Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1890-07-10
CALABRIAN EMIGRANTS.
Where Large Number of Our Italia
Citizens Come From.

Citizens Come From.
But the most significant thing Of all
in Cosenza is the multitude of placards
of steamship companies which bedeck
the walls of the houses. The exodus
from Calabria to Buenos Ayres and
New York threatens the province with
eventual depopulation. | saw some
thing of this later in the day. BY some
imbecility / had not enough Italian
money in my pocket to take me to the
end Of the tour | projected, and the
local agent of the Bank of
Naples could not be persuaded
that the paper of Thread
needle Street was an exchangeable
commodity. 1t was therefore impera-
tive to return to Naples that night, and
to travel third class. For companions
in the train | had about two dozen
Calabrians bent on expatristion. Some
started from Cosenza, others joined the
troop at wayside stations. There was
much mournful anguish of parting
One poor old granddame sank upon the
ground, and tore her hair. The sad
der side of human life was vigorously
illustrated. But chance arranged it
that the members of a musical society
were also in the train, and at the
prompting of the railway officials the
drum drowned the chorus of lamenta-
tion.
These emigrants were leaving their
homesteads in all the glory of vest
ments their wardrobe could supply.
One family consisted of four generations
of mortals, from the great-grandmother
wrinkled and haggard, to the sucking
child; and all were as garish as the Ma
donna of a Calabrian church, and as
dirty. They had been won to this
strong step by the words of promise of
the emigration agents, and, indeed, the
distress furrowed upon their faces
seemed to argue that any change in
their lives would be for the better. But
now and again, as we journeyed along,
doubts came into their minds. The
older folks moaned and wrung their
hands, and the young mother looked as
if her heart would break with anx-
iety. There was brute of a
commercial traveller with us who
found pleasure in adding to their
fears. He told them bluntly that they
would all be dead in year, and that
they had far better get-eut at the next
station and return to their native vii
lagos. What misery! what misery"
nso 4nl 10 Go ;,
ing his fat hands as he surveyed the
emigrants collectively. Madonna
mia!" cried the woman to another at
this cruel chill to hope. There were,
further, two stout priests in the car
riage, but they also were without a
word of comfort for the people. In a
genial moment tho elder of them ten
dered me his snuff box, and at the same
time the leading questions: "Are you
a Catholic?" No" said |. "Ohr said
he, and that was the extont of our con-
versation. At Sybaris itgrew dark and
the ire-fes danced in the air. What, l
wondered, would the luxury-loving an.
clients of this fallen place have thought
of our trains freight?
saw my emigrant friends once more
a few days afterward. 1t was on the
Naples wharf They were awaiting
their turn to be shipped-bags. and
bundles and babies images and pict-
ures, loaves of bread, Gagged birds, and
the myriad of other trifes which the
Italian emigrant is 10th to part with. A
reaction had by this time come over
them. They were bright and hopeful,
with no terror save of seasickness.
They talked of Calabria in America,
as if such state already existed; per-
haps it does, as a province of the
Argentine Republic. Their ribbons
futtered, and their jewelry tinkled as
they were rowed away from the land
After all, there is more pluck in an en-
igrant than in bandit and it is well
t. at Calabria now prefers to breed stock
for the New World instead of robbers
and asssssins for the old.-Charles Ed
wardes, in National Review.