Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1900-11-29
NEW CITIZENS IN
FOR UNCLE SAM.
Something About New York's Fam
GUS Ellis Island and the hmm
- grants Who Land There. ..a.
BY Constance Merriheld.

: easiest thing in the world for a for
AeigueE to come over here and get a fin
ger In our pie. but I found out the other
day after q visit to the famous immi-
%rant landing In New York harbor that
Mt wasn't OF course, I had a general
Idea that people coming from the other
@ide had to go through some sort OF
Bcrm OF another. in order to be allowed
Ia Iand-immigrants, I mean-but as to
, GUST what It was I. like a good many
EtfrsT people, was woeful1y in the dark.
It wasn't idle curiosity on my part
that Inspired the investigation, either,
can assure you. for I went to the
piasce at the special command of my
managing editor who t~elegraphed me
to write up this unique feature OF
Gotham especially for the readers of
this newspaper. Noticing my strange
temperance n the look of inquiry up
an my countenance one Of the men at
n Barge Office stopped me to ask my
mission, and finding it out, suggested
I that I get passage for the boat which
between the Barge ONCE and Ellis
Island.
las there wasn't anybody around the
Barge Office whom I knew, I didn't
hrTow exactly how I was going to get
@cFoss to the island until I happened to
&0u1h LLdb L u L1dhG d lily dI Ii SdlC"
1Bzn Who takes up the tickets and
passes at the entrance of the Ellis Is
nand boat-dock. So I just put on my
enaost business-Tike expression, but feel
ding Just about as you would if you
Nve1B trying to go by the doorkeeper OF
q G1e&tre without a ticket and marched
boldly down the dock, looking neither
to the right nor left.
Tickets, please" came sharply from
the man in uniform as 1 hurried by the
little signal box in which he sat.
Newspaper reporter" I said briskly
over my shoulder, and while the man
stood staring after noe with a sort OF
Notwithstanding sort of expression
on his face, I rushed on down the dock
and walked aboard the little steamer
which was just about to start on it's /
O'Clock tris
Taking a seat on the bench outside
the cabin labelled For Ladies'" I be-
gan to take an inventory CT my fellow
passengers, who seemed to me to be-
long to about every nationality under
the sun. Most of them were fairly well
dressed, and where there was more
than two in a party they sat in littla
groups around the decks and chatted
Voiubly in the Of their Vari-
Gus countries.
From a I learned that they
were the friends of foreigners who were
undergoing examination on Ellis Is
land. and that they were going over to
join them and come back with them
when they had been duly released from
the supervision of the Federal authori-
ties.
Sitting near me on the bench I no.
ticed a buxom young woman, with a
~a~rwsl-tanned face and q clear, brigh,
co~fhplexion, who seemed to be in trou-
bic about something.
After one or two glances at me, as
though she would like to speak to me.
all Of which I answered in the most
encouraging way I could, she slid her.
50 self along by my side, and holding out
a printed slip for my Inspection, asked
me to please tell her if there was any
thing on the paper calling for the pay
inert of charges, She spoke in a pleas
any W~gf-modulated Voice, and with an
accent which was SO full Of br=rT-rg that
I took i foF granted that the highlands
of, Scotland were her native hills.
e The slip turned out TO be a receipt
from a transfer for twa
pieces of baggage, but the only refer
ence to money that I could find was
that which declared that the company
would not be responsible for more than
$50 damages to any one piece unless
the value had been previously declared
by the owner. When I had
her to this effect the girl went on te
tell me that the two pieces of baggage
referred to were a bundle and a vallse
both Of which she was perfectly able
to carry without anybody's aid, ane
she looked it.
Now they want me to pay thirty
five cents apiece for Them" said thu
girl. plaintively, "and Heaven knows
haven't the money to spare. Why d1dn'
they tell me on the vessel that Their
were charges?
"A man took them from me, and CAV
me this little piece of brass, saying no
to lose it, and then I was put aboar'
the boat and taken to the island, with
out ever seeing them again"
The transfer ~company'S agent at tn
steamer had evidently been over-zeal
Gus in his employers interests IN nc
explaining to the girl that if her thing
were checked they would be charge
for.
She. had passed her examlnatlo
proraatly at Ellis Island. she said, an
had bhat morning come over to Tn
baggage-room at the Barge Office an
claimed her baggage, as she had pee
instructed to do, but rather than pa
the-to her-1arge sum of seventy cen
without a protest, she was on her wa
back to the island, with the rathe
vague idea of presenting the case
some one in authority.
Now. if there is anything I am font
er of than another it is to right II
wrongs Of people who are poor, d.
without Influence, so I instantly a
rayed myself on the side of the hmm
grant girl.
By his time we were at the lslan
and as we I told the gil
who was profuse in her thanks,
s.foliow me and fear nothing"
Down a long platform divided by
high picket fence we walked, until '
reached the main building, which occ'
pies. I should say, at least an acre
Rromnd. Surrounding it were a numb