Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1886-11-19
CASTLE GARDENS SAGE.
\ Man who Has Received Immi-
grants for Forty Years Casts an
Eye over the Past of the
EuTeuu.

itself The other clerks in the bureau
for information look clipper and natty
IN their blue uniforms, but the old man
dresses in sombre broadcloth and wears
n tile that was popular in Robert En-
NETS time and suggests strongly the
18th of March.
James . Callaghan has advanced far
into the last quarter of century of
existence, and he has been in the ser.
| vice of the commissioners of emigra-
ton since the board las organized in
| 1917 He claims 10 have held Office
continuously for a longer period than
any clerk now in the public service, and
he says that during these forty years he
has never had a vacation, he has never
been witness in court of justice, and
has never been called upon to Substan-
tiate his allegations by affidavit. He is
clean shaven. has bright, clear-cut
features. and looks as young rs a man
twenty years his junior. HIS memory
is clear. although he is a little uncer-
tain rs TO dates.
You have seen a good deal of the
dark side of life in your time?' sug-
!
took n seat in ii pensve mood.
YES. and a good deal that was
bright and cheerful. too he respond
ed. Nv Wonders have been done for the
immigrant since the state took the mat
ter in hand.
You are conversant with the bust
ness of the board since it was organ
/ ized?"
IL have served steadily under every
board that has held office since the or
gan cation, on May >. 1917 All the
original commissioners. with their
clerks and attendants. have passed
away, and | am now the last rose of
summer left blooming alone. can re-
member distinctly the enthusiasm with
which Mayor Hayemeyor. who was the
/ first president. entered on the duties of
his Office. The immigrants in those
! days were looked upon a. the lawful
I prey Of shipping agents, clearinghouse
runners and miscreants who grew rich
on the dishonOr Of unprotected females.
/ The board had 10 fight an organized
horde of land-sharks well SIX He'd i'm
their trade. amply provided with
/ money. The breaking up of the pow
/ orful ne thai existed forty years ago
/ is due mainly to the labors Of such men
As HavcmcN or, Guliau {. Ncrpanck,
/ Charles II. Marshall. Gregory Dillon.
Robert i. Minturn, Ctrus Curtiss.
George w. Blunt. Ambrose G. Kings
land, Capt McArdlc, John A. Kennedy,
Andrew Carr gan, and I'll jah +. Purdy.
who was known as the Old War Horse
/ The board was established not a dav too
,
causes combined to swell the tide Of
immigration to these shores to cnor-
nous proportions.
What were these causeS?'
The first Irish fam ne Of 1916: the
d sContCni and SONS Of revolution in
Germany about the samc time: the stir
made in the cast by the Mexican war;
and finally the gold fever. which broke
ont in California Immediately after
ward Prior to so immigrat on was
comparatively small, but during the
wears from 1915 10 1854 Ireland sent
here over ] 800 600 of people. and Ger
many nearly l,2j0, J0O For the first
seven or eight years after the boards
existence ireland sent more imm grants
than any other country. Then Ger
many took tine ascendant and main
tanned il up TO the breaking out of the
war when Ireland came to the front
once more. Sine the war the Ger
mans have been coming more numer-
ouslv than ever before, and official
figures nG cate that the total immigra-
on from GERMANY exceeds that from
Ireland dcrabiy over half n mil
1 ] on. the arrivals from the two countries
since the board was organized being,
/ in round numbers. 5000, 900.
How does ocean cmigrant travel
! compare now from sanitary point OF
view with what it formerly was?'
Since the great steamship lines
| have been established travel across the
ocean ha, los, nearly all lis terrors. 1t
wa, Il ffcrent when the unfortunate
cmigraut engaged "a bunk in the hold
OF packet ship Now the voyage j.
made in g. ght or TN days then it took
slN az eight weeks. The steamship
ne, feed their passengers. while the
! lackct- supplied only water, and
orctcht- who happened to be unpro-
y.dcd with sufficient food or cooking
! ..tn,.!s were committed TO a watery
grave after pcrishng from starvation.
Snip fever cholera. and small pOX were
10 bee found aboard almost every ship.
during the first year of the existence
ot the board twenty thousand persons
per shed i'm the hospitals on Staten
island and Ward island from diseases
contracted at sea-. For some years
a!trrwari the deaths ut sea numbered
rcarl, two thousand. 1t was coolly
alculatrd when ship weighed anchor
go the Mcrscy that $ per cent. of the
passenger, would never live TO see
SANDY Hook.
Under what lag did the packet
shps >ail?'
More than half the traffic was CON
Quoted in American bottoms, and Eng
land took the next place. The princi-
pal American lines were Tapscot's
Collins Il Co.. Charles II. Marshall q
CO.. and the Black Ball line. Williams
d Guion represented the heaviest Eng
lish interests. The cost of passage
without food or bedding was usually Is
st Ring. and the unfortunate people