The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-03-12
copyright. 1881


New York, March 1O.-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 Stucklin 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 a board of inquiry
and has the same right TO sit on a spe-
cial board a. the assistant commission
er 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. Stuckin rarely exercises
unless the bureau is overcrowded with
work or some special case is under con-
sideration where a woman or young
girl would be placed i'm an overembar-
RAISING position without the official
presence of a woman.
Mrs. Stucklin, with her assistant,
Miss Taylor, has a little desk in one
corner of "the center" of the bureau
which is rallied off to receive women
nd obi thn hatr
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 ia 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 II 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 Stucl<lin 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 bear
that relation to her and may have left
his real wife behind him when he sailed.
preferring the inamorata whom he has
i'm tow.
Then there are young women with eld-
erly lovers, fleeing from the wrath of
husband or wife: eloping couples sour
ryins before the blast of parental oppo-
sition: girls who have yielded TO the at
tentions on board ship of strangers or
former friends and covoyagers
All these and many more IL is Mrs
Stucklin's duty to discover How she
recognizes them is a 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 long
study of feminine human nature in the
steerage has taught her. And there
passes in review before this tall. Dig