Croatia to America: Gjuro Bucar

by Sam Begg

Gjuro Bucar was born in Prvic Croatia in 1888. He was a big, strong, likable boy, who made friends easily.  His family was poor and his prospects were limited.  He found employment as a stable boy.  Gjuro worked hard but there was no advancement.  The owners of the stable were Austrian.  Gjuro spoke only Croatian, and the owners preferred to deal with people who spoke German.  So a hard worker who spoke no German was unlikely to advance.  Gjuro decided he had better learn German.

One day when Gjuro was mucking a stall a horse bolted out of a  nearby stall.  Gjuro ran to steady the horse and the horse's hoof smashed down on Gjuro's toe.  There was a flurry of activity and great concern regarding the injury - to the horse.  When it was determined that the horse was uninjured the concern abated.  Gjuro was left on the floor looking at the remains of his big toe.  Horses were prize possessions; one could always get another stable boy.

Gjuro forgot all plans of learning German; he wanted to get as far away as he could, but life kept him in Prvic.  He would think of leaving but didn't take the steps.  In 1905, he married Dora Novosel, Peter Novosel's daughter.  Later that same year he signed for passage to America. Dora was not pleased; she had heard her father's stories about America and was worried that Gjuro would never send for her and would never come back.

Gjuro's brother had left for America six years earlier.  He lived and worked in Steelton, Pennsylvania.  The people of Eastern Europe were becoming a major part of the work force in the steel mills of America.  These people, who'd worked for so long, had lived under foreign rulers, and fit well into a situation where the people in charge spoke a different language.  They flocked to a land where opportunity, even on the bottom rung of society, offered a step up from the life they left.

Emigration from the countries of the Austro-Hungarian Empire was in full flow.  The ports were jammed with ships which would carry their human cargo to distant shores.  Gjuro and a good friend went together.  At the docks were various agents of companies from various countries.  Passage could be arranged with a contract to work for a given period.  Marks were made on the papers by men who couldn't write their names and couldn't read what they were 'signing.'

Gjuro's friend got in one line and Gjuro got into another.  Gjuro knew he was in the right line, but his friend made some comment about beating him to the ship.  When Gjuro got aboard, he couldn't find his friend.  After some time, he learned that his friend had gotten in line for a ship going to Brazil.  Gjuro never saw or heard from his friend again.

The passage was slow.  Each passenger in steerage had brought their own bedding and food.  One learned to sleep light.  Any money had to be kept out of sight.  These people may have been going for the promised land, but they were from a hard life and some would take advantage of any opportunity.  Fortunately, Gjuro's sizse alone gave any troublemaker pause.

Gjuro Bucar to George Butcher