New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-05-28
IMMIGRANTS FROM NORTHERN Italy.

For that reason immigrants are compelled to
answer many questions before they are taken as
passengers, and even then hundreds Of unworthy
and undesirable persons manage to slip through.
THE MOST UNDESIRABLE CLASS.
The authorities say that the most undesirable
class coming to this country is composed OF
Greeks, Orientals, Italians and SIovaks Bohe-
mans), while the immigrants from Northern
Europe are as desirable as ever, but their
number is small.
The boarding house runner may still be seen
at the places where the immigrant lands and
the sharper and swindler still make desperate
efforts to separate the greenhorn from his
money The preventive measures are perfect,
however and there are many societies and
organizations that make the protection of the
immigrant their business that he is not com
PEELED to borrow so much trouble on account OF
his little cash capital as the immigrant of the
early days.
After the health officers have passed a ship
the immigrants are transferred to barges, on
which they are carried to the Barge Office for
further examination by the United States au-
thorities They are divided into groups of thirty,
and each person receives tag bearing the num-
Der or letter of the group to which ne belongs.
These tags are fastened to an outer garment, and
the new American citizen makes his entry
marked and ticketed like a remnant on a bar
gain counter.
The immigrants most of them burdened with
4undles, boxes and baggage of all kinds men,
women and children, hurried up the broad
stairs into the examination room, where they
pass before an inspector from the Marine Hos
pital who examines them for diseases and phys
ical defects. 1t is a hasty, superficial examina-
ton, with special attention to the eyes Children
in arms compelled to stand for moment be-
fore the Inspector and women are closely scruti-
nized by a woman medical inspector. The men
and women, still in groups, pass along slowly.
and whenever the examiner finds one having dis
ease physical defects or bad appearance he is
detained in Enclosure set aside for that pur-
pose.
CLASSIFIED ON THE LISTS
The others pass on and are taken up by the
registry clerk, who has lists before him contain
Ing the names of the immigrants. These lists
also arranged in groups and when the Il"
group is sent up for examination for instance
the Interpreter takes his IL" list and finds the
names ages ard nativity of the persons who will
pass before him. He still has to learn how much
money tneN nave ana several Otncr points. The
registry clerk must be satisfied that the immi-
grant is fully entitled to land before he marks
his tag 90 X" If he finds that he has no funds.
no friends. no prospective home, that he is Grip
pied or undesirable" for other reasons, he
makes a mark on the tag, calls zone inside and
the immigrant passes on, thinking that he may
now land when he is stopped and sent to "A pen, |
where he remains until a special examining
board passes bis case
At this stage OF the immigrants experience |
many hopes shattered. and men and women !
who fancied that they might slip through with |
the crowd compelled to return to Ellis Isl |
and and await the departure of the ship that |
brought them over because they had no money. |
A typical case was that OF handsome, sturdy |
Ruthenian girl of twenty. Her friends in group
III had gone before her. and some Of them stood |