York City. From New York, he would have taken the train through Chicago, Illinois, and Omaha, Nebraska to Salt Lake City. The railroad tracks through to Salt Lake City had been completed by Union Pacific Railroad about 12 years previous to his arrival. Ludwig's family was left temporarily without husband and father. At first, no suspicion of his permanently leaving the country was aroused. Ludwig had often been away for extended periods while doing masonry work in far away locations. Creditors, however, continued to hound his family. More suspicions were aroused as a longer period of time went by, especially with the onset of fall and winter and Ludwig did not return. Apparently German authorities were called in to try to find Ludwig, either at the instigation of creditors or because Ludwig still had certain military obligations to his Fatherland. Ludwig mentioned in later years that there was a price on his head in Germany and he probably would be executed if he ever went back. The family struggled and made ready to go to America. The preparation had to be in secrecy because creditors and the German Authorities were seeking Ludwig and could possibly prevent the family from leaving. Correspondence with Ludwig in America was delivered through missionaries. In the Salt Lake area, Ludwig had found jobs doing masonry work and also worked in the mines at Park City, Utah, but it was not sufficient to pay the fare for his wife and seven children, who were now between the ages of nearly four and twelve. Will's Grandmother Christine Katherine Rieff Schwab and his Aunt Katie Hauber advanced the funds for Dorothea and her seven children to go to America. Grandmother Schwab and Katie, along with Uncle Johann Christoph Schwab were also preparing to go to America. On May 11, 1882, eight-and-a-half months after Ludwig left Germany, Eva Dorothea Osswald and her seven children, her mother, Christine Katherine Rieff Schwab, her sister, Christine

Katherine Hauber, her sister's husband, Johann Hauber and infant daughter, Katherine Hauber, and her brother, Johann Christoph Schwab, left for America. Will's mother took with her a big yellow wooden trunk which held most of her possessions. That trunk is today in the possession of Lowell Oswald of Bountiful, Utah. All possessions that were not taken were either sold or left behind for creditors. The emigrants probably went by wagon or carriage to Stuttgart, which is approximately 35 miles northeast of Riederich. That would probably be a two day's journey. There they met missionaries Carl Schramm and Charles Schneiter and a number of L.D.S. converts from Switzerland. They then traveled by train to Mannheim, Germany, located on the Rhine River, where they stayed overnight at a hotel. The train ride had been their first. Father Ludwig had told them about his train rides, both while in the army and again while traveling to Austria and Hungary. Never had they traveled so fast. Will and his brothers especially enjoyed the trip. They passed through the beautiful and historic city of Heidelberg with its magnificent castle standing in ruins, as inflicted by Napoleon in 1806. In Mannheim they met more L.D.S. converts who were leaving to go to Utah. The following day they traveled by a steam riverboat downstream on the Rhine River north to Rotterdam, Holland. The Rhine River is dotted by castles and ruins of castles built over hundreds of years before. Some of the Castle ruins were over a thousand years old. The Osswald family must have found much excitement seeing the then stately buildings and ruins perched high on hills and bluffs overlooking the river. On the Rhine, they passed by the Lorelei, a large rock outcropping high above the river, where the legendary mermaid lured river boats to be destroyed on the rocks. Little did Will realize that at least one great grand daughter would be named "Lori" after the Lorelei. That evening, after acquiring first class fare, boarded a steamship to cross the North Sea to Hull, England. Crossing the English Channel or the North Sea is rough at all times. At this time there was a storm at sea which made the crossing much more difficult and caused a great delay. The passengers were ordered to go below the deck where there was a large room with straw on the floor and a lantern strapped to a pole in the center of the room. Though the Osswald-Schwab party had paid for first class they had to accept steerage or second class accommodations. The storm tossed the ship about as if it were a feather and the travelers soon discovered why the floor was covered with straw. Most of the Passengers quickly became seasick. Some had containers in which to vomit, but most simply vomited under the straw. Apparently, the only toilet facility available to the passengers in this accommodation was the floor, under the straw. All passengers went to the toilet the same way, under the straw. In order to try to find some sleep, blankets and Pillows were placed over the straw, but the motion and stench prevented all but a few from sleeping. Will's older brother, 11 year old Lew, didn't want to use the straw for a bathroom and went topside to try to find a toilet. When he did not return the adults in the party went to look for him. He was found trying to hold on to an open door that would swing back and forth as the sea tossed the ship from side to side. Lew was afraid to let go but also did not think he could hold on long enough to be rescued. The entire passage over the North Sea was harrowing. People were frightened by the noise and the tossing of the ship by the storm. Some felt the ship was going to capsize. One small boy died on this crossing and his tear streaked parents, two brothers and a sister all bound for America had to leave his little body in a lonely grave in England.

