Bremen nach Amerika
Carl Traub,
Shipbroker in Bremen
Specifications for the voyage over to America from Bremen from the office of Carl Taub of Bremen Mr. Taub has for many years been employed and licensed by the Government of the Hanseatic City of Bremen to accept passengers, promptly transport the same, and enter into binding contracts with emigration societies.
The many advantages which Bremen offers Germans emigrating to America will find them continuing to prefer Bremen over any other place of embarkation. They will find here in the course of a year a great number of the nicest ocean ships which are guided by experienced captains and are especially set up for passenger travel. The prices here for the trip across, including meals, are also cheaper than at any other port, The emigrants also enjoy the special protection of the government which has passed various regulations for their welfare.
These official government regulations recommend that the traveler use the local licensed ship travel agents for their planned voyage in order that they not be endangered by unauthorized middle agents, who are forbidden under serious penalty from accepting passengers.
The following conditions and explanations will provide sufficient information for the emigrant regarding their passage to America:
1. The worthiness of the passenger ships is examined by experts before every trip and proven to a commission of the local Senate as the authority charged with official guidance and oversight for the emigrants arriving here.
2. Ample, healthy and non-perishable provisions are served to the passengers for the duration of the voyage from the day they arrive on board ship until they leave board, namely daily ship's bread and pure drinking water.
Mornings
Coffee with bread and butter, of the latter ¾ - 1 lb. week. Later in the morning every adult man receives a glass of brandy.
Noon
¾ pound salted beef, or 1/2 pound salted pork or 1/3 or 1/4 lb. Smoked bacon; and with that in ample portions: alternating gray, green and yellow dish of meal, peas, rice beans, barley, sauerkraut, etc. Evenings
Evenings
Tea or coffee, also left overs from noon
It has to be proven to the named government authorities that provisions are purchased for 90 days, according to the number of passengers of each ship.
The sick receive their meals served and the required medicine.
3. The passengers will find sleeping places on the ship for their accommodation, but they have to obtain their own beds, mattresses or straw sacks with pillows and bedding, as well as the smaller utensils for eating, drinking and washing.
Travel baggage such as articles of clothing, bedding, beds, small implements, etc., are taken along freight free. For other things, especially large-volume items, a moderate freight is charged.
The transportation of passengers and their effects from Bremen to the ocean ships takes place, freight free, in covered river vessels.
4. The passage money is to always be paid to one of my commissioned agents or directly to me prior to boarding the ship.
Steerage
To Baltimore or New York
for each Person over 12 years, 8 Pistolen, or 40 Rthlr. Gold, or 80 Gulden rhein.,
for each child from 8 until 12 years 6 Pistolen, or 30 Rthlr. Gold, or 60 Gulden rhein.,
for each child from 6 until 8 years 4 Pistolen, or 20 Rthlr. Gold, or 40 Gulden rhein.,
for each child from 1 until 4 years 2 Pistolen, or 10 Rthlr. Gold, or 20 Gulden rhein.,
for each child up to 1 year 1 Pistolen, or 5 Rthlr. Gold, or 10 Gulden rhein.,To New Orleans
for each person over 12 years, 10 Pistolen, or 50 Rthlr. Gold, or 100 Gulden rhein.,
for each child from 8 - 12 years 7 ½ Pistolen, or 37 ½ Rthlr. Gold, or 75 Gulden rhein.
for each child from 6 - 8 years 5 Pistolen, or 25 Rthlr. Gold, or 50 Gulden rhein.,
for each child from 1- 4 years 2 ½ Pistolen, or 12 ½ Rthlr. Gold, or 25 Gulden rhein.,
For each child up to 1 year 1 ¼ Pistolen, or 6 ¼ Rthlr. Gold, or 12 ½ Gulden rhein.[Pistolen is a Spanish coin used in Hessen, Reichtaler is Reich Dollar, Rheinische Gulden is a coin used in Renish areas]
However, the ship owners always reserve a certain average price for themselves, which is calculated by the number of passenger ships present and the number of emigrants to be shipped across. They have an adjusted price of between 30 to 35 Rthlr. Gold or 60 to 70 Gulden rhein for New York and Baltimore, and between 37 ½ to 40 Rthlr. Gold or 75 tp 80 Gulden rhein for New Orleans. Families and societies thus have to pay this average price if their total passage monies do not reach the average price in effect at the time of their transportation, as calculated according to the above tariff.
