Captain A. Tolmer's criticism of Texas
Captain A. Tolmer's writings were full of factual errors about the United States, including the assertion that Galveston is the capital of Texas. Tolmer also claims to have stayed at The Red Eagle in "Nocagdoches," despite the fact that it never existed. He also writes that Congress was in session during his visit to America, although it was not. Despite these errors, his account was very critical of Texas, portraying it as a wild country in quite racist colors. He writes with disdain that people of all races mix in Texas and that the authorities are of low moral character.
Letter written by A. Tolmer on August 12, 1849
"I have been in Texas and am still living! A true miracle! But it is not the fault of the immigrants on the land. The word immigrants fits poorly moreover for the strange, mixed, nomadic, varied, fantastical, combined population of Indians, Negroes, Americans, Spaniards, Portuguese, Mestizos, Frenchmen and Germans... Almost all the houses are cafes, taverns, or wine cellars, where generals and judges smoke and drink in community together. These judges, who never pass sentences, and these generals, who would gladden Salvator Rosa or Kallot; they wear all kinds of clothing, speak all kinds of languages, and sully themselves with every conceivable vice. The exclusion of criminals thus pushes the Union to its extreme limits. In Texas and over the prairies this strange population is spreading, where it is soon seen mixing with Indian tribes, soon with stray slaves from the South or with trespassing swindlers from every possible country…”“When I walked into the first hotel, called the Tremont House, yesterday, ten Texan generals and as many judges, all of whom seemed to be made of the same stuff, sat around a huge tile stove and played cards, cursing like Satan himself, steaming like chimneys and all distinguishing themselves by supposedly important mines. One could have mistaken the entire scene for a painting by Bambochio. Each of them spoke in their thief-language about their different endeavors. One had plundered a passerby, another had taken a carpet bag from a traveler, a third plundered a caravan, others had outsmarted Yankees in transactions, destroyed Spanish villages or burned Indian halls." (Syverson and Johnson, pg. 177-183)
Rebuttal
The comments of A. Tolmer about America and Texas in particular triggered a strong response in several Norwegian residents of Texas, since his writings were published in Norwegian newspapers at the time. T.A. Gjestvang, who knew Elise Wærenskjold before her departure for Norway, elected to send Tolmer's opinions to her so as to get her reaction. Wærenskjold quickly wrote a cohesive response refuting all of Tolmer's points and identifying where his information was factually incorrect. This letter, written on July 9th of 1851, was signed by several members of the Norwegian Texas community. This letter was also published as a rebuttal in Norwegian newspapers."Tolmer's statement that Galveston is the capital of Texas reveals an inexcusable ignorance, since Austin, as everyone knows, is the capital city. His travel route from Galveston to Wisconsin also proves that, far from being well acquainted with this country, he did not even have a map of Texas… But if the good Tolmer has neglected to study the geography of the country, he has devoted himself with so much the greater diligence to the language, since he even understood the 'thief' language, which he says the judges and the generals made use of. From what I have already written, it will be easily understood that it is not customary here to travel with an escort of either Americans or Indians; only the most miserable coward could think of doing such a thing. That he sat down at an unpainted wooden table is quite believable but not that it was dirty, because the cleanliness of the Americans is very well known." (Wærenskjold, July 9, 1851)
Many of the common criticisms raised against Texas at this time had to do with the perception of land quality. Many believed that the land was not as fertile as the land in the Midwest and that there was not enough rainfall. There was some truth to these rumors, as evidenced by the settlements themselves. Another main criticism was slavery, as Texas allowed this before the Civil War. After the Civil War, some critics pointed to the lack of available labor in Texas.
"What one lacks most in Texas is labor. This is more noticeable now than before the war, which took away so many of our men. Many of the freed Negroes are lazy and do not care to exert themselves more than necessary to provide ‘plenty to eat,’ and that is easily done in Texas. The state is a paradise for poor people, because anyone who will work can get a good job in any season and children are no burden, but a great help, to their parents. In the fall children can make good money picking cotton, which brings $.75 per 100 pounds, plus board." (Wærenskjold, Autumn 1869?)
There was obviously some racial bias preventing some emigrants from coming to Texas. After all, in Texas, settlers were much more likely to meet Black people and people of Mexican descent, as well as indigenous peoples. The fear that Tolmer expressed of the mixing of peoples was very real at this time. Rather than asserting that this contact is positive, Wærenskjold argues that this sort of mixing does not occur in the way Tolmer describes. Through this, she perpetuates harmful stereotypes about these marginalized groups in a way that is inexcusable. Through this debate, though, one thing is clear: people who feared these groups steered clear of areas like Texas where these encounters were more commonplace. Indigenous peoples could be found in the Midwest, but the other groups were much rarer in those areas.
