Question regarding women travelling to USA alone

[Glen Johnson]

I was doing some research in the New York City branch of the US National Archives today when one of the librarians said that you should be careful to read a passenger list right to the end, because that is where you can find women travelling alone.  He said the authorities might detain a woman arriving alone until someone came for her.
 
Its interesting information because I have been trying to track down a Swedish girl who emigrated to the US at age 16 -- by herself (or so we thought) -- yet she is nowhere near the end of the list.  This makes me think that she was accompanied by a man or was met in the US by someone.
 
Can anyone verify this information from experience?
 
If so, perhaps I should make a list of everyone who left the same parish at about the same time, and then see which ones show up on the same ship.
 
Glen

[Kjerstin Lindstrom]

My ggrandmother came to America when she  
was 16  
(1883). Her name was Hanna Trulson  
Johnson. Her  
parents were Jon Trulson and Johanna  
Olson. She  
was born 7 Feb 1867. I also do not know if  
she  
was alone or sponsored or with brothers???