Flower in the River: A Family Tale Finally Told

Eastland Waters: Melody, Verse, and Lithuanian Legacy in Chicago

December 16, 2023 • Natalie Zett • Season 1 • Episode 41

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Join us as we journey into the heart of early 20th century Chicago, turning back the hands of time to explore the life and culture of the largest Lithuanian community outside of Lithuania. The raw beauty of Lithuanian folk music, performed by the group Žalvarinis/Robertas Semeniukas sets the stage for our exploration - a poignant reminder of the resilience of this community.  We'll take a walk through the forgotten streets of Chicago, unearthing hidden narratives and painting a vivid picture of a rich and diverse culture.

In the shadow of the thriving Lithuanian community, however, lies the haunting echoes of the Eastland Disaster of 1915. This tragedy, which claimed numerous Lithuanian lives, serves as a grim backdrop for our story today. Sifting through primary sources like early newspapers and obituaries, we begin to grasp the depth of this catastrophe. We share the challenges faced in identifying Lithuanian victims and the heartbreaking stories of young lives brutally cut short.

As we wind down our journey, we close with Eastland Waters, a poem by Agnes Lee which is a fictional dialogue between Eastland victims Niels, Mary and Anna.

Music (used by permission)
Žalvarinis - Kabice (Ko neskridai bitela)
Music: Robertas Semeniukas
Lyrics: Traditional, Žalvarinis


Other Links and Resources



Natalie Zett:

Hey, this is Natalie Zett and. Welcome to Flower in the River podcast, which is a podcast about my book, which is also called Flower in the River, and that book is about the Eastland disaster of 1915. Welcome to Flower in the River, episode 40. And I bet you weren't expecting that beginning. How about that?

Natalie Zett:

What you're hearing now is the song Kabice, and there's a subtext to the song that reads, at least in English why Didn't you Fly Bumblebee? And it's by this extraordinary Lithuanian music group,, and I've used it by permission, with the author, music director, guitarist Roberta Robertas. And I will be pronouncing everything very slowly because Lithuanian is not a language that I know and it's quite different from many of the languages I've studied, which I like about it? It's very unique, but it's very challenging, and I honestly like that because I've studied a number of ancient and modern languages throughout my life. But this one is giving me a run for my money and I love learning, and learning is not supposed to be easy. Learning is supposed to be challenging, because that's how a person is changed when they go on and they learn something different, right? Still, I want to apologize in advance to my Lithuanian friends, maybe to the entire country of Lithuania, for what I'm about to unintentionally do to your language. I've got the phonetic versions of everything written out, but that doesn't mean that I have it right, so hopefully I'll get better as I keep working on this.

Natalie Zett:

So back to Jalvarinis. They're a group that I discovered a few years ago when I was looking through some world music, and I bought one of their albums and just fell in love with it because it's so unique. What they do is they often blend traditional Lithuanian folk music, folk songs, with modern elements, and they do it very well. And Jalvarinis is known for creating music that resonates with Lithuanian culture and historical themes, often revitalizing traditional songs with contemporary touches. I would encourage you to take a listen to their music. It's so good, it's addictive, and the one thing about music Music is universal. You do not need to understand a language to understand the spirit of the people who are creating it. And, of course, food is another way to be introduced to somebody else's culture as well. Well, obviously, as advanced as technology is, I can't share Lithuanian food with you, but music is the next best thing, maybe the most important thing, because it really does transmit what a culture, what a people what they're all about.

Natalie Zett:

So by now you're wondering what does this have to do with the Eastland disaster? Well, funny, you should ask. The Lithuanian community in Chicago was also affected by the Eastland disaster, and I'm going to introduce some of them to you and talk about that, because they are definitely a part of that greater context that I'm trying to create. I joked several episodes ago that the only way I could talk to people from that era would be to hold a seance, but that's not true. The departed speak to us via what they have left behind in terms of various publications from that era, from poems to journals, from mainstream newspapers to the abundance of ethnic newspapers. I'll write. It does take effort to locate this information, and it takes even more effort to translate it. And as a journalist, though, my motto has been and continues to be to let the subjects speak for themselves. I'll provide background around these writings, but otherwise I'm reporting the stories to you as I found them.

