The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-09-10
ITALIAN EXODUS BEGINS.
Families Start for the sunny Land to
Spend the Winter.


NEW YORK. Sept 9.-The annual rush
of the Italian emigrant back to sunny
Italy for the long winter has begun, and
the steerage of ships Mediterranean bound
will be packed until the middle OF Deem
Der. Preparations for the return can be
seen in the various Italian settlements
about the city but are more noticeable in
the Mulberry Bend and Little Italy dis
tricts. where most of the Italian laborers
live. over in Blocker Street. where the
Italians from the north OF Italy have set
tied. there is not such homeward- bound
movement. for the northern Italian. with
I his better education. has work here that
keeps him busy the year around Besides,
he is inclined to be anarchstic ard Is glad
enough TO remain away from his father
land.
1t is a question of economy with most of
the Italians who start for Italy at this
time of the year with the intention of re-
turning early in March. During the win
ter the ground remains frozen and there
is little for the laboTer to do. They can't
all get jobs shoveling snow from busy
streets. and the man who has worked with
shovel all winter shows up to poor ad-
vantage. 1t costs but 800 to 90 home in
the steerage, and there are special rates
for families. Once back in Italy. there are
lily is better off than in New York In the
first place they can live there for about
half what it costs them here. The weather
is warm and coal bills do not have to be
counted on. As they have a little money
ahead they can get provisions very eheaply.
Then there is a chance for work in the
fields and on the roads. Many of the la
borers carry their shoveIs across the ocean
with them, as American shovels are much
col In,
as the winter is over they come hurrying
back to America for another summers
work. Some families go back to Italy
every year and they pick up so little that
is American that they seem to be typical
immigrants every time they return.
There is a good deal of work about get
ting ready for this winter migration, and
NEST of it falls on the women. They have
to arrange to store the few articles of
furniture which cannot be taken along
Storage warehouses in the tenement dis
tricts are unknown, consequently the
family which is going away loans out
everything that is not to be taken. Every
thing. from the cