Evening star., 1898-12-26

and race societies do their excellent and
charitable work. There are regularly or
ganized societies that look after almost
every class of immigrants. The Protestant
Episcopal, Methodist Episcopal. Roman
Catholic, German Catholic, Jewish, Ger
man Lutheran and Greek Catholic churches
nave missions that put men and women
among these detained immigrants. who pro-
vide them with creature comforts who look
after them and who take steps to get them
out of detention should they prove worthy
In addition to church societies there are
two Italian societies, one supported by the
Italian government, Hungarian, Polish
and Scandinavian society and many in
dividual workers from the Servians, the
Armenians, the Turks and the other ma
t1onal1tfeS that come to these shores. The
detained immigrants are kept all day in
the barge office, but at night the big ship
Narragansett with sleeping accommoda-
tions for 1,S00, steams in and they are
taken out into the bay and put to bed.
Those who have railroad tickets are soon
provided for. In many cases the steam
ship companies that bring the immigrants
over sell tickets good for passage from
Italy, say, to Milwaukee or Buffalo, or
wherever the immigrant desires to go.
This ticket is taken up on the ship just
before Ellis Island is reached and a GER
tifcate given that entities the bearer to
railroad transportation. The railroad
immigrants, if they are satisfactory in all
other ways, are escorted to a large room on
the left-hand side of the central hall
There is a railroad ticket office on one side
of the room. The certificates are eX-
changed for tickets over the stipulated
road, and the immigrants pass on to
wait until o'clock in the afternoon. At
that time the steamship company sends
boat around, picks up the immigrants who
various railroad stations. Here they take
their trains and are carried to their des-
tination, to do as they please.
That is what becomes of those immi
grants.
Specially Inspected.
When the unfortunate immigrant whose
card is marked IS. l." is turned back to
the detention room his troubles have just
begun. A person may be excluded from
this country who is insane, who has a
loathsome contagious disease, who has
been convicted of a crime, who is under
contract to work here and who gives evil
dence that he viii become a public charge.
IS l." man is taken before a board of
inspectors that sits constantly during the
hours for receiving immigrants. He is
questioned thoroughly, through the inter-
prefers, as to his plans, prospects and in
tentions. If he gives evidence that he will
not become pauper or shows some good
reason for coming to this country he is ad
mtted. If he cannot give a good <account
of himself he is held. Those whdT fiagkant-
ly violate the law are marked foc> immed-
late deportation. They are excluded from
the country ana are put III the ExEiuueu
room. But, so lenient is this country with
the immigrants, if any person marked ex
cluded" can furnish any additional reason
why he should be admitted after the YER
dict of the first board has been rendered,
there is another board. a sort of a court
of last resort, to which every immigrant
can appeal. Cases where there is a doubt
are always given a rehearing. The second
verdict is final. The steamship companies
are required by law to feed and provide
for all immigrants held for special inspec
ton and to return to the port from whence
they came, free of charge, those who are
excluded
And that is what becomes of those i'm
migrants.
The boarding house abuses, that were so
fragrant in the old Castle Garden days, have
been suppressed. No sharpers line the
street to fleece the unwary immigrant as
they formerly did. The man or woman
who lands here is safeguarded in every
possible way. Whatever may be thought
of the plan of allowing practically unre-
stricted immigration, there can be no gain
saying the fact that the government does
well by the prospective citizen, if he
proves himself worthy, until he is in the
street and beyond the jurisdiction of the
immigration officials.