Natalie Zett:

I started telling other peoples and other communities stories from 1915 Chicago in the middle of sharing my own book, specifically sharing chapter six, sketching an unlived life which is all about my protagonist trying to put together the long, lost story of her family and of her great aunt, who was killed on the Eastland 80 years prior. The story setting at this point is in the late 1990s. This experience of my protagonist very much mirrored my own journey and struggle, as I, too, was trying to do this. Like my character, I knew how to be a good journalist and I was no slouch when it came to studying languages and ancient societies, but I still felt, and will always feel, out of my depth, and I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. Through the course of doing this podcast, I feel I needed to talk to the dead beyond my family, to sketch a lot of unlived lives, a lot of unknown lives and a lot of under told stories, and honestly, I thought I'd be done with all this by now. But whenever I think I've got this, I find something else or someone else who says you have to explore this as well. So we continue with this Eastland Chronicle series that I've unintentionally created, and this time I will share what I've learned about Chicago's vibrant, exciting and fascinating Lithuanian community at the turn of the 20th century. As a reminder, I will never claim expertise in any of this, but there's one thing that I'm pretty good at, and that is turning on a flashlight and pointing it in the direction of the varied facets and various facets of this time in Chicago, true confession time. I've shied away from this one because I don't have Lithuanian background.

Natalie Zett:

Lithuania is sometimes categorized as part of Eastern Europe, especially in historical and cultural contexts. However, geographically and politically it's actually part of Northern Europe or the Baltic region. And Lithuanian language, as I mentioned, it's gorgeous sounding and it looks exquisite and mysterious to someone like me and I've always wanted an excuse to learn more about it. And now the fates have conspired to bring about this opportunity. So no more fear, I'm jumping in. Did you know? At one point Chicago had the largest Lithuanian community outside of Lithuania, that is? This quote is from the Encyclopedia of Chicago. Although the 2000 US Census counted 11,000 persons of Lithuanian First ancestry in Chicago, nearly 80,000 in the metropolitan area claimed some Lithuanian ancestry.

Natalie Zett:

Chicago's place in Lithuanian history rests on a broad base. Lithuanian immigrants began to come to the United States in significant numbers in the late 19th century when their homeland was still part of the Russian Empire. And this is a note from me In many of the Eastland memorials or obits I saw Russian as a designated ethnicity. But when you scratch the surface and do a little digging, I found that many of them were in fact Lithuanian. Back to the article. The majority of the first arrivals could not read or write. Most thought of making some money and then returning home, and therefore displayed little interest in buying land. Instead, they sought works in mines and cities. After 1900, they came to Chicago in increasing numbers, settling first in Bridgeport and then developing the Marquette, aka Chicago Lawn Area. Many found work in the stockyards. Census figures for this period are unreliable in judging ethnicity, but Lithuanians usually claim that Chicago had about 50,000 of their co-nationals by 1914, making it the largest urban settlement of Lithuanians in the world Newspapers.

Natalie Zett:

In this episode of the Eastland Chronicles series, I investigate Chicago's Lithuanian enclave using primary sources, namely newspapers from 1915 until around 1920, to offer, or to try to offer, an authentic narrative, I've consulted various tools for translation, including Google Translate, youtube's Lithuanian resources, chat, gpt4, and family search orgs Wiki. While I'm relatively new to Lithuanian meaning I've studied it all of two weeks I'm learning and open to input from the Lithuanian listeners. It's essential to note, too, that my narrative, built on primary documents, still constitutes a secondary source that warrants further verification. A little history. Welcome to the jungle.

Natalie Zett:

Upton Sinclair's the Jungle, published in 1906, is a pivotal work that not only exposed the deplorable conditions of the Chicago meatpacking industry, but it also became a catalyst for food safety reforms in the United States. Sinclair, through his investigative journalism and socialist leanings, aimed to advocate for labor reforms. However, the novel's enduring impact was its shocking revelation of the industry's unsanitary practices which provoked public demand for change. Sinclair's seven-week undercover investigation in the Chicago stockyards provided him with a vivid tableau of the workers' lives, lending his narrative authenticity and power. The jungle centers on Jurgis Rutkus, a Lithuanian immigrant whose experiences represent the collective plight of many Eastern and Northern European immigrants of that time, particularly those employed in grueling industries like meatpacking. Choosing a Lithuanian lead, Sinclair not only brought to the forefront the individual adversities faced by Jurgis, but also the broader challenges of cultural and social displacement experienced by immigrants. This was especially true for those from rural, agrarian societies who found themselves ill-equipped to navigate the brutal urban industrial environment. Jurgis's journey through the novel underscored the susceptibility of immigrants to exploitation due to language barriers, unfamiliar customs and complex legal systems, thus amplifying the universal immigrant struggle for dignity and fair treatment. If you want to explore Sinclair's gripping narrative of the jungle. You can find it on Project Gutenberg with a link in the show notes for direct access.

