If the ancestors in which you are interested arrived in the US in 1876, they more than likely financed their own travel to the US. In 1876 there were very few Russian Germans in the US and those who were here were struggling with their own survival and in most instances had not accumulated sufficient resources to sponsor others. There could be exceptions. John Klein ************************************** AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free from AOL at http://www.aol.com.