After their first and most discomforting sea voyage, the eight year old Will, his mother, brothers and sisters and relatives disembarked in Hull, England. The language they heard was different than anything they had heard before. It had a nasal sound, not the rolling guttural sound of the Germans. The Dutch language they encountered in Holland was not even so strange sounding. At least some of the Dutch words were recognizable. Here, on this island, practically no one could speak German, especially not the Schwabish dialect the Osswalds spoke. They found it necessary to rely upon the missionaries to translate for them in order to satisfy their wants and needs. They were still ill from the effects of their crossing the turbulent North Sea, but Will and his family and relatives boarded the train at Hull. This ride was not as much fun as the train trip between Stuttgart and Mannheim. The swaying motion as the cars sped along the track reminded them of the ship on the North Sea. It took several days to get over the effect of the ship crossing. That afternoon the train arrived in London. Will and his family observed and were disappointed by the dirt and urban blight of that city, then the largest in the world. They changed trains at Victoria Station and the Oswald family and relatives along with the missionaries and fellow emi-grants were soon on another train destined for Liverpool. The tracks led through the green English countryside and the Osswald Children were fascinated by the castles and palaces they saw along the way. Upon arriving in Liverpool, they saw a large city that reminded them of London, except for the smell of salt in the air in Liverpool. They took a carriage to the docks to see the ship called "Nevada" which was to take them to America. It was the biggest thing they had seen, long and high with tall smoke stacks. Although they boarded at that time it was several days before the Nevada was ready to leave. It was still being loaded, and also, many other L.D.S. emigrants from England, Denmark and Sweden, each with a number of missionaries had booked passage and would not arrive for a few days. When all the passengers had arrived there were 1,200 people on board the ship, speaking six different languages. Almost all passengers were L.D.S. converts or missionaries going to Salt Lake City. After all passengers were on board the ship "Nevada", a health inspection of all new immigrants was commenced by American health authorities. Many immigrants carried tubercle bacillus or other infectious organisms that caused communicable diseases. In an attempt to prevent outbreaks of infectious diseases in America, the U.S. health officials would examine the immigrants before they left Europe. This way, the expense of either treatment, quarantine or transportation back to Europe would not have to be born by the U.S. Government. A doctor examined each passenger. Although there were several doctors, the lines were long and it took considerable time to examine all 1,200 passengers. Apparently, because of the long delay in waiting for and loading passengers, the ship's captain decided to get under way, so the "Nevada" left before all examinations were completed. After the ship left harbor, the doctors determined that one girl about fifteen years old carried some disease germ or did not otherwise meet the minimum health standards and was put on a small boat to be taken back to Liverpool, leaving the rest of her family aboard the ship. Whether the girl became "cured" of her affliction and continued on to America at a later time was not known. Presumably, there was family in

England to take care of her, otherwise one could not conceive of parents abandoning a girl of such tender years. Since the "Nevada" was an ocean going liner, and not a "channel crosser", it had separate cabins with bunk beds for the new immigrants. However, either the ship did not have a large dining room or the class of fare required the passengers to prepare their own food, so the immigrants were left to provide for their own meals. A kitchen was available for their use, as was a large room with tables for eating. Since each ethnic culture has its own likes and dislikes in food, the missionaries took charge and divided the people by nationalities. In this manner, several could be selected to cook for the particular nationality, and turns could be taken by all who cooked so that too large a burden did not fall on a few. Also, those of like nationality could converse with one another, since few persons spoke more than one language. The missionaries also began to teach classes where the immigrants could learn to speak the English language. However, the classes were not attended by all. The Atlantic Ocean, though usually not as turbulent as the North Sea, kept the ship in constant motion, not only sideways but to and fro from the front to the back as it slid down, then climbed back up the large swells of the sea. Those who have not crossed the