Maggie

[lorin]

My grandmother, Margaret Mary Gallagher. She was a woman barely noticed by the world but noticed by me. She passed a few years ago at 99 and 11months. I would like to honor her with a complete story of her life, but like all my attempts, it is unfinished.

Maggie

Margaret Gallagher, known to everyone as Maggie was born on June 19th, 1903. Her parents, Elizabeth and Edward immigrated to the United States at the tail end of a famine that again swept Ireland. Elizabeth was pregnant with Maggie the day she climbed off the boat onto the shores of Ellis Island. Along with her advanced pregnancy she had in tow Mae, at 5 yrs the oldest child, Edward Jr., 3yrs and Joseph, a frail and high strung child of two. The Gallagher family arrived to these shores as many did, desperately fleeing poverty and famine of their native land, filled with big dreams and very little else. They had spent the long passage in the lower levels of the steamer ship, living on brewed and re-brewed tea and soda crackers. As Elizabeth and Edward stood on the long lines of customs their thoughts were filled with dread that they would not be allowed to enter the country. Elizabeth held Joseph, rocking him and desperately trying to quiet his constant crying, interrupted only by long spells of coughing. She knew he was sick, and she knew the family could easily be placed in quarantine. Mae stood at her mother’s side, quietly observing the people around her. She held little Edward's hand tightly, never yielding for a moment to the distractions around her. Eventually they stood in front of the customs agent. He looked quickly at the passport papers handed to him. Looking from one person to the next he briskly stamped the passport. Elizabeth knew at that moment that there would be no quarantine, no return to Ireland. She realized at that moment what she would learn many times in the years to come…that he just didn’t care. This man that stood in front of her was thinking about his long overdue break and the hot meal that awaited him when he got home. The customs clerk handed back the papers and motioned them on to the waiting ferries that would take them to New York City.

Edward Gallagher came to the shores of New York City with twenty four dollars, no job and knowing no one. There was no one standing at the shores waving and shouting greetings. His family, worn from the long journey, needed shelter and food. Eventually he was able to find a room in the bowery area of NYC for 75 cents a night. As he settled in his family in the cold unheated room, he knew he would have to find work very soon. Everyday for a week he made the journey in search of work and every day he returned without a hope of employment. Edward became shocked at the sheer numbers of those looking for work. During one visit to a local merchant he was told that there was work to be found in New Jersey, in the textile mills of Paterson. On that day, holding his last fifteen dollars, Edward Gallagher again moved his frail family, this time to the large industrial town of Paterson. Paterson, a fairly thriving town had been built around the Paterson Falls, the major source of power that fueled both the mills and the life of the city. Paterson was a town of miles and miles of cheaply made track housing. Each home was similar to the next, two story grayish houses, cold water flats that housed two families. The town was devoid of trees as clearly trees took time to nurture and care for. There was no time for trees, there was no room for trees. Just house after house, each house pushed close to the edge of the street as if trying to escape. What there were room for was bars and churches. Every few blocks housed either a church or a bar. Unlike the temporary feel of the homes, the churches were built of brick with iron gates protecting them from the masses. You knew, as you looked at these huge gated structures, that they were built not of love but of desperation. A need of the community for a sense of permanence. The bars were also built out of desperation. Tiny little one and two room structures, usually converted from the ground floor of a track house. And so these two institutions tolerated each other, each feeding the others need.

Edward, unable to rent a flat of his own, quickly located a room to rent from another recently arrived family from Ireland. So in this tiny two bedroom coldwater flat lived two families his family of five and the Murphy family of four. Within the week Edward was able to locate some work, sweeping and bagging textile scraps for one of the mills. He was paid a salary of 5 dollars a week, just enough to cover his part of the rent of 4 dollars a week. Two weeks later Margaret Mary Gallagher entered the world, delivered into that cold room, alone with Ms. Murphy and Mae to assist her. There were no doctors, no clean sheets, no hot water (you had to go to the basement and put a dime in the meter for a half hour of hot water or gas to cook). But Maggie fearlessly entered her new world.