Natalie Zett:

However, they didn't all work in meatpacking. Many Lithuanian immigrants also worked for Western Electric and some probably looked forward to the company's annual picnic on July 24, 1915, viewing it as a welcome break from their grueling work and poor living conditions. Others felt pressured to buy tickets, fearing job loss. The capsizing of the SS Eastland hit that community hard, with many from their own among the 844 lost. In the weeks following the Eastland disaster, local Lithuanian leaders spearheaded relief efforts for survivors and families of the deceased. Simultaneously, they needed to lead funeral preparations on a scale none have imagined. The catastrophe reverberated for years, but in some cases it solidified the Chicago Lithuanian community as they persevered, and their newspapers were a big part of that.

Natalie Zett:

Once again shout out to the University of Illinois, champaign Urbana digital newspaper collections for all the history it's preserved, including three Lithuanian language newspapers. The first one is Draugas, meaning friend. According to the sources I've read, this is the only Lithuanian daily paper outside of Lithuania with roots dating back to 1909. Initially a Catholic weekly in Pennsylvania, it moved to Chicago in 1912, transitioning to a daily format by 1916. While it has Catholic ties. Dragas supports Lithuanians across all faiths, focusing on moral support, community engagement and labor issues.

Natalie Zett:

The next one is Katalikas. Katalikas means Catholic and it was a beacon for Chicago's Lithuanian community from 1899 to 1916. It was founded by a priest to provide Catholic-centric news and moral guidance. It emerged amidst controversies countering the nationalist Liteuva and embroiled in legal battles reflecting the community's multifaceted views. Though staunchly religious, the paper evolved into a voice for education and progressive politics, but financial woes and internal conflicts led to its unfortunate end, marking a complex period of Lithuanian and American history. Finally,, which I just referenced. means Lithuania, and it was founded in 1912 and quickly became the clarion of Lithuanian nationalism in America, a publication deeply committed to the preservation and celebration of Lithuanian culture and identity.

Natalie Zett:

I will read snippets of these various newspapers post-Eastland disaster. As with the other newspapers I've evaluated, these also pull no punches. This one's from Catalicus newspaper, the 26th of July 1915. Headline how Many Lithuanians Died? It's difficult to determine how many Lithuanians died, were saved and missing in the Eastland disaster because Lithuanians often used distorted surnames with Polish or other types of endings. In the lists of the dead, saved and missing, not a single person with a true Lithuanian surname is found. This habit of altering their surnames unfortunately affects them most when any disaster occurs. That's the end of the quote from this newspaper. That's not me talking. That's the newspaper Editorial comment from me.

Natalie Zett:

This proved to be a foreshadowing of how my research of the Lithuanian community was going to go, but I'm a genealogist and I live for this kind of challenge. I'm going to introduce you to some young Lithuanians who died on the Eastland and these stories come directly from these newspapers. And I want to give you an advanced warning that I'm going to have to pronounce their names very slowly and you'll see why. The first name is a woman, petronella Lauren I Chute, and she's sometimes called Hattie Laurentus. This is from the 26th of July 1915, catalicus Headline morning. A community member. Due to the morning of Petronella Lauren I Chute, a member of their group who died in the Eastland disaster, the planned entertainment event has been postponed to the following week. Note the context, for this comes a bit later, but maybe they were having trouble with the newspaper layout when they were putting this all together.

Natalie Zett:

Back to the article criminal negligence and crew's response. One thing stands out in the entire Eastland tragedy, agreed upon by all survivors, the officers and crew members did not provide any warning or proper guidance on how to behave on the ship when it started to tilt excessively. Recovery efforts and casualties. So far 826 bodies have been recovered from the Eastland and the recovery efforts continue. A large dredge was brought in from Duluth to aid in the recovery. However, there are still many bodies inside the ship. The Western Electric Company confirmed that 413 of its employees were absent from work, indicating they were likely aboard the Eastland. Government response and investigation. Not just minor officials but several senators and high-ranking government authorities, including the secretaries of commerce and labor, have arrived in Chicago. President Wilson intends to send Attorney General Gregory to examine the matter. All federal ship inspectors are diligently working in Chicago. This tragic incident has shaken the United States from its lowest to its highest. Levels of government Investigations are underway.

