Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-03-12


New York, March 10.-For IA years
Mrs. Stucklin has guarded the moral
wicket OF the immigration highway into
the United States. The plain record.
Mrs Regina Stucklin. inspectress," in
the blue book of the treasury depart
ment gives no hint of the peculiar ma
ture or extent of the work she does,
still less of the conscientious manner
in Which Mrs. Stucklln guards the trust
imposed on her.
In these IA years 100000 women
coming into the port of New York by
the immigration bureau have passed
under Mrs. Stucklin's critical, question
ing eye and to her thousands of chill
dren in the United States, perhaps thou
sands yet unborn, owe their stainless
birth and the very name they bear.
She is the only woman in the service
of the immigration department who has
the right to sit in Il board of inquiry
and has the same right to sit on spe-
cial board as the assistant commission
err of immigration himself. She also has
the same power to administer an oath
in the work of the bureau as the in
spectors have. Both of these powers,
however. Mrs. Stuckln rarely exercises
unless the bureau Is overcrowded with
work or some special case is under con-
slderation where a woman or young
girl would be placed in an overembar-
RAISING position without the official
presence of a woman.
Mrs. Stucklin, with her assistant.
Miss Taylor, has little desk in one
corner of the center" OF the bureau
which is rallied off to receive women
and children who have become sep
arated from their party, haven't tickets
or are in any kind of position that re-
quires some special attention from in
spectress or from missionaries at her
approval.
A list of incoming steamers, with the
number of steerage passengers. hangs
at the desk, and when the warning
whistle blows in the bureau Mrs. Stuck
lin takes up her position opposite the
chief inspecting physician.
/ As the long line of immigrants ap-
proaches, each laden with many chill
| dren and many pieces of luggage of
strange descriptions, Mrs. Stucklin
glances down the line. watching faces
of girls and children and women. As
the medical inspector examines and
| turns them about Mrs. Stucklin is siz-
| ing up the feminine portion of the line.
Once past the doctor 1t Is her chance.
Among the first things she is hunting
| for are apparently newly wed couples,
More than frequently they are not wed,
| but Mrs. Stucklin at once perceives the
pressing need of the services of priest
or pastor.
Every woman of that description
whether IA or 40. is held UP and ques-
toned by Mrs. Stucklin.
where's your husband?" is the first
question
Very often the man whom the woman
points out as her husband doesn't beal
that relation to her and may have left
his real wife behind him when he sailed
preferring the inamorata whom he has
in tow.
Then there are young women with eld-
erly lovers, fleeing from the wrath OF
husband or wife; clipping couples sour
rying before the blast of parental oppo-
| stion: girls who have yielded to the at
| tentions on board ship of strangers oil
former friends and covoyagers.
All these and many more 1t Is Mrs
| Sturklin's duty to discover. How sht
recognizes them is mystery to one un.
| familiar with the motley crew she over.
| looks. There are signs in a girls face
| What they are-blushes of shame or joy
proud possession of sweetheart or ex-
pected husband-Mrs. Stucklin's Ions
study of feminine human nature In .ht
steerage has taught her. And there
passes in review before this tail. dig
nified impasslve faced woman thest
regiments of misshapen love affairs
from the slums and purlieus of every
country in Europe and the orient.
Mrs. Stucklins desk in the center