Maggie quickly became the center of the Gallagher family. She was a vivacious child and the favorite of Edward. Eventually Edward found work in a train yard, long hours and hard back breaking work. But the family was now able to afford their own flat and moved into another 2 bedroom flat, a flat like every flat in every street in Paterson. But life in the cold water flat was never easy. Her family was destined to suffer the fate of many Irish immigrant families. A life of endless work, hunger and struggle. Two years after their arrival in the United States the small gray communities of Paterson were visited by scarlet fever. The Gallagher family fell victim to the fever. Six days after contracting the fever, Joseph died. There were no doctors, no medicine and the family’s ministries were ineffective. He died a painful and slow death. Elizabeth also contracted the fever, which left her totally deaf, and partially blind. The loss of her sight and hearing caused Elizabeth to retreat to her apartment, depending on her children for her day to day existence. She became withdrawn, never speaking and showing no affection to her children. Mae, now seven took over the care of her family. She cared for them as a mother, ensuring that her future path in life. Mae also became a quiet reflexive child. Her family withdrew her from school in the first grade.

But Maggie continued to grow and flourish. Without the nurturing of her mother, Maggie attached herself to her father. Edward never seemed to mind Maggie’s attention. He would come home from his long days in the train yard and sit for hours with Maggie on his lap, telling her of his days at work. He would take her to the bar and place her on the stool next to him. Maggie, being the favored child was enrolled in school and Mae, her older sister would ensure that Maggie was taken to school every day. Maggie grew to be a beautiful child with long auburn hair and green eyes. She was an independent child full of mischief and humor. But in 1915 life for the Gallagher’s was destined to change again. During a rain storm that darkened the rail yard Edward was hit by a train and killed. The family was left in a desperate state. Edward Jr. had left that year to fight in the war. With the sole source of support gone the family was in trouble. Mae, now 17 went to work in the mills. Maggie, at the age of 12 left school to care for her mother and work evenings in the mills. For the small family life became very hard.

Maggie grew up fast caring for her mother. Elizabeth rarely left the small flat. Her world became a rocking chair in the corner of her dark room. Elizabeth began her day drinking and ended her day drinking. Maggie quickly learned to hide the evidence of drinking from the occasional visitor, usually a parish priest. She kept her mother clean and fed and waited for the moment when Mae returned from work. With relief Maggie would flee the house at Mae’s return. She would run through the neighborhoods, making her way to the mills, where she happily spent the evening loading bolts of fabric onto carts and sweeping floors.
At 15 Maggie met a 28 year old salesman named James Atkinson. To Maggie he appeared so much larger than life. Tall and handsome, he was the sophisticated man she had seen in those Saturday movies. And he was truly the salesman and beautiful, auburn haired Maggie was quickly sold. Maggie and James began a much forbidden affair. Four weeks after they had met, Maggie and James were secretly married. Maggie hid her marriage from her sister and mother for nearly 5 months. James, being a salesman was out of town most of the time. But he visited enough for the inevitable to happen and at the age of 15 Maggie was pregnant. Eventually Maggie’s pregnancy began to show and their hidden marriage was announced. James took Maggie to live in Queens, NYC. This was a great new world to Maggie. James took great pains to shed his immigrant image, and keenly developed an impression of worldliness that enthralled Maggie.

as much as I wrote

[StevieG]

So intriguing. I would love to hear more, Lorin.

My father emigrated from Italy to Australia during the 2nd world war. His parents had an amazing story of survival - my grandfather came to Western Aus to avoid the war, and it was 10 years before my Grandmother (nonna) managed to get a boat across. Fascinating, hard, amazing to me. The sad part, I guess, is that my grandmother died aged 94, but outlived my father who had a standard infection, and developed a staphylococcal infection in hospital which attacked his heart... at age 64.

I would love to hear more of your grandmother's story. It is beautifully told so far.

[lorin]

So intriguing. I would love to hear more, Lorin.

My father emigrated from Italy to Australia during the 2nd world war. His parents had an amazing story of survival - my grandfather came to Western Aus to avoid the war, and it was 10 years before my Grandmother (nonna) managed to get a boat across. Fascinating, hard, amazing to me. The sad part, I guess, is that my grandmother died aged 94, but outlived my father who had a standard infection, and developed a staphylococcal infection in hospital which attacked his heart... at age 64.

I would love to hear more of your grandmother's story. It is beautifully told so far.

they had such difficult lives, didnt they? my mother had a staph infection. They can devastate a person.

You encourage me to take another look at it. Thank you!!!!!