The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-04-14
ELLIS ISLAND HASH.
Bob Davis and Charlie
Clarke's Scheme to
Check immigration.

According to a New York paper this
morning. Robert Davis was in Washing
ton yesterday. attending conference at
which the Government plnms were to be
distributed. It said that he was attend
ing principally to the vacancies which
will occur in Hudson County. The story
is fake as usual. The real object of Mr..
Davis trip was TO work contemplate
job, In relation to the Ellis Island. emil
grant catering contract Here are the
facts:
Within the last few years the subject
of restricting and checking immigration
has occupied the attention Of the leading
statesmen Of the country. 1t will per-
haps be a surprise. not only TO the resi-
dents of Jersey City but to the popul a.
ton at large, to know that The JERSEY
CITY NEWS has discovered u scheme.
which. il it will not abolish Immigration
entirely, will. at least. co great extent
checkit. The scheme is not one which
THE JERSEY CITY News approves alto
gether. 1t IS far too cruel. 1t originated
in the mind Qhe scheming faculty a5
least) of Chaales S. Clarke, Jr.. late of
the late argus. Charlle's scheme is TO
secure the contract TO feed the emigrantS
poor devils) who land at Ellis Island.
Charlie is boss of the Washington
Catering Company, which company sup
lunch" He has been dong good busi-
ness in Jersey City. The deaths recorded
at the office OF the County Board or
Health, from inward commissions, sudden
death, indigestion and complication OF
diseases have been unusually large OF
late, Half drunken men, found suffering
from spasms on the streets, have kept the
police busy.
These facts. however. are merely in
cidentaL
CHARLES LATEST.
Charles latest scheme is 10 Knock out
Colonel John J. Toffey and his associate.
M ajor Anderson, who now hold the con-
tract to feed the immigrants at Ellis
Island. He wants to feeu them himself.
with pretzels, baked beans, pigs feet, and
all the other ''delicacles OF the season, !"
as they come from the food Matching
machines now being operated In Second
street with Solder Fresh's" gas.
The scheme is glorious one. If it can
he copsummated. "There are millions
In it." but, sad to relate, there is big
hitch.
Charlie has succeeded in getting the
.'all powerful" Hoodoo Bob to go To The
front for hin. aud, OF course, the result
may be that President Cleveland, in fear
and trembling, will direct that s'Bob's"
wishes be gratified at once. Perhaps,
however, it may not work chat way.
BIDS ADVERTISED FOR.
The last Congtess, just prior TO adjourn
Ing, passed a law, making 1t mandatory
for bids TO be advertised for. for the priv
eleges of keeping restaurant at ELLIS Is
land. exchanging money. and operating q
1 In oil rriyjl-
eyes there is lots ,of money to be made,
and the wise heads of the Governments
decided thai 1t was no more tn II just that
some revenue should be derived from the
sale of such money coiaiug privileges.
Acting under this law. the Commissioner
of Immigratien, DR.. Senner, last Mon
day advertised the privileges for sale.
Nine bids were received. The highest
bidder was Felix Livingstone OF New
YORK. who bid $10, ,260. Col. John j. Tof-
tey bid 10,250, and Charlie Clarke and
three others, each bid So,00O.
The intention of Congress in selling
the privileges was, It Is said, to take the
whole business ont of the realm Of poll
tics. Charlie. however, lays up claim
chat he is a good democrat. and that a
trifitng matter of S2.250 should make no
difference to the Governments, when he
(Charlie) wants the snap. Being such
nice man, too, and such a good democrat.
he thinks, he certainly ought to get it.
But, unfortunately, the matter
is not looked ON in that light
by Commissioner Senner. Besides.
the financial question. there Is principle
involved and Mr.. Senner is man OF
principle.
COL. ToFFEY's CLAIM.
Col. Toffey who is a red hot republic
an also thinks he should get the award.
Here is the way he argues: He is within
$40 of being the highest bidder. He has
been conducting the business for year
and thres months and has well equip
ped plant with which to continue doing
SO. Col. Toffey claims ne has treated the
emigrants well aud fairly, and he Is liked
for his generosity 10 them.
People who know Charlie unfortunately
have but little confidence in his gener-
osity. 1t is hinted thai Charles "menu"
cards, would probably be of such char
acter that persons once running the
gauntlet OF Ellis Island proyender would
cable their friends on the other side TO
submit to English domination, anarchy,
rebellions and epidemics rather than take
their chances In this awfut country.
Is there money IN the contract?
Statistics show that In April. May and
June 10000 emigrarts land On the Island.
while in the fall there is an equal num-
uer. OF course the greater mum Der are
not detained any great length OF time,
but some few unforeunates are detained
for weeks at the expense Of the steam
ship companies, and what nice thing
that item would be. The scheme is one
of the greatest ever heard or. ana one
gentleman has been SO unkind as
to insinuate that If bob" Davis
got the Washington Catering Company
the contract, that company would, In re-
turn, be able to afford to feed the County
jail prisoners for nothing for the rest Of
the present term, and still clear for
tune.
Davis, Clarke and number of other
pure patriots were in Washington yesteF-
day pulling wires, aud they are there to-
day, but there is very little probability of
Clarke's scheme peing put through.
np.afA AmTrS Al, TuE rATqnTJn CLIP