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THB CHRISTIAN NATION. Yol. 59.<br />
A r o v i n d t h e O l d A r n r v C h a i r<br />
Tragedies and diristian Possibilities ol Ellis Island.<br />
By ANNA PRITCHARD GEORGE.<br />
When Kobert H. Watehorn was commissioner,<br />
he talked to the Women's Press Club<br />
of Xew York, at one of tbeir meetings, of<br />
"the loves of Ellis Island," and the things he<br />
told were at onee both beautiful and pathetic.<br />
But one needs to be long and intimately<br />
acquainted with "the inside" at<br />
EUis Island to learn what he had learned.<br />
For the most part one realizes only its heartrending<br />
tragedies.<br />
SCATTEBED ABROAD AS SHEEP HAVING NO<br />
SHEPHEED.<br />
Were you ever far away from home, and<br />
lonely—oh, so lonely? In the country it is<br />
bad enough to long for the touch of a friendly<br />
hand and the sound of a voice that is<br />
still. But there the spirits of the woods<br />
whisper messages of cheer, and the songs of<br />
the birds, the humming of the bees, and the<br />
lowing of the cattle in the nearby field flll<br />
one's heart with joy and gladness just to be<br />
alive. It is in the city, amid its hurrying<br />
crowds that loneliness is unendurable—in<br />
tbe city where one might live for months in<br />
a crowded apartment house without making<br />
a friend, or walk the streets for hours mixing<br />
with millions, but receiving a smile or<br />
friendly greeting from none. And the city<br />
is full of these lonely folk.<br />
From the vast solitudes of city streets<br />
The army of the Lonely Folk is drawn;<br />
No kindly hands are stretched in welcoming<br />
The endless stream of strangers flowingin,<br />
No friendly voices greet the soul forlorn.<br />
—Wm. Goebe in N. Y. Times.<br />
In New York harbor, just at the entrance<br />
of the Hudson river, and close to Liberty<br />
Island, lie three islands connected by causeways.<br />
These three form one, called p]llis<br />
Island. If you wish a good cry. and a<br />
saddened heart sjme morning, take the boat<br />
and visit Ellis Island—this gateway through<br />
which thousands daily seek our shores. Immigrants<br />
are brought here ou barges from<br />
tlie ocean liners, coniing from all parts of<br />
the earth, and whether steerage or second<br />
cabin passengers, all are "susriects.' coming<br />
by whatever class they may. As many as<br />
,"i,(j(K,i or more immigrants arrive in a single<br />
day. On one trip of the Imperator there<br />
were about 1.700. On one trip of the President<br />
Grant there were 2.iir)0. One hundred<br />
and eighty-one thousand and twenty-six immigrants<br />
landed at Ellis Island in October,<br />
Xovember and December of one year.<br />
You must be on the dock as the inimi-<br />
"rants land, to catch the firstglimpse of our<br />
incoming friends. How happy some are,<br />
how sad are others! Some come expecting<br />
soon to join their dear ones here. Others<br />
have left all they hold precious on the other<br />
side while they come to struggle to make a<br />
home for them bere. All rush from the<br />
boats, loaded vvith bundles galore. Here<br />
comes a man carrying a large home-made<br />
guitar. Here is an Italian woman with<br />
eight children, the youngest in her arms,<br />
the others clinging to her skirts. The oldest<br />
is not more than ten. On her head the<br />
mother carries a bundle as large as herself<br />
and has several more in her free arm. It<br />
is wonderful how these mothers manage.<br />
Another Italian woman conies with seven<br />
small children, and on another boat is a<br />
woman from Holland with fourteen. The<br />
inspectors say that in almost every case<br />
these women and children are permitted to<br />
land. All on this first barge are either<br />
Italians, Armenians or Syrians. Do they appear<br />
a dependent class? No. For the most<br />
part they have good faces, looking eager and<br />
anxious for work. "This is the class from<br />
which geniuses come," exclaims a visitor.<br />
I had no idea they were such a clean,<br />