Atlantic aboard a ship will not be able to appreciate the nausea experienced by most of those immigrants. Dramamine and other medication to control motion sickness had not yet been discovered. Spirits of ammonia was occasionally used, but with not too much effect. It reminded the passengers too much of the urine stench encountered in the hold of the ship crossing the North Sea. Since the voyage of the Nevada lasted for seven or eight days, most were sick for not only those days, but probably for a couple of days after reaching land. Of course, seasickness leaves one with little appetite, so not many of the meals were well attended either. A child died while at sea. His little body was dressed and strapped to a weighted board and after a service, dropped over the side to be buried at sea. Sharks were there. This made an impression on Will and his brothers and sisters. Death would seem so permanent, to be left in a lonely place like that with no one ever able to visit the grave. Traveling many days on the water can be monotonous, especially with not many things to do. No doubt there were deck chairs for the passengers; however, many of shipboard facilities as we know them today, the shuffleboards, the swimming pool, the movie theaters and lounges, were not part of the late 1800 ocean liners. No doubt the eight year old Will, his eleven year old brother, Lou, his twelve year old sister Annie, his ten year old sister, Katie, his seven year old sister, Dora, six year old sister, Mary, and nearly five year old brother, Chris, along with a cousin and other children traveling from Germany, created their own games, perhaps tag, which was played by children in every country. Exploring the ship, which was about 400 to 500 feet long, was another activity in which the children engaged. It is very likely that they were cautioned by adults to "stop running" around the deck in their games or exploration, so as to not endanger other passengers or themselves. There were breaks in the monotonous rolling of the ship, to and fro and from side to side, and the perpetual rumbling of the engines and the rolling by of wave and wave under mostly cloudy skies. On two occasions large icebergs, calved from the glaciers of Greenland, ran through the ship's course. Each time the engines were shut down and the ship ceased moving, except for the

bobbing up and down because of wave motion, until the icebergs had passed. Since the current carrying the icebergs in a southerly direction did not move too fast, this would have lasted several hours each time. The temporary silence from the noisy engines was a relief but the ships up, down and sideward motions were increased since the ship lacked forward motion. Safety, however, was the main concern. More than two-thirds of icebergs remain hidden underwater and pose a definite threat. A little over twenty years later, the ill fated Titanic would show to the world that even "unsinkable" ships were no match for them. One of the icebergs provided additional excitement. Someone spotted a polar bear on an iceberg and the word quickly spread among the passengers, who came quickly from their cabins or other locations aboard the ship to the decks for a look. The bear probably remained on the iceberg from its hunt for seals until it was too far from land or other surface support to locate its way back to its usual habitat. Its fate can only be speculated, since icebergs eventually melt after reaching the more moderate temperatures of the mid-atlantic currents and the swim of several hundreds of miles, which would require weeks, would seem impossible even for strong swimmers like polar bears. Will and his brothers and sisters, along with others aboard the ship, crowded the deck on the ship's starboard (right) side, which was the side nearest to the iceberg in order to get a better view. The ship remained a sufficient distance from the iceberg for safety's sake, so the bear appeared small and difficult to see. No doubt the children, being small, had to push their way through the crowd to stand nearer the railing in order to get a better view. There would be speculation whether the bear would swim to the ship and try to get aboard. The children and other passengers watched for a long time, moving from the starboard to the port side as the iceberg drifted by in front of the ship. On another occasion someone spotted whales off to the side of the ship. Will and his family spent a short period of time watching the whales cavort in the water and spout water into the air. Never before had they seen either polar bears or whales, and many questions were asked. The questions would come eventually to the missionaries who explained, in the people's own language, about polar bears and whales. After being on the water for a about a week, seagulls were seen, indicating the proximity of land. Within several hours the ship steamed into the New York Harbor between Staten Island and Brooklyn. It was then about the 28th or 29th of