The story we were told about Grampa Gallson leaving Estonia was that he stowed away on a ship headed for England and lied about his age. The more likely story is that he lied about his age so that he could join a group of Estonians headed to Canada to work for the CPR.
Below is an extract from the SS Columbia ship manifest, June 7, 1913, from Glasgow, Scotland to New York City. He is grouped together with many others who all came via the same Steamline from Finland. And his ticket (41) number is sequential with the others.
Here is the arrival at Ellis Island. In 1913, Estonia and half of Latvia were sometimes called Lifland. Grampa, born in November 1896, would have been 16. So he lied about his age.
Here is another extract from the same trip. I believe Alexander Matt was a recruiter for the CPR.
Below are the handwritten Oceans Arrivals at Ellis Island for the Columbia. Hard to read but here’s what it says:
Name: Ounpuu Johannes; Age: 17; Sex: M; Married or Single: S; Occupation: Labr; Able to Read/Write: yes/yes; Nationality: Country of citizen: Russia; Race: Russian; Last Permanent Residence: Russia, Lifland; Name and address of nearest relative: Mich Ounpuu, Lifland, Kuressaare; Final Destination: Ont. Shapleau, CPR
Note: #5 is Alexander Matt
Whether having a ticket to such final destination: Yes; Who paid: Self; Whether in possession of $50 and if less, how much? 25; Whether ever before in the United States: no; Whether going to join a relative or friend and if so, who: friend, Johannes Lonn, Shapleau, CPR, Ont. …
Note: #5 Alexander Matt: He’d been to Shapleau, Ont CPR in 1909 and 1911
I emailed the CPR and the CPR Archives and neither of them kept any records of these recruitments.