Natalie Zett:

Here's another article, still from the Catalicus, 26 July 1915. Cicero VU Company is stricken with grief over the loss of their active member, petronella Lauren Ashute, who drowned with the Eastland. She was born and raised here but was a pure Lithuanian. Her funeral will take place on Wednesday morning. The Chicago VU companies are requested to contribute to the last rites of the deceased woman. Furthermore, among the known Lithuanians who perished are also Kotrina Kasparinte, 18 years old, and Bola Slovas Sivikas, 38 years old, who left a wife and children in Lithuania. As a note, you're not hearing double and I didn't unintentionally duplicate this. This is just a variation on the same article that I just read in the same paper and I'm reporting it because it's slightly different. Here we go. The Cicerovitas, which means night group, was engulfed in fear having lost an active member, petronella Laurena Shute, who died in the Eastland disaster. She was a pure Lithuanian. Her funeral will be held on Tuesday morning. All Chicago Vitus groups are requested to participate in the final rites for the deceased woman. Among the Lithuanians known in Cicero, another victim was Kotrina Kasparute, 18 years old. I'll get back to Kotrina, but in the August 25, 1915 issue of Catalikus there was this entry A meeting of the 14th group of El Livy took place in the Hall of St Anthony's Parish in Cicero, illinois, on Thursday August 26.

Natalie Zett:

There was a unanimous decision to contribute to a fund for the construction of a monument in memory of P Laurinatus. The next meeting was set, and there's more about Petronella, by the way. She must have had quite an influence. This one is from the 30th of July 1915, catalikus. Last Tuesday the funeral of Petronella Laurena Shute, who drowned with the Eastland in the Chicago River, was held here.

Natalie Zett:

She was born on March 10, 1897, and belonged to many organizations, specifically to El Vecus 14th company, St Gregory's Singing Society, the Tea Totallers and St Mary's servants. Petronella was born and raised here, but was a true and pure Lithuanian. She loved her language, her people and worked for them as much as she could. She did not mix with foreigners, as some of our other Lithuanian girls do, but fraternized with Lithuanians, with her own people. I myself heard these words from her lips. We must love that language, that nation for which our fathers and forefathers shed sweat and blood. Therefore, when she drowned, many bowed their heads and said I feel sorry, sorry for Petronella.

Natalie Zett:

As soon as the people of Cicero heard that the Eastland had capsized in the Chicago River, crowds rushed to her parents' house crying Petronella is not there, she is missing. They hurriedly searched but only succeeded in finding her the next morning. That same day, vekius 14th Company and St Gregory's Singers convened meetings to discuss her funeral arrangements. Both allocated $5 from their coffers for the Mass and collected generous donations for the ceremony. Many people mourned Petronella and her funeral was conducted with great solemnity. I have been to almost all the services several times, day and night, but nowhere have I seen so many people. Nowhere have people wept as much as at Petronella's.

Natalie Zett:

Now, I don't know who the writer is for this, but Petronella was obviously very well loved. Here's a little bit about the Cicero-Vetus group that she was a part of. They were established in 1915 in Chicago and part of the greater Lithuanian culture movement seeking to maintain national identity while abroad by publishing Vetus, a passionate journal featuring poetry, prose and lectures from young Lithuanian writers, and staging vibrant musical performances. As one of the first Lithuanian organizations in America, with roots dating back to 1913, the Vetus group came to prominence by providing a platform celebrating Lithuanian culture and heritage Through endeavors that evolved over time. Like their journal Vetus, which chronicled the experiences of Lithuanian immigrants and their association with Knights of Lithuania, cicero-vetus group represented the dynamism of 20th century Chicago's Lithuanian community, as well as its continuous efforts to preserve cultural traditions while navigating assimilation.

Natalie Zett:

Now there was the other woman who was mentioned and I'm going to say her name very slowly as well Katerina Kaspar-Reiti, aka Kathryn Kasper. Here's a little bit about her. Catherine was 18, single and a typist at Western Electric. And here is her obit from the Chicago Tribune, and they're using her Americanized name here Catherine Kaspar, suddenly, july 24, 1915, beloved daughter of Mary Kaspar, ney, alex Fawn's, sister of Anna and Andrew, funeral Tuesday, 9.15 am from late residence 1328 South 49th Avenue to St Anthony's Church for High Mass at 10 am. Autos to St Kazmer.

