Shipping Trunk

Hi, Recently whilst going through an ancestors shipping trunk (dated 1837) a secret compartment was found. This compartment held about 20 letters that were stamped and post marked as being sent from Norway to Iowa between 1853 and 1879. 1) Was it usual for shipping trunks to have secret compartments at that time?. 2) How or where would I get these letters translated from Norwegian to English?. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. Steve