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