Without payment of the full passage monies prior to embarkation, no one can acquire passage across. The age of children must be proven by birth certificate.
The Cabin
The passengers share the same food as the Captain, double the steerage fare is normally paid. In individual cases, namely when several persons join together to use the cabin there may also be a price reduction. Cabin passengers provide for their own beds and for luxury items, for example, wine. *
* All popular varieties of French wines, Rhine wines, Port wine and Madeira, liqueurs and rum, brandy, vinegar, etc. can be had in a large assortment at cheap prices in the wine shop of my son, Emil Traub, whose storage-cellar is next to my business.
The prices given for the voyage across are set by the local ship owners, but should a deviation occur, I am capable of guaranteeing anytime to the emigrants at least the same advantages in regard to payment of passenger fees and in regard to every other consideration as any other place is capable of doing.
Every passenger must possess a passport for foreign travel.
There is seldom an opportunity to ship to Philadelphia, but one can get there in a day for a few dollars from Baltimore or New York.
Ships are accustomed to dispatch to New Orleans only in the Spring and in the Fall.
5. The American head-money, called "commutation money", is levied by the communities in America at the port of debarkation. That is paid here along with the money for the voyage over. Usually the prices are: New York, without a difference for age, 2 2/3 Reichtaler or 5 Gulden 20 Krone Rhine; Baltimore, with the exception of children under 5 years old, 2 Reichtaler or 4 Gulden Rhine.
6. Deposits or earnest money payments insure the emigrant the great advantage of securing places on a designated ship that will be leaving exactly at the time they elected for their departure and that they will be taken on board an ocean ship and dispatched on the day I told them to arrive here or they will be provided board.
Every individual steerage passenger pays as a deposit 2 Pistolen, cabin passengers double that. Families pay one fifth of their full passenger fare.
Receipts of payments to my commissioned branch agents or to me will be accepted as payment when finalizing the fare for passage.
The emigrants are very much advised to pay the deposits as timely as possible because the places are almost always taken a long time before the voyage due to continual notifications, and therefore without such advance payment they will seldom be able to procure places for the voyage across at their set departure time on their chosen ship.
When sending in their deposits the emigrants should please state:
- When will you be here for embarkation? To which American port do you intend to travel? or Whether you are leaving it to me to choose the most suitable passage opportunity for you to Baltimore or New York or New Orleans?
- How many persons over 12 years and of how many children under 12 years your family or party consists?
- What is the age of each child up to 12 years of age?
7. Insurance for ocean danger for fare money and food stuffs is bought by the ship owner from local insurance companies to the advantage of the emigrant.*
* Life insurance I sell myself, as head agent of the Life Insurance Society, by timely notice at the established premium based on age, as well as for ocean and climate danger, for the trip to America and the stay itself. There are also devotional books in regard to the various situations of sea travel, entitled "Instructions for Sailors for Common Church Services and for their special construction on board your Ships" A bound copy can be had from me for a Gulden (in commission to F. G. Heyse in Bremen and to be obtained through all good book dealers.)
8. The day of departure, or the time of embarkation in Bremen, will be provided as promptly and certainly as possible for those emigrants who have made payment of their deposits so that you can then be here without fail. Acknowledge to me with the next day's mail the receipt of the assignment since only by this acknowledgment can I definitely count of your arrival here on the established day.
9. Those passengers however who are not here on the day established for them to be here, as well as those who do not make the required payment on the set day, forfeit their deposit paid because the sailing of the ship can not be delayed in their favor.
Emigrants can always find ready for viewing at my branch agents and at my place the regulations of the local authorities which concern them, as well as scheduless of ships departing from time to time from Bremen to the various American ports, as well as those ships which arrived safely in America with passengers. Also, every other kind of information concerning passenger travel will be sent by my agents or by me always gladly upon a postpaid request. I will also forward letters to America without the emigrants having to pay me anything for my troubles.
Bremen, January 1, 1835
Carl Traub, Ship Broker
Langstraße, No. 52(Taken from Intelligenzblatt [Amtsblatt], An Official Publication of the District of Würzburg, Kingdom of Bavaria, 1837, p. 384-387.)