May, 1882. As the ship approached the even then imposing skyline of downtown Manhattan, Lou saw to the port side of the ship, a large Statue. He said to his sister, Annie: "Look at the big woman". It was the Statue of Liberty which had, within the past six or seven years, been placed on an island in the harbor as a friendship gift sent to America by the nation of France, commemorating the centennial of the United States. Work on the installation of the statue had not yet been completed, nor had its dedication taken place. Will and the children watched it pass by as the ship slowly docked at Emigration Island. Evening was starting to set in. The Nevada docked at Castle Gardens, the New York port of entry for new immigrants since about 1875. From 1875 to 1895 Castle Gardens saw approximately 15 million immigrants come to America by ship. By 1895 a new immigration facility had been built at Ellis Island and Castle Gardens was no longer used. Castle Gardens had a famous history. Originally built as an

exhibition hall it later became an opera house and once held the performance of Jenny Lind, the famous "Swedish Nightingale". The building no longer stands and the grounds, which was originally an island about 20 feet off-shore is now part of the Battery Park in lower Manhattan. At Castle Gardens all passengers had to claim their baggage and then go through customs, where all of their belongings were personally scrutinized by customs officials. Uncle Johann Christoph Schwab had several jackets, probably more than he was permitted to bring in duty free, so the relatives wore the jackets which facilitated the custom's inspection. A man with a tall hat and a cane in one hand opened all the trunks and suit cases possessed by the Osswalds and Schwabs and mixed everything up. Not many of the immigrants cared for the inspector. Will, his mother, his brothers and sisters, his grandmother, his uncle and two aunts and one cousin were processed along with the other 1,200 immigrants, as were millions of immigrants before and after them. Questions were asked by a German speaking customs officials: "Where did you come from? Where were you born? Where are you going to settle? Do you have any criminal record? What relatives do you have in the United States? What means of support do you have? How is your health?” and the many other questions that are asked of new immigrants. Since a health check had already been done aboard ship, that was not necessary. After clearing customs and being processed the new immigrants, with all of their belongings were transported by horse and buggy or by trolley to a hotel in lower Manhattan Island, landing there after darkness had set in. The Osswalds and Schwabs stayed in a hotel in New York for two nights. New York was different that London. It had taller buildings and many more people on the streets in lower Manhattan. There were trolley cars everywhere, the famed New York Subway had not yet been constructed. There was urban decay here, as in London, but not quite as bad. Different languages were heard spoken here -- Gaelic, Italian, German, Chinese, Yiddish, Hebrew, Polish, Hungarian. New York City was indeed a melting pot for all nations. The Osswalds would have walked through the lower parts of the city, eating in the small beaneries that were common place in downtown or buying food at grocery stores and eating in small parks or in their hotel room. Whenever outside the hotel room, Mother Dorothea Osswald would watch her children closely and remind them to stay together and close to her. She had heard of the evils of wicked men in New York City, who were only too happy to steal some child for slavery or unlawful purposes. Especially watched was Annie, who at the age of twelve was becoming a young lady. After two days in New York City, the Osswalds and Schwabs boarded a train bound for Chicago, Illinois, where they would then change trains which would take them to Omaha, Nebraska and then Salt Lake City. Anticipation grew as Dorothea and her children awaited the time when they would see their husband and father. It had been nearly ten months since they had seen him. The trains in America were much larger than the smaller locomotives and cars used in Europe. The American train tracks were also much wider than the narrow gauge rails of Europe. Again, the Osswald children were entertained by watching the countryside and cities through which the train passed. Their route would take them through Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Toledo on its way to Chicago. Enroute to Chicago the train would stop often to take on coal and water, necessary to provide the steam that drove the engine. People would get out and exercise and let their children play. Most of the 1,200 immigrants that came to America on the "Nevada" would travel this same rail system, but not all on the same train. There were too many to transport all at once, so they came on several different trains over several days.