strong class of people. They seem to me<br />
most desirable. We need them," remarks<br />
another. And so the boats come. Some<br />
laden with Swedes and Hungarians, some<br />
with Russians, some with Germans—not a<br />
pauper class, but people seeking a home and<br />
a chance to make good. Give them the<br />
chance and they trill make good. It is our<br />
duty to give them the chance. But they<br />
are not in America yet—only at the gate.<br />
If the day is warm, tlie first inspection<br />
takes place out-of-doors. As the immigrants<br />
aiiprnacli tbe main building, they are<br />
formed into lines with a doctor stationed at<br />
each line. As he examines the applicant's<br />
eyes, he hastily looks him over. If anything<br />
is wrong he chalk-marks the shoulder.<br />
The lines converge at the door where the<br />
immigrants are passed on into tlie main<br />
room. Au.v who are ill are Immediately<br />
transferred to the hospital where they are<br />
detained till cured, and either discharged or<br />
deported. Two of the three connected<br />
islands are devoted to hospital purposes.<br />
I'rom ei.ght to ten thousand cases a year<br />
may be brought bere, covering almost every<br />
conceivable disease. There is also a hospital<br />
for tbe insane. The other imini.grauts,<br />
h.'iving passed the medical inspei-tion are<br />
passed on up the aisles in the main room.<br />
At the head of each aisle is a desk where<br />
they are asked the same questions that had<br />
been asked of them ou the other side before<br />
sailing. The officer in charge has<br />
on his desk the record of that flrst examination,<br />
questions and answers. These answers<br />
must tally. The United States government<br />
requires that each Immigrant must also<br />
have $2.5. When a family comes, the father<br />
or mother must possess $25 for each member,<br />
except the very tiny children.<br />
For most of the immigrants this ends the<br />
inspection. They are then sent below, to<br />
the railroad rooms, or to the ferries bound<br />
for New York. In the railroad rooms tickets<br />
are sold to all parts iu the United States or<br />
Canada. Here also are waiting-rooms from<br />
which the immigrants are taken by boat to<br />
tbe various railroad terminals about New<br />
York city. There is a money changer's desk,<br />
and a lunch counter where food is sold under<br />
government supervision to those who wish to<br />
buy for use on the train. It is very rea.sonable<br />
in price and looks tempting.<br />
THE ANGUISH OF SUSPENSE.<br />
Other parts of the building are for the<br />
care of those detained. And who are they?<br />
Maybe the woman with the eight children.<br />
Possibly she is coming to meet her husband.<br />
She is detained until tbe authorities<br />
communicate with him and see if he is<br />
able and willing to support his family. If<br />
he lives around Xew York city, he must call<br />
for them.<br />
Here is a girl coming to be married.<br />
Her betrotlied, if near at hand, is sent for<br />
and questioned. If he promises to marry<br />
her at once, and is alright himself, she is<br />
discharged into the care of a missionary<br />
who goes with them to City Hall, sees that<br />
they are married, and returns with a duplicate<br />
certificate to Ellis Island.<br />
A mau comes, worthy in all respects, but<br />
has not the twenty-five dollars; friends<br />
must be found for him. A woman, on her<br />
way to the West either to marry or join<br />
ber friends, is detained till word can be<br />
received cither from her betrothed or<br />
from her friends, agreeing to care for her.<br />
Girls coming to flllpositions are detained<br />
till ac(juaiiitaiices are found. All who are<br />
under "suspicion" are detained until the<br />
"suspicion" lie lifted or established.<br />
But the detained class are divided again.<br />
Those who are to be deported are kept by<br />
themselves. "it is heartbreaking," says<br />
the W. C. T. V. missionary, Mrs. MariiiarotL<br />
"One's heart aches all the time."<br />
And no wonder. Here is one case: A<br />
young woman from Constantinople seeks