The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1872-12-26
WHITE SLAVE TRADE.
CHILDREN BOUGHT IN ITALY FOR
THE NEW-YORK MARKET

THE NETWORK MARKET.
A sADDER STORY THAN THE WRONGS OF
TIE ITALIAN EMIGRANTs-CHILDRE
SOLD OUT RIGHT TO AGENTS AND
FORCED TO SERVE UNsCRUPULOUS
spEcULAToRs-THE HOMES OF THE
STREET MUSICIANS.
From, the ". Y. Tribune.
The Italian problem which, during the
past week, has engrossed the attention Of
the Commissioners of Emigration, is
gradually working its own solution. The
Board has now under its care nearly q
600 emigrants, who are almost or entire
ly destitute.
The sensational rumors regarding the
dangerous character OF these men are
emphatcally denied by the Commission
ers, aud so far as can be learned the i'm
migrants left their country because the
representations made to them by agents
regarding the opportunities for acquiring
wealth in America were so Hattering.
The Young Mems Italian Association,
at No. 46 Franklin-st., has opened an in
teligence Office, and received, yesterday,
an order from Virginia for 200 railroad
laborers The Commissioners of Emigra-
ton will cooperate with the Chldren's
Aid Society, and the men will be for
warded at once. 1t is estimated that 50
will defray the railroad expenses of each
emigrant, aud that the work will be such
that. unlike the labOrers who were recent
ly sent to Maine, none will return to be-
come charge to the State or city.
The capacity of the Aims house on
Wards Island is taxed to its utmost, but
it is expected that the majority of those
at present cared for by the Emigration
Board will be provided with employment
before the middle of the Winter. 1T the
immigration continues, the project is to
rent large warehouse and to quarter the
emigrants therein.
After being thus furnished with lodg
ings it is confidently believed that all
could support themselves by gathering
rags or doing other light work
Commissioner Wallach last night visi
ted the Italian school in Franklin-st,
where 500 children are educated by the
Children's Aid Society.
WRONGS OF ITALIAN CHILDREN.
! The most starting disclosure which has
grown out of the large emigration from
| Italy is the fact that children are pur
chased from their parents aud brought to
this country to earn living for their
owners The multitude of miserable lit
tie wretchs who dali and nightly patrol
the streets, annoy the passengers on the
ferries, surround the doors of theaters and
lecture halls, belong to this class.
They are brought over in gangs and
are housed in large teuements in Crosby,
Elizabeth, Thompson, and Baxter sts.-
| They are crowded into small, ill-ventla-
ted, uncarpeted rooms, Is or 20 in each,
and pass the night on the floor with only
a blanket to protect them from the sever.
ity of the weather In the mornings they
are fed by their temporary guardian with
maccaroni, served in the fthiest manner,
in large open dish in the centre of the
room, after which they are turned out in
to the streets to beg or steal until late at
night.
More than all this, when the miserable
little outca.ts return to their cherries
quarters they are required to deliver
every cent which they have gathered dur
ing the day, and if the same be deemed
insufficient the children are carefully
searched and soundly beaten. 10 some
instances they are treated inhumanly. and
it is stated. upon the authority of Mr.
Tinell of No Chambers St, that fire
brand was in one instance applied to the
feet of child who had returned home
without enough money to satisfy the de
mauds of the landlord
Mr. Tinetti stated that young Italian
children frequently visited him aud, after
mplaining Of the i'll treatment which
they received from their masters, lament
ed that their parents had ever sent them
so far away to serve such cruel people
He also stated that man by the name
Of Sonsonni came to him some time since
and desired legal assistance in regainiDg
the custody of three small boys who had
escaped to Morristown, n. j.
Having met with rebuff, Sousonn
procured another lawyer, who went tc
Morristowu to claim the children, on the
ground of contract made 10 Italy be
tween the parents Of the boys and an im
porter of street musicians. So iDcensed
were the people in Morristown, who bad
taken the children under their protection
that they forced the lawyer to leave the
town Oh the next train.
HOME IN ITALY
To the southern part of Italy many o
the peasantry are below the intelligence
of the Bedouius They subsist upon the
scauty growth of partly cultivated farms
and raise barely enough to carry them
through the year This is especially true
of the dwellers in the vicinity of the vii
lagos Of Marsicovettere, Lacorenzana
Caleello. and Carletto-all within a radius
of 100 miles from Naples.