The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-04-09
The Terrible Outragea Of Run
ners and ForWardera.
Establishment Of the Commissioners
Of Emigration.
Leading Members and Importance
Of Their Work.
Six Million Six Hundred Thousand Emil
grants Landed in This City.


Tho history OF emigration 70 this port before tho
creation Of the Board OF Commissioners, in 1s47, is
little else than record OF rbberies and outragss that
EARTH We know little OF the nnor facts about omlgra
ton In tho sixteenth and seventeenth centuries beyond
the colonization of Virginia. tho landing of the Pilgrims
and the settlement OF 0gletnorpe's people In Georgia
Under tho Dutch cmgrants encouraged by grants
Of land and the OF perfect religious tolcra
tion yet or two ships in year brought all who
chose to como From the settlement OF New Ams,er-
dam New York; to Its surrender to the English-1623
TO 1664-the Dutch emgrants could not have boon
5000 in all.
Under tho English colonial government little was
done TO induce emigration. The only official attempt
was in 17o9-lo when 1900 Protestant Palatnes wcro
sent here at the expense Of tho British government
The experiment failure. Tho English wanted
servants and subjects, the grants wanted freedom,
and this handful OF rcsouo Protestans sowod the
seeds Of the Revolution that sixty yoars later.
During all the eighteenth century emigration was very
body event to DO wondered at for years Phil
adelpbia was larger town than New York, and at
tracted greater number Of onigrants.
sELLISG MIGRANTS ArcrIos-wHITE SLAVERY
There was also, from tho earliest settlements down
far into tho present century, system of selling emil
grants that was very little better than negro
slavery. Most Of those who here were
very poor people, too poor 10 pay thcr passagA and
to meet the obligations incurred for transportation and
support they were regularly sold into temporary servi
tude 10 tho person who would give the highest prico
por year for them. Old people, crlppIes and others
not ableboded were slow OF sao but healthy parents
and children and youths OF both sexes found roady
market at good prices When parents died on the
voyage the children sold for term long enough
to pay only their passage but that Of the dead
Also Adults usually had to from three to six
years. children above ten served till they became of
ago, and younger children given away to masters
who would board and clotho1hem. All these persons
were known 'indcnturod servants" and werc adj.
vertised whom they away in the same manner as
black slaves or horses. Now and then ono Of those
Servants" stumbled upon good fortune. Catherine
wescnbsrg, pennloss orphan, arrived At New York
and was sold to Alexander and Herman Philips farm
ars In the Mohawk Valley. She soon became the
many rural lovers, mono Of whom, however,
were rich enough TO buy ,her--that is, pay
william Johnson the Indian agent and the ost inlu
entail IN that part OF tho colony CHANGED to see
her. and resolved to make hcr his wife. In hts char
acterte way no onerod one Of tho Phpscs f5 for tho
girls time, ut the same time promising him sound
thrashlng II no refused to part with her. Philips
knew that Bill Johnson would keep his word took tho
money and handed ovcr Kate who became Mrs John
son. and an excellent wife and Eeighbor johnson was
knighted, and tho poor Dutch girl became my lady
now MIGRANTS WE'RE PLrxDERYp.
Tho first law for the beno0t Of emigrants act
OF Congress in 1919 regulating their treatment ship
which went cHpct on the 1st day OF October that
we have complete Btatistics OF arrivals As 70 the
wi,h rare exceptions thoy were robbed and piundered
from the day OF departure by almost every ono with
whom they came In contact They woro treated worse
seemed 70 be secret conspiracy on the part OF oil
concerned in dealing with omigrants, to- neeco and
10 hand long anything could be made out OF thcn
They virtually helpless against any sort OF mpo
silion or fraud The thousands who died or were killed
tho voyage we're thrown into tho ocean with as
little ceremony ~ old sacks or broken tools" Tho
emigration up to 1929 was light. not than 0c0
nearly all who came very poor and not seldom
taken from tho ship direct TO tho Amshouso To
act' Of 1874 was passed by the Legislature Of New
York, by which shipmastcrs required to give
bonds before the Mayor not exceeding $500 for each
alien passenger, to Indemnify tho city in any pas
senger should become charge upon the public. This
law not only secured indemnity, but was open TO
fragrant abuse. Therefore, change was made and In
stead OF bonds Communication foo Of not less than 81
or moro than $40 for each passenger was xod upon.
The money was paid to a clerk IN the Mayors ofnco
and he pockctcd It for his own benefit, keeping no &C
count Of tho number OF passengers or the amount or
communication. For eighteen yprs-1s24 to 1s42-ono
doings Then the Aldermen made investigation,
exposed the ccrg and got back-not cent OF course
the communication money was really paid by the cmi-
grant.
Another famous institution OF the time must DO TO-
ferred to-Tapscotrs Poorhouse and Hospital in
other packet agents IN Europe wcro sending
over anybody and everybody who could pay their
passage. with lavish promise OF situations; but ar
rival they found the situations story false Then they
were induced to work for the shpowners for their
board and to this private poorhousc and set
ships grease and worse stun and when too weak 10
work oven this disgusting food was withheld Public
indignation was aroused and the hoo was investigated
The report simply horrible. This hospital one
OF the Immediate causes OF the effort 10 establish tho
Emgrant Commission. The bonding and committing
business had proved an entire failure
BOARDING HOUSES, RUNNERS AND TICKET swyDLERa
The pcfciency OF tho laws then In existence for tho
regulation OF emgrants has been shown but their suf
fcrngs that head wsro trifing In comparison with
tho highway robbery 10 which they were sub.
Jected at tho hands Of irresponsible people,
ioospsds known as runners and boarding house
keepers, paid and encouraged by highly re-
spectabier canal and steamboat forwarders. wo
noed not dwell long upon this branch OF subject,
since tho people most probably remember with toler
able clearness tho Infamous abuses prnctiscd by
these confedcratcd Villains Tho most widely
known. II no. tho worst Of tho runners was George
Washington Daley, better known a. 0necyod Daley"
who explained Tho system 70 the Legislative onmit
tee In 18&7 Daley subsequently became Custom
House oicer, and about year ago, while apparently
in good health, dropped from his chair at dinner and
Let us not forget TO say that nearly every swiudo
pepctratcd upon strangers In the way Of overchargc
Tor board and carriage Of undertaking foreign gold and
paving for II In wildcat and sometimes counterfeit
bills OF bogus passage tickets TO the West OF personal
assault ana Of nvegng ignorant girls into dsrcputabe
houses was the work oil the victims countrymcn
Doubtless some Americans side partners; but AZ
Q rule y was Dutchman rob Dutchman aad Irishman
fleece Irishman.
The Legislative Committee. IN 4 report those out
rsges astonshod tho extent and magnitude OF
the frauds, which beyond belief except for the
positive evidence before them. The report says:-As
soon q ship with cmgranis arrives Il u boarded by
runners for boarding houses and forwarding com
pauiss, who Hy 20 SECURE customers for thoir en-
pIoycrA II they fail TO persuade they soixe their VIC
TINA luggage and carry OF 70 their houses, telling