Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-11-17
IN A SHIPS STEERAGE
A Government Commissioner Quietly
Takes Trip Over the Ocean.
HE WAS SEARCHING FOR ABUSES,
And Has Weighty Report to Make to His
Colleagues To-day.
SOME BREAKS THAT HE WAS GUILTY OF
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DISPATCH.

| ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DISPATCH.
| NEW YORK, Nov. 16-H. J. Schulteis,
one of the five commissioners appointed by
the Secretary of the Treasury to mediate
on life in'the foreign places from which our
immigration flows arrived here to-day on
the steamship Servia Unlike the four
other commissions he came unheralded.
| list, for the very good reason that he was
| not a cabin passenger.
He had the almost unlimited credit of an
official representative of Uncle Sam, and
could have had the finest room in the ship
| if he had wanted it. But his mind was
teeming with great scheme which involved
| Disgusting himself as an immigrant. He
got a battered secondhand suit of clothes
at Liverpool, purchased steerage passage
on the Servia, and mingled with the un-
washed plebeians. His clothes did not fit
him, but having been labor
agitator, he was no dude, and did not care.
He posed as an English immigrant, and as
nearly all of his 225 fellow-voyagers be-
tween decks were German Hebrews and
Scandinavians, they did not remark his
Yankee accent.
Discoveries in the Steerage.
Like nearly all folks used to cabin voy-
aging who take steerage passage, Mr..
Schulteis discovered lot of terrible things.
In the first place, he was Mortified to find
that all of 3S German Hebrews on the ship
had their passages prepaid. Mr.. Schulteis,
having confined himself principally to
the study of standing well with the ad-
ministration as representative of organized
labor, did not know that about so per
cent of all immigrants came here with pre-
paid tickets-that is, tickets sent them
from this side. He secretly made a note of
his discovery, and hunted around the steer
age for more matarial to starie the country
with
When the Servia came to anchor at
the quarantine, this morning, Mr.. Schulteis'
note book was crammed with accusations
against the immigrants. Colonel Lee, of Chief
Contract Labor Inspector Milholland's staff,
boarded the Servia and made critical
survey of the steerage passengers. He was
attracted by Commander Schultheis misfit
and his generally suspicious aspect, and
spotted him as contract laborer. Colonel
Lee asked him whom he had come over to
work for, what his occupation was, and
where he came from.
Mr.. Schulteis was seized with spirit of
humor, and palmed himself off as Hebrew,
archly confessing that he had come here
under contract When he found that his
bogus confession might get him into trou-
Colonel Lee. He was permitted to land at
the Cunard pier.
Importance of the Commissioner.
Before going ashore he changed his old
clothes for a suit more becoming to COM
missioner, topped with a shiny high hat
Then he got a bath and shave and went
down to the Astor House. Hetold Colonel
Lee to tell Colonel Weber to hold all the
Servia's passengers at the Barge Office until
he got down, which, he said, would be
about l o'clock
Mr.. Schulteis stopped at several places
on the way, and didn't show up until 2:45
Colonel Weber, thinking that Mr.. Schulteis
might have some really startling revelations
to make, held, the immigrants until
Schulteis appeared. They were all ready to
go at 1 o'clock, but the colonel could not
conscientiously let them, in the face of
mandatory order which somebody at the
barge Office said ran: "Detain everybody
until ] come
But Colonel Weber was not disturbed
After he and Mr.. Schulteis had shaken
hands they went up to the landing bureau.
Mr.. Schulteis wanted every Hebrew VINO
had prepaid ticket stopped and sent back
The fact that their tickets were prepaid,
probably by the Hebrew charities
of this qity, Mr.. Schulteis said,
was presumptive evidence that they
were paupers. The Colonel said |
against each immigrant. Schulteis was un- !
equal to the task of preferring charges |
against any of the Hebrews, They were, |
Colonel Weber remarked, an exceptionally |
neat looking lot of immigrants, and all of !
them had money and occupations.
Suggestions Made by Mr.. Schulteis.
Mr. Schulteis thought if there was not a |
law against letting in Hebrews with pre-
paid tickets there ought to be. He also |
threw out several suggestions about new
methods of examining immigrants
lngeborg Petersen, a pretty Swedish girl |
Is years old, Mr.. Schulteis accused of acting
aboard ship. She was cross
examined closely, and denied the charge
with flaming cheeks. Rev. A. B.
Lila, Swedish missionary at the
barge office, also questioned the
girl and her escort, Otto Nielsen,
who was born in the same place, GottIand'
whence she came. He became convinced
that the girl was innocent. The. Swedish
Immigrant Society will meet tomorrow to
take action in the matter
Mr.. Schulteis refused to say ANYTHING for
publication. He is a small, slender young
man, with an important air He waived
his hands to the reporters and remarked
that he would give cut his start
ling experiences in the steerage to
the world tomorrow morning, at the
first meeting of the commission of which
le is member. He invited all the repor-
ers to be present to hear him. Colonel
Weber said the meeting would be an execu-
i've one, and that the subject for discussion