"There are very few free Negroes here, but, unfortunately, there are many slaves because most rich Americans are slaveowners. Much as I despise slavery, I cannot deny that the slaves here are treated rather well and that numbers of them are better off in many respects than the free laborers in Europe. But the loss of liberty cannot be replaced by anything. Since there are no Indians in the part of Texas where I have been, I can say nothing about them. When Tolmer says that the Americans are mixed, now with Indians, now with runaway slaves, he lies, because they are entirely too proud for that. But it is difficult to find a single assertion which is not a lie." (Wærenskjold, July 9, 1851)
Wærenskjold Sets The Record Straight
"Some time ago I read a letter in Norden from Manor, Texas, and have long expected to see something from our countrymen in Bosque by way of correction, but since nothing has appeared yet, I will take the liberty of making some remarks. Apparently Mr. A.U. has not only taken all possible pains to ferret out every shady aspect of life in Texas but has also exaggerated matters considerably. That a man who finds everything and everybody so worthy of censure still chooses to remain in Texas strikes me as peculiar, and I will give him the good advice to go back where he came from. I have lived in Texas thirty-seven years, and it was exactly because of the mild winters that I decided to settle here. It is true that we have a few cold days during that season, and that they come very suddenly; but the cold spell never lasts long and it is nothing in comparison with the severe winters up north… “"As for me, I am well satisfied with Texas and the Texans. It is by no means so hot in Texas as many people imagine. Usually we have a pleasant breeze from the Gulf of Mexico, which moderates the weather… I believe that theft and robbery occur much less frequently here than in most other countries. Consequently it is quite usual for us to sleep with windows and doors open during the summer. I am well aware of the fact that horse stealing is not uncommon in western Texas, but anyone would know that it is a gross exaggeration to say that whole settlements club together in gangs as horse thieves." (Wærenskjold, Spring 1884)
Debunking Tolmer
As it turns out, the account of Tolmer was largely plagiarized and fabricated. This "Captain A. Tolmer" is likely an alias assumed by an unknown writer who never actually traveled to the United States. This was uncovered by the scholarship of Philip D. Jordan in 1962. "Tolmer's plagiarism falls into two categories: material that he lifted in toto and almost verbatim from other travelers, and yarns and events stolen from other travel accounts and altered and/or rewritten so as to lend the air of verisimilitude. His entire book-all the letters-is composed of one or the other or a combination of these techniques. The author of the letters, whoever he was and wherever he resided, cribbed practically all his information from Haliburton, Sharp, Marryat, and Mackay."Even though the false nature of Tolmer's account has been uncovered, most popular sources still write about Tolmer's writing as if it is legitimate. Elise Wærenskjold alludes to the fact that she believes it to be fabricated, as the account is simply too ignorant to be earnest. However, many of the other Texas Norwegians who reacted strongly believed Tolmer's writing to be real. Even though Tolmer's account was falsified, the responses he elicited were strong and showcased the feelings of the Norwegian settlers in Texas. They were willing to stand up and fight for their new country without hesitation. Because of this, Tolmer's account remains relevant, true or not.
"It is hard for me to think it ever occurred to him that people would accept this product of his at face value; it strikes me as nothing but a poorly written adventure story. I wonder if the people in Norway were not simply confused if they took Tolmer's account as anything but a piece of fiction. It is impossible for me to believe that Tolmer should have the audacity to offer as truth such a mass of gross, and in part palpable, lies to so highly cultured a nation as the French. His ignorance of geography is so obvious that I believe any schoolboy would notice it. If he means to say that he rode horseback from New Orleans to Galveston, then he must never have been there, because this trip can only be taken by sea. Furthermore, there is no lack of fine horses in Texas, and there is little difficulty in stealing them, as they roam about to suit their own fancy. But, as already stated, you do not need to fear robbery and thieving in this country." (Wærenskjold, July 9, 1851)
Sources to explore:
A Texas Manifesto: A Letter From Mrs. Elise Wærenskjold by Clarence A. Clausen
Land of their Choice: The Immigrants Write Home by Theodore C. Blegen
Norge i Texas by Odd Magnar Syverson and Derwood Johnson
Letters from The Lady with the Pen: Elise Wærenskjold in Texas by Elise Wærenkjold
J. Tolmer: Spurious Traveler by Philip D. Jordan