-
I Was Born
I was born in Edinburgh, Scotland on an interestingly chilly summer day. My heritage was native to the Scottish land, and being a "purebread" Scot of some sort was always something that I was proud of. My family was tight-woven with strong Kirk values (the Church of Scotland, more specifically of the Presbyterian denomination and as a child I learned how to be a honorable Christian man. I always loved Scotland; I never would have thought that I would leave my country. However, I was wrong. -
Period: to
My Journey as an American
I came to America with hopes that I would make my family's life better. Although I was able to land a job and make money, the state of my child's health forced me to go back to my home country. If it were possible, I would have been very happy bringing my family to the United States, and I would have been able to make memories there. -
We Make a Decision
By now I am 22 years old and I have married the love of my life- Colina Camshron. We had a daughter named Dolina who was only a mere three months old. We were at a loss of money due to our goats not producing enough milk to sell. A week before this date I received a letter from an Irish friend who had gone to America. I knew it was risky, however my wife and I eventually decided that I should go to America too, get a job, find a home and in time my family could come to live with me. -
I Make a Home of a Strange Land
It took my steamship 11 days to reach the Island known as "Ellis Island," which was an immigration center in New York City. When I arrived, I went through a series of physical examinations, and after I had made my way through the twisting maze of a building it was, I had no clue what my next step was. I hadn't thought out what I would do next, but right when I was on the verge of panic, a man approached me. He had offered me a home, meals, and a job, all for my vote for a man named Tweed. -
This Slum is not a Home
(A Picture of a Common Tenement) I agreed to do as the man who I met at Ellis Island said, and he brought me to an apartment to live in that same day. He called it a tenement, and I was surprised as to why he did not simply call it prison. There were no windows, only a small door. It was dark, damp, and dingy; there was a faint smell of sulfur in the air. The bunk bed that was riveted to the wall was a mere slab of metal. I suppose that I should have been more grateful, it was just not how I predicted my new life to start. -
An Opportunity Arose
(The Flatiron Building During Construction) After a few months of finally adjusting to my tenement, a messenger came to me from Boss Tweed- the man who bought me my home, who I still did not know much about. He gave me the chance to construct a tower: The Fuller Building. I took it because I was desperate for any money. My main reason for being in the US was to earn cash, even if it meant risking my life 95 meters up in the air putting stone on the facade of a building. My boss was George A. Fuller, who admired me for my hard work. -
I Take Part in the Construction of the Times Tower
[(More Information on One Times Square, NY NY)](www.in-arch.net/NYC/nyc1.html#2) After finishing the Fuller Building, George A. Fuller was highly impressed with my workmanship and my ability to get the job done quickly. So, he had talked to a business-friend of his who was going to be involved in putting up the new building for the New York Times. Soon I was asked if I was interested, and I got right to work. This building was taller than the previous one that I worked on, however I was up for the challenge. I became a well- known constructor. -
A Message from Home was Recieved
It took two years to finish building the Times Tower. Coincidentally, I got a letter from my wife. In it she said that Dolina had contracted the flu and was very sick. It was clear that my journey in the free land was clearing an end. I knew that I was needed at my home in Scotland, so I began to pack up my items. -
I Go Home
Upon my daughter's health turning for the worst, I stayed in my New York tenement until the rent had run out at the end of the month. I was ecstatic to have been able to leave my filthy, disgusting apartment. Also, because my family did not have a chance to immigrate to America, New York City was never a home for me. My journey was recorded so that you, my family, could understand why you did not grow up in America. The US is not a bad place to live, however to me, Scotland is home.