It was later remembered by Will and his relatives that an older boy among the group traveling together on the train had a tame squirrel. At one of the stops the squirrel got loose. The boy was not able to catch it and nearly missed the train. A European squirrel immigrant was free to mix with American squirrels. America thus became a micro melting pot for animals as well as for people. The family embarked in Chicago, another large city. This city, being newer, was cleaner than were New York City and London. Chicago had also been rebuilt since Mrs. Leary's cow kicked over the lantern and burned the city down approximately 25 years before. Illinois, however, had remembered that almost all the "Mormon" church had lived within its borders and there was still animosity harbored by its citizens. Mother Dorothea and her family were warned by some Illinois residents that they should stay in Chicago, because if they went on to Salt Lake City, they would become slaves. Dorothea responded by telling the advice givers that she had purchased her ticket for Salt Lake City and it was to Salt Lake City that she was going. No doubt she was also looking in anticipation to seeing her husband, the father of her seven living children. Will, later, would confide to his sons, a semi-embarrassing incident that occurred in Chicago. Not being able to Pronounce American words because of their German language, Will and his brothers pronounced the name of the city as "Shit-ka-go". After Will learned to speak English, he had several chuckles over the mispronunciation. Upon leaving Chicago, a new train took the Salt Lake bound passengers over the Mississippi River at Davenport, Iowa, then into Omaha, Nebraska. Omaha was the jumping off point to the western United States. Thirteen years before Omaha had been linked with San Francisco by the completion of the Union pacific and Western Pacific Railroad Companies. New lines had subsequently been built between Minneapolis/St. Paul and Seattle (Great Northern Railroad) and another across the southern part of the U.S. to San Bernardino and Los Angeles, California (Southern Pacific Railroad). After leaving Omaha, the railroad tracks followed the Platte River, not too far from the Mormon Trail leading from Council Bluffs, Iowa, to Salt Lake City. It left the North Platte River and went through the small railroad towns of Cheyenne and Laramie, Wyoming, then into the Rocky Mountain, crossed over the Continental Divide and down into Rock Springs, Wyoming and then through several canyons and passes into Ogden. From there it was necessary to change trains to a spur line down to Salt Lake City. The scenery changed after leaving Omaha. The rolling prairies of the midwest gave away to the dry chaparral and sagebrush and occasional cedars of the West. The houses and farms would disappear. Herds of cattle would sometimes be observed, but not the buffalo. Twenty years - even ten years earlier, there would have been plenty of buffalo to be seen, but sport killing had already decimated the once mighty herds. It took several days to chug across the western prairies and up the slopes of the Rocky Mountains. Although the train stopped frequently to take on water and coal, the ride was long and tiresome. The children would run and play at the stops. Sometimes lunches of bread and wurst washed down by warm water would be eaten on the train and sometimes at a picnic at the stops. Milk and bread would be purchased at some of the larger towns where stops were made, but milk could not be kept long without refrigeration (and there was none available). Also, the constant motion of the train would soon cause it to sour.

In the Ogden area, Will and his family saw signs of civilization. There were farms and barns, and people working in the fields. They could see churches and towns. On the hour long trip from Ogden to Salt Lake City they saw even more towns and farms. They also saw the great Salt Sea shining in the afternoon sun. It was hot and the train windows had been open. The smoke from the train came in the window at times, but it could be tolerated more than the oven-like train car.

The anticipation of the Osswald children grew as they approached Salt Lake City. Never had their father been separated from them so long. Would he be there to meet them? Where would they stay? What would their new home be like? Apparently there had been communication between Dorothea and her husband, Ludwig, perhaps a telegram sent from New York, Chicago or Omaha. Salt Lake City was connected to the East by telegraph line about the same time the railroad was completed. Perhaps it was simply by letter, however, Dorothea and her family would arrive before any letter they would have sent from New York City. No doubt Ludwig had been informed by mail from Germany as to when his family would arrive. However, delays in travel schedules would make it impossible to tell the day of arrival, so some message must have been sent by telegram. It must have been timely received because as the train chugged into the Great Salt Lake City train station on June 4, 1882, there was Ludwig to meet it.