Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-03-11
Castle Garden.

A New York paper has description
OF the Battery" situated mt the
southern point of the city. The article
says OF Castle Garden, the queer-look-
ing building where the emigrants are
landed: 1t has not much of castellated
look, and any stranger would be more
apt to pick 1t out for cheap ware
house than for place with such high
sounding name as Castle Garden. nj
the Battery" There is a good deal
more of the castle about the building.
however, than most people would sup
pose. The high wall around it conceals
its lower story from the outside, leav-
ing only the wooden upper portion ex-
posed to view. Go in through one of
the three or four gates, however, If YOU
can get past the guard, and when once
inside turn to the right dozen yards or
so, if one of the inside officers does not
stop you, and you will see that Castle
Garden is rightly named. What now
forms the lower story of the round
building Is the wall Of what WIS once n
fort, or battery; n wall so heavy and
thick. that it is n curiosity to zee in
these days of himsy buildings. It Is
built of great brown stones, with port
holes Mt regular intervals. tapering
down toward the inside. where, instead
Of canncn's mouth. glass sash may
now be seen. The glass may be seen,
but nothing beyond it, unless the jani-
;or has very lately taken it into his head
to wash the windows. An upper story
Of boards has been added to this solid
wall. n roof has been put on, great
number of little wings added, like
wards in hospital-and this is Castle
Garden, where Pat first sets foot when
he arrives from Ireland Hans when he
comes from Germany our strcet-sweep-
ing friends, the Italians, and all the
other distinguished foreigners whose
purses will not permit of their coming
over In the cabin and eating suicidal
pastry. The big room that they are
ushered into, Un day when an emf
grant steamer arrives, Is worth walking
all the way down from Harlem 10 see.
to man who has no corns. Some OF
the queerest looking people in the world
come in here, and look wildly about
them, and at length drop their bundles
on the floor. sit down on them and light
their pipes. Some of the men are d, essed
in leather breeches, and nearly all Of
them wear coats that might be stretched
out few inches longer without detri-
ment. No pen of the male persuasion
could describe the costumes OF many of
the women. When few hundred of
the emigrants flock in from one of the
transfer-boats and open their bundles,
and go TO cooking their scanty dinners
on the four stoves that are provided,
they make n picture full of color and ro-
nance, and one that Is much more ro-
mantle as seen from the spectators
balcony than from the midst of the
characters. On a fair day, the walks
surrounding Castle Garden are full of
these einigrants. They lean against the
wall in sunny places, and swarm like
bees. Presently they disappear. many
of them going West, some North or
South, and good many remaining in
this city and becoming aldermen. But
one ships load is hardly disposed OF be-
fore another ships load arrives, bring
ing members of Congress, tax commits.
sioners, referees, and sometimes Judge
or two.