Five Cents Carfare from New York: a Memoir of a Cincinnati Immigrant Boyhood in the 1890S

Queen City Heritage Five Cents Carfare from New York: A Memoir of a Cincinnati Immigrant Boyhood in the 1890s H. Joseph Hyman (1888-1967) and Myra Saturen Introduction by Myra Saturen Between 1881 and 1914, close to three million Eastern European Jews — fully one third of their number — immigrated to the United States and Canada.1 Driven from the Russian Empire by system- atic oppression and inspired by the hope of a more decent life, these newcomers poured into the harbors of New York, Philadelphia, and Boston.1 The majority of these immigrants remained in the eastern cities to work in garment factories and sweatshops.^ Many, however, moved on to the towns and cities of the Midwest, where different kinds of opportunities beck- European Jewish population was steadily growing and oned. reached about 15,000 in 1904.6 Relations between My grandfather, H. Joseph Hyman (1888- these ethnic groups were amicable, with neighbors of 1967), was one of those whose families, in the 1890s, different faiths — Lutheran, Catholic and Jewish — adopted Cincinnati as their home. Like many Eastern sharing in each others' festivals and social events.7 European Jewish immigrants, Joseph's father, Pinchas Pinchas secured a tenement apartment (Phineas) Hyman, preceded his family to America, for his family in the Over-the-Rhine district, the area working to bring his wife and five children over a few north and east of Central Parkway, named for its years later, in 1894. He first settled on New York's thriving German population and culture. The neigh- Lower East Side but soon became dissatisfied with borhood also contained an Irish community and a work in a sweatshop. Hearing that another way of life very few Jewish families.8 was available further west, he set out for Cincinnati Contemporary descriptions of the district — in the words of an acquaintance — "five cents car- picture a lively place, especially noted as a musical fare from New York. "4 center of singing halls, beer gardens, and concert Pinchas arrived in Cincinnati, a city of halls.9 The Hymans lived on Thirteenth Street, around 255>139 people, 71,6$9 of whom were foreign born, the corner from the city's most famous musical site, mostly from Germany and Ireland.* The city's Eastern the Music Hall, home of the May Music Festival. Myra Saturen followed in her H. Joseph Hyman recalled his grandfather's and mother's journey to the United States footsteps and became a and his Cincinnati youth in a social worker. She lives in memoir he began in the mid- Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, 1960s. This picture of Joseph and more recently has been a was taken about 1918. (Photo freelance writer, newsletter courtesy Myra Saturen) editor, and publicist. Spring 1998 Five Cents Carfare From New York 3 Although Joseph never entered the in the United States of America, in order to have Music Hall for a performance, the thirsty carriage enough from his meager earnings to bring the family drivers tending their horses outside suggested to the - his wife, Hannah and children, Samuel, twelve,- young entrepreneur the perfect business. His days as Leah, nine,- Jacob, eight; Joseph, six and Minnie, three a "newsboy" plunged him further into the life of the — to America. city. Finally, his involvement with the new Jewish Joseph's father started life in America as Settlement House opened the door to a distinguished a "customer peddler"— but more about him later. career in social work. Joseph's first memory of him was not in the flesh; it H. Joseph Hyman recalled his was of feeding the Sabbath dessert to his photograph, Cincinnati youth in a memoir he began in the mid- a splendid work of art from the New World. 1960s. He was still working on it at the time of his Another recollection was his first visit death in 1967. Written in pencil on sheets of tablet to the Hebrew School. It was his grandfather, a little paper, it was given to me thirty years later by his man with a gray beard and pockets full of such good daughter and my mother, Ellen Hyman Fisher. The candy — little squares filled with jelly — who took memoir relates Hyman's departure from Lithuania him to the school early one morning. Joseph remem- and his boyhood in the Over-the-Rhine district. He bers trudging alongside his grandfather, holding his was a marvelous storyteller with a keen sense of little basket containing his lunch in his hand. He was humor, traits evident in his narrative which vividly impressed by the schoolroom, the other pupils and portrays the life he and other immigrants lived in the teachers with long black coats, long black beards Cincinnati 100 years ago. Except