Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1896-06-11

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tact daily.
have been often asked how the peo-
pie of Maine differ from our people in
the South. | shall not draw COMPARE
sons in detail but say they differ. Like
every other people, the Maine folks
have their good traits as well as their
faults. In some things, such as energy
and thrift, they compare favorably with
the best, but in other things, such as
morality and the proper reverence for
the virtue of woman, the comparison
is unfavorable. All people, though,
have their failings, and different faults
predominant in different sections, For
example, if one was looking for some
one to shoot up" crowd, he would
likely 90 down to West Virginia and
employ Hatfield to do the job, for
the West Virginian's ability in this
particular is well understood. If one
wanted to secure an expert to engage
in whiskey drinking contest for one
thousand side, he would, of course,
consult the Kentucky Colonel and Sc
cure his assistance, for | have no doubt
that if the Colonel would begin early
in the morning and stay up all night
he could excel in this branch Of devil
try, even though the opponent be a
Canadian, providing bourbon be the
weapon instead Of Scotch whiskey.
But on the other hand, if one wanted
to start a school for the education OF
sailors in the purely scientific art OF
swearing, he would never 90 out of the
State of Maine to find teacher, for,
for the employment of real, novel,
downright wicked adjectives, for the
use of unauthorized, original and God
defying cuss words, the Maine man
can take the cake in competition with
all the world
I would like to refer to the impor-
tant subject of immigration and tell OF
some of the peculiar specimens Of hui
mainly one meets with in performing
the duties of an inspector, not only at
such ports as New York and Boston,
but at the port of Vanceboro as well.
immigration into the United States
has for some time attracted the atten-
ton of many people. AS years passed
and it became known that our poPula-
ton was increasing at an enormous rate
from the influx of people of all nation
alities, thoughtful men began to look
at the character and kind Of people
we were admitting into our American
family. As is well known, individuals
make families, homes and communities;
communities make towns, cities and
counties; counties form States and
from States nations spring. Asa man
can degrade his home by the introduce
ton into it of the low and vile, 50 can
communities be ruined by the coming
in of undesirable and degraded families,
and towns aud cities be polluted and
the welfare of the great American ma
ton, one mighty family, be endangered
by the admission of the degraded ele-
ment that finds its way to our shores,
fresh from the prisons and prosecutions
of the Car, or the slums Of Italian and
other foreign cities. As stated the
Americans for several years have been
awakening to the necessity Of restrict
ing immigration, and some laws were
enacted from time to time for that
purpose, but never until the last adj
ministration of Mr.. Cleveland, when
the present Commissioner-General
Hon. Herman Stump, took charge OF
the Immigration Bureau, were the laws
enforced by establishing a systematic
inspection, and the relief they give
turned to account The laws have been
very weak and imperfect, and the
Commissioner-General has on many oc-
casions recommended the enactment
of measures providing for a more rigid
inspection and much wider in then
scope. 1t is to be hoped that the pres
ent Congress will pass the bill now
pending in the Senate and enable the
Bureau to thus control immigration
in all of It's details
The immigrants passing through
Vanceboro are from nearly every Sec
ton of the globe-from Russia, Italy
and far-of Armenia, but the bulk Of
them are from Newfoundland, Nova
Scotia, Cape Breton, Prince Edwards
Islands and other maritime provinces
of Canada. During the month Of Aprl.
over 1900 were examined by the IN
spectors at this station, and those who
did not belong to the excluded classes
were passed into the United States
while those who could be excluded by
law were returned to their homes
The Canadians go into the States each
spring, accompanied by meager bag
gage and no money; they protect the
American laborer during the summer
return with their earnings and spenc
the winter and their money in Canada
The inspectors go down to St. John
New Brunswick, and examine the pas
sengers en- route to Vanceboro. This
is done to save delay at the borders
but as the distance is nearly 100 miles
the writer makes trip each day equa
to from Shepherdstown to Baltimore
and return or travels over l 100 miles
per week, which becomes burdensom'
when one keeps it up.
We deal with people from all stations
of life, and a train with 100 immigrant
aboard is a study. There is the happy
t gang of fishermen from the banks o
Newfoundland, with clothes in canvas
bags, going to Gloucester to ] Join thei
vessels. AS they are carrying Will
tba,, q Gtt1a whisl,av and no care