Natalie Zett:

I caught a break when I found her census record from 1900. Both parents, frank and Mary, were from Lithuania, but it was part of the Russian Empire, and so this census record says Russia under their place of birth column. Now, since two of the children were born in Pennsylvania, I'm guessing that the dad probably found work along with other Lithuanian men in the Anthracite coal region in Pennsylvania at one point. That's just a guess. By 1910, things have changed for the family. They're in Chicago and Mary, the mom, was listed as the head of the house. She's married and not widowed, so Frank was no longer in the picture. And, what's interesting, in this census record she's listed her country of origin as Russian Lithuania.

Natalie Zett:

And finally there is Bolaslavas Sivikas. He was 38 years old and he left behind a wife and children in Lithuania. I haven't found any more about him, but he was probably in Chicago saving up his money to get his family over, as many immigrant men did. And then this happened. And there's one more person. Here's one, and I'm going to have to really read her name slowly. Her name is Yuzapate Roshinsky-e-nay, aka Josephine Roshinsky. I know this is what I mean about these Lithuanian names. They are quite a challenge for this USA person here From the 26th of July 1915, catalica's newspaper, a bright-spirited girl perished last Saturday in the Eastland disaster in Chicago's river.

Natalie Zett:

This tragic ship has left behind a river of tears, heartache and controversies for many years. Josephine Roshinsky was just beginning to bloom like a flower, stepped into married life and was unexpectedly seized by a terrible death. Who can compensate her parents and siblings? Who can stop the heart-wrenching pain? Note when I was researching Josephine, I didn't see any mention that she was married, so I'm not sure about this announcement. Now you're going to hear another take on the article and there will be some repetition. Josephine Roshinsky, she is a young 17-year-old girl of pure character. The unfortunate girl drowned last Saturday with the Eastland ship in the Chicago river. This tragic ship has left tears, grief and agonies for many years. Miss Josephine Roshinsky, just after passing a small flower, set foot on a ship for the first time and was unexpectedly seized by a horrible sudden death. Who can compensate her parents, brothers etc. For this? Who can stop the heartache?

Natalie Zett:

That day, early in the morning while going on the picnic, as if foreseeing her own misfortune, she spent the last hours of her life. She left her home three times and hesitated. Everything seemed to delay her Since it started raining that morning. Her mother noticed and suggested it would be better to stay at home. She added that there could be some misfortune on the water. However, miss Josephine kissed her mother goodbye, replying that she was not afraid of death. She said death will come eventually, regardless. After she left, her mother was very worried.

Natalie Zett:

A couple of hours later, news about the disaster on the river spread throughout the city like lightning. More than a thousand women, girls, men, young people and children died. Among them was Miss Josephine Roshinsky. The workers of the Catelikas newspaper sent a wreath to Miss J Roshinsky's coffin. They also sent condolences to her grieving parents and family. The funeral will take place tomorrow from St George's Church in Bridgeport to St Casmer's Cemetery. The funeral arrangements are being handled by Mr P Myseca. Eternal rest to the young Lithuanian girl Now Josephine's obit from the 31st of July 1915, chicago Tribune.

Natalie Zett:

Miss Josephine Roshinsky, 18 years old, 3227 Auburn Avenue, was born and educated in Chicago. She was the daughter of Anthony and Constantine Roshinsky and had two brothers and two sisters. She was one of a party of four girls, two of whom were saved. The funeral was last Thursday at St Casmer's Cemetery. Here's my comment. What happened to her family after this? It's hard to tell because, although she had siblings and obviously parents who outlived her, the trail for now grows cold, but I think I'll find her again.

Natalie Zett:

A little bit about St Casmer's Cemetery in Chicago. It was originally named for St Casmer, the Lithuanian patron saint, and established in 1903 by the Lithuanian Catholic Church, and it is a significant cultural and historical site for the city's Lithuanian-American community. Although the ethnic designation was removed from its name in the late 20th century by the Archdiocese, it remains a poignant symbol of Lithuanian heritage with its distinctive monuments and inscriptions. Now that's it for Lithuanian Chicago, just for the moment. But I hope you can see that number one.

Natalie Zett:

I took each one of those primary sources. I did not edit them, I did not condense them. I read them to you as they were translated by the various means that I used, and I wanted you to see how jangled this search can become, particularly when you have a barrier like a language, but that doesn't mean that it shouldn't be undertaken. And here's the raw material. Well, you've probably heard things that have had you scratching your head. It isn't just the language barriers, but also the fact that there's a lot of repetition in these various articles, and that could mean it's a cultural thing of the time of 1915. It could mean, too, that as people were putting these newspapers together very quickly after this tragic event, with all this loss, they were not able to edit each other and check things out.