for the Introduction and horn-rimmed glasses. and Epilogue, this article is the manuscript as writ- Only one more incident stands out ten by H. Joseph Hyman. vividly in connection with the school: Joseph had learned to recite the evening prayer from memory. It was a real achievement. One night he awakened sud- Voyage to America denly. All was quiet. His brothers, with whom he In contrast to most memoirs, Joseph Hyman wrote his in the third person. Joseph Hyman was born in Schaad, a little village in Lithuania.10 His early memories are still vivid. His mother: a little, buxom woman all soul, all kindness, all industry. How vivid the marketplace in the little town in Lithuania! The men in high boots, muddy,- the women rotund in their great number of petti- coats. The horses, the stalls where various good things were sold. And his mother's stand, with its candles and the barrel of herrings. His mother's business was that of candle-making and, to add to the meager income from that occupation, she also sold herring — the national dish of Lithuania. You will ask about Joseph's father. He was not dead. Quite the contrary: he was traipsing the countryside in the vicinity of Cincinnati, Ohio, Pinchas Hyman, father of his grandson Arthur in 1918. Joseph, immigrated to (Photo courtesy Myra America before his family. By Saturen) 1894 he had earned sufficient funds to send for his wife and five children and have them join him in Cincinnati. Pinchas is pictured here with Queen City Heritage slept, were sound asleep. All was so dark. A fear Leah to take good care of their younger brothers and gripped his heart. He let out a shriek. His mother sister until she returned. She did not return until late awakened and hurried to him. at night, after Joseph and Minnie had already been put "What is wrong, my little lamb? Did you to bed. have a bad dream?" The next day Mother was unusually busy "No, Mother. I forgot to recite the baking breads and cakes, although there was no holi- evening prayer." day in the offing. Strange performance, thought And he stood up in the bed made of pine Joseph. boards against the wall and recited his evening "Mother, are you going to send the cakes prayers. to Father?" His mother fondly held him close and "No," said Mother. "The cakes are for said, "My little Josele, you will be a rabbi perhaps." us. We will soon be going to Father." "Mother, is Father far from here? Will we be going in a wagon with big horses?" At which Mother replied, "Yes, my little lamb. We are going far, far away from here, from Grandfather and all of our friends to a new and strange land — on a big boat on the ocean." "And will we ever come back to Grandpa?" Joseph thought of the candy with the jelly centers. Mother only shrugged her shoulders and a tear rolled down her cheek. "Who knows?" The last Sabbath in Lithuania will always be in mind. On Friday Mother had scrubbed the floor of the little one-room house. As before the major holiday feasts, good aromas pervaded the house — the gefilte fish, the potato pudding, and instead of stewed prunes — compote! The Friday night meal had been sad, however. Mother had little to say and her mood influenced all the others. Guests came after din- ner — the rabbi, the teacher, the druggist, others less prominent. The next day more visitors came and as Soon after this event, something hap- night fell and the first stars appeared in the cloudless pened which became more important than any previ- sky, a wagon drove up to the house. Then there was ous incident in Joseph's life: The postman brought a great commotion. There were bundles of bedding, letter from America that started a series of events. utensils, and edibles piled into the wagon and a crowd Then Grandfather came, and although he brought the gathered around the little house. Mother was in tears, little squares of candy with the jelly centers, he was bidding farewell to one after another of neighbors and much more serious than he had ever been before,- he friends. Then grandfather was directing the placing of paid much less attention to the children than usual. bundles into the wagon. Then Minnie and Joseph His conversation with Joseph's mother was long and were hoisted into the wagon and a place found among serious. After he left, Mother got dressed in her best, the bedding for them. The older children climbed up. kissed all the children goodbye, and bade Samuel and Finally mother was helped up. There was a prayer by In Schaad, Lithuania, (Photo courtesy Myra Joseph's birthplace, his Saturen) mother Hannah, pictured here about 1903, added to the family's income by making candles and selling herring, the national dish of Lithuania.

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