>From the book The Irish in Philadelphia by Dennis Clark, published 1973 by Temple University: p. 68 "How did the Irish immigrants find the jobs - in canal work, on railroads, or in anything else ? Many relied on relatives, friends, or acquaintances for information about employment. It was unusual for an immigrant to arrive in Philadelphia wihtout some relative or other reference to whom he could appeal." I realize the above is not startling information, but it is good to have confirmation made from a serious study in Philadelphia. posted by Sharon Carberry