In studying the Ellis Island manifests I frequently find passengers from the Perusic area giving 10702 or 10718 or nearby addresses on Torrence Ave. in S. Chicago as their distination upon arrival. Can anyone tell me something about this? I am guessing that is was a Croatian community and these were boarding houses. Maybe even owned or operated by the stock yards or mines that were encouraging the immigration. Doug

Many years ago we, on Minnesotas iron range, heard a lot of refference to recruiters for the mining companies. Supposedly these people got paid per head for every man they steered to their company. There were stories about Italians coming through that had jobs promised in California vineyards that were persuaded by these recruiters to go to work in some mine instead. I've asked people at Ironworlds reserch center about this but apparently nothing was written about these people. I would emagine that the packing houses i Kansas City and South Chicago as well as the steel plants out east used these people too, maybe there's some information to found somewhere. Donald Marinkovich ----- Original Message ----- From: "Doug H." <hecimovic@ev1.net> To: <CROATIA-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, May 11, 2002 3:35 PM Subject: [CROATIA-L] Torrence Ave., S. Chicago > In studying the Ellis Island manifests I frequently find passengers from the > Perusic area giving 10702 or 10718 or nearby addresses on Torrence Ave. in > S. Chicago as their distination upon arrival. > > Can anyone tell me something about this? > > I am guessing that is was a Croatian community and these were boarding > houses. Maybe even owned or operated by the stock yards or mines that were > encouraging the immigration. > Doug >