Natalie Zett:

So I would have to say, from where I'm standing, they did a fantastic job of reporting, a fantastic job of sharing information, even the fact that they called out that this is really difficult to determine how many Lithuanian people or how many Lithuanian families were affected by this, because the people changed their names, they Americanized their names so much, and how did they keep track of things back then? That's what makes, I think, this Lithuanian genealogy adventure more challenging than some of the ones that I have had. However, sometimes it just takes a lot more education and a lot more research to do a really good job, and from there then comes more of the magic artistry of weaving things together. But we're not quite there yet. But we do have a great first draft, a beginning of understanding Chicago's Lithuanian community. And now I'm going to switch gears. We're going to move away from Lithuanian Chicago, but just for a few moments.

Natalie Zett:

When we think of primary sources or at least when I think of primary sources I usually think of newspapers, diaries and maybe marriage or death records. But how about a poem? Yep, a poem can qualify as a primary source if it was written by someone who was around during the time of the event and they chose to share their impressions of the event via a poem. That's perfectly legit. So I'm going to close with a poem by Agnes Lee. Who was Agnes Lee? Well, the poet and translator Agnes Lee was born Martha Agnes Rand in Chicago, and she used various pen names throughout her writing career. If you haven't heard of Agnes Lee, I bet you've heard of the map publishers Rand, mcnally and Company. Well, william H Rand was Agnes's father. So Agnes was educated in Veve, switzerland, and in 1900 she married Frances Watts Lee and she ultimately settled in Boston. However, agnes published frequently in Poetry Magazine in Chicago and in 1926 she won the magazine's Garantor's Prize, which was previously won by Robert Frost and Edna St Vincent Millay. She spent her later years in Chicago and died at home of pneumonia, and is buried in Chicago's Graceland Cemetery.

Natalie Zett:

Agnes's background is quite different from the working class immigrants who were killed on the Eastland, and yet she felt compelled to say something about this. So in the February 1916 issue of Poetry Magazine, based in Chicago, she published a poem called the Eastland Waters, which is a conversation between three people A man called Neals, a woman called Mary and a woman called Anna. They were aboard the Eastland when it capsized and they are now in the water. So I'm setting the stage for you. Eastland Waters by Agnes Lee Neals.

Natalie Zett:

Now girls, now girls. Cling on with all your might, cling steady to this plank. Don't lose your grit. Mary, neals, will they all be saved, neals? Be sure of it? They can't be drowned, anna, for everything's in sight, mary, and we could almost touch the houses there. See how the steamers sank upon her side Like a huge beast. Anna, listen, a baby cried. Neals, don't turn, don't listen, don't look anywhere. Mary, the human fish. See how they haul them in, the slimy fish. Oh, this is awful, neals, anna, they're everywhere. How cold the water feels.

Natalie Zett:

Neals, keep up your nerve. Be the brave girls. You've been Mary. Soon we'll be safe. Nothing can harm us. Here, with all these little windows. Looking on, I feel your courage, neals. My fear has gone. Neals, steady there, steady Now.

Natalie Zett:

The dock is near Anna. Oh, neals, I wish I had your arms around me. It came, it came. I didn't mean to tell Mary, you never dreamed. We kept it.

Natalie Zett:

Well, neals thought we mustn't speak it out. He bound me, neals, hush, hush, anna. He bound me not to say a word, not to let others guess it in my face. But who could keep a secret in this place? And, mary, I'm glad at last you've heard. And, mary, you shall fasten up my veil and hold my book for me why? Everything seems wonderful, even here. I want to sing. We'll have a little flat in Carbondale. Neals, anna, don't chatter on like this. I say Mary. I meant to make it clear to you, mary, anna, oh look, oh look, her lips are blue, neals. Mary, anna, oh look, her hands have slipped away. That's the end of the poem Eastland Waters by Agnes Lee.

Natalie Zett:

Hey, this is Natalie Zett, and thank you so much for joining me on this trip back in time to Chicago's Lithuanian community in 1915. And special, special thanks to Robertas Semenukas for allowing me to share this amazing song. Kabice, from your amazing group I know you have several, you're a part of Jaab Arrines. And again, Robertas, I apologize for all the mispronunciations, but know that my respect for you and my growing love for Lithuanian culture is very sincere. So, everybody else, you take care and I'll be back next week.

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