The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-01-09

themselves he imports Turkish tobacco,
narghiehs Turkish pipes, oriental sweets
and such clothes and food as are more
suitable to their likings than they could
find in this country. A large share of the
goods which they buy to sell, however,
are of a cheap order of American manu-
facture.
There are now FIVE Syrian restaurants
In and around Washington street, where
YOU may get Syrian food and smoke a
hubble-bubble. Ten years ago there was
none. Syrians who live In town and Sy-
rians who come from different parts of
the United States to buy goods, and immi-
grants who stop over on their way west,
can get a dinner in these restaurants, in
Guiding a smoke afterward, for a quarter.
They rent lodgings in a nearby tenement,
mo doubt great numbers of Syrians
come over here Illegally" 1t was said at
the barge office. I'VE have been collect
ing information on this point for some
time to send to Washington. We are con-
WINGED that some of the Syrians are sent
for, and their passage money paid by the
merchants who employ them. Like the
Chinese here, the Syrians have a sort
of government Of their own. They segre-
gate in colonies in the larger towns
throughout the country. Each colony
has leader, or padrone. He engages in
somewhat risky but profitable business.
He is a capitalist and a promoter of the
increase Of population in the United
States.
ut has been noticed that most of the
Syrians who arrive In this country have
about $40 in French gold apiece. 1t costs
about $50 for a Syrian In his own coun-
try to reach his destination in this coun-
try. He gets a ticket which takes him
from Syria to Marseilles There he meets
an agent who gives him the money neces-
sary to comply with the law upon landing,
nd s~
America, and there the women often get
an immigration husband and the men an
immigration wife. They have been fully
posted as to the requirements of the law
zone of these requirements is that they
should have friends here A New York
Syrian, who has never seen or heard of
the Syrian whose friend he poses to be,
carries out his deceit with a success con-
sistent with oriental capability You can
confront the oriental with no objection
that he will not overcome by the instant
invention of the most plausible excuse.
which he relates with marvellous facility.
"A SYRIAN woman with a child is con-
sidered specially valuable as a peddler in
the streets of towns. The husband who
meets her is likely not to know how old
his wife is, when or where she was born,
or even her name If all excuses fail his
last ruse is to "t'ro fit He is likely to
say that he is insane or that he has been
suddenly taken i'll or overcome with grief.
But he never fails in demonstrations OF
family love. He is most passionate in his
outward devotion to his immigration wife.
1--WE are convinced that there are Sy-
rians in New York who have been hus-
bands for five or six women in their time.
Though we are convinced in our own
minds that man is swearing to lie
when he swears that a woman Is his wife.
yet he has complied with the letter Of the
law and we have to let her pass
we have reason to believe that rep
resentatives of these Syrian merchants
are constantly at work in Syria getting
money on the instaiment plan from intend
ing immigrants, and that all is arranged a
month before hand. The more peddlers. of
course, The meTier for the merchants. OF
late protests have been coming from the
south and west saying that the country is
oYerrun with these peddlerS and describe
ing them as a nuisance"
The Syrian merchants strongly deny the
allegations of the immigration bureau
The Syrians are not producers, it is
true" said one of them. They are trad
ers, because they can find nothing else
to do. They have learned no trades and
naturally cannot do skilled labor Trade
Is the only avenue open to them. They
invariably become American citizens.
They do not return home like the Ital-
ian, after they have accumulated a little
money, Because they like America and
because life under the sultan of Turkey
is not alluring to them.
Their success as traders is unques-
toned. In comparatively short time a
peddler Is able TO have his own little
store They do send over money TO help
their friends to come to- America that
their friends may enjoy prosperity also.
But the merchants do not make any, such
arrangements as are alleged. 1t wouldnt
pay. When they cease to prosper in this
country Syrian immigration will cease.
one reason that they get on is that they
can live on such a small amount of mon
ey, and another reason is their willingness
to endue hardshps and rebuffs. In this /
think they have no rival. Their constitu-
tons are wonderful"
Frederick Palmer