The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-10-22
The Arrival Of the immigrant,


New York Evening Post. Many, as al
ways. failed to qualify for entrance upon
the first examination, and were put IN
the detention department-ealled the
''pen"-at the Barge Office 10 await fur
Their inquiry. As matter OF conse-
quence, three boards of special inquiry,
before whom all unqualified persons are
taken, have been hard az work ever since
These boards exclude all immigrants
whom, after examination, they hold 70
) be Idiots, insane persons, paupers, Or
persons likely to become public charge;
persons suffering from ioathsome or 4
dangerous contagious disease; persons
who have been convicted of a felony or
other infamous crime of misdemeanor in
volving moral turpitude; polygamists;
and contract laborers. The persons de-
tanned have the right to three hearings
before the board. and to an appeal 10 the
commissioner general of immigration and
the secretary Of the treasury. These
privileges, however, are rarely exercised
When the chairman of the board says
sharply, Excluded. the decision, as
then entered, is almost invariably final;
and the unqualified alien is deported by
the next steamer.
I The present cases are being hurried
through the boards as fast as may De,
TO make room in the pen for next weeks
unqualified arrivals.
/ There was a busy scene in one OF the
board rooms yesterday. The cases were
being disposed of expeditfodsiy. The in
terpreter called the ajor'-master OF
twelve languages, was virtually IN charge
aided by the stenographer, who admits
familiarity with half as many; SO the
two sitting members of the board had ut
tie trouble in eliciting all the necessary
2 hp
led in an Italian woman of sixty-five and
her daughter of tWenty-one years. The
Younger woman was dressed in black and
carried a seven-months-old child in her
arms The woman was over-awed; tne
child crowed while the grandmother was
being examined, and the mother drew 1t
back against her breast and put her
broad hand over its face, saying sharply,
'Sh-h.' and looking fearfully toward the
! official inquisitOrs. When the child made
a noise. the mother stopped its mouth
/ with her hands, and covered 1t with her
| black shawl. She seemed 10 think it
, would exhaust the patience of the board,
md thus put them in hard case. The
/ elder woman said that her daughters
husband was dead; that they had come
J TO America to join her soma good man
} and a prosperous one.
! The daughter was beautiful and the
/ inspectors who had first examined her
I thought it well to establish that she was
also good.
| where's your son?'' one of the board
asked the old woman. She did not know
had not seen him, but the doorkeeper
/ said he was outside, and brought him
| in from another little compartment,
where he had been waiting for long
/ time He was a young, fine looking man,
Q II. -FAEaL 10
/ English. He was much disturbed, afraid,
/ doubtless, that his mother and sister were
/ to be sent back-for why, he could not
( imagine.
DO you know these people?" he was
asked.
! "They are my mother and my sister"
he replied, looking toward them. The
mother had broken down and was cry
ing, and the daughter was smiling in
! doubtful almost fearful, way. They were
all frightened.
/ where's her husband?"
He is dead"
| The board at length discovered by
questions that the young man was a
barber with a good situation and that he
had 5000 in the bank. Then the interpre-
ter asked him:
! VIII you take care of them?'
! "Sure!" he replied. They are my
mother and my sister,"
Then the chairman of the board said.
Admitted, and the interpreter trans
lated the word to the women. The young
woman smiled happily; the elder. stiI
crying, ouened her arms for her son,
but the doorkeeper stepped between.
There he said. You can do your
! kissing outside"
/ Everybody laughed. and before the
door was closed there was the sound OF
I such rapturous kissing as these Italians
exhibit at their meetings at the Barge
! office.
A Young Russian was the next immi-
Z grant called He was eighteen years old
I and ungainly. dressed in cheap, rough
clothes of queer cut. and he had stupid
, blue eyes and thick tow hair that stood
straight 10. The man had left home
: with mere direction to two men who were
known in his native village; he had no
relatives to go to and had but s. in
money When he opened his vest TO take
! out his purse IL was seen that heavy
/ brass cross hung about his neck on
/ wooden chain. An officer brought il
fellow countryman whom the immigrant
had asked for. This man was employed
in a lead factory" in Brooklyn, and was,
: therefore. pale and shaking like a lear
?
possessing appearance and was well
dressed. He could hardly talk. he was
so nervous; and he mad hard work 10 Sc
! lect his citizenship papers from a packet
( in his hand.
I DO you know this young man." the
+ interpreter asked.
! u don't know-perhaps. He may be the
I son Of nv father" He looked the youth
/ over and shook his mead Il don't know"
/ he went on 1T may be / left homs
when my mother died. Ny father may
have married again
! But it turned out that the boy was not
/ mis- half brother. The Brooklynized Rus
sian asked many questions Of the youth
who was not at al disturbed-to make
sure that he was not altogether an I'm
postor: questions concerning important
men Of their native village and the ap-
/ pearance Of their streets. Il came out.
/ thereafter. that the boy was a relative O.
( his wife's aunt
We'll. well" said The chairman Of the
! board. What's he going to d.? VIII ne
+ take the boy?'
WIN you take him homer" asked The
: Interpreter.
yes. yes" said the man. as though
he had never thought Of doing otherwise.
5 Then the two went out. the boy chatter
/ ing freely with his new found relative.
After awhile they brought IN a woman
/ from southern Italy Her hair was turn
ing gray: she was poorly clothed. and Jed
a little child by the hand. she vas Ill
I favored and seemed 70 be tired out or IL.
+ Questions oy the board brought out that
I she had come TO America 70 visit her
+ brother-in-law. who. she vas SIRE. would
: pay her passage back whe1 the visit gas
over she had LEFT her husband and fd.r
{ children AZ home: whore, also. her broth
i er-!n-law's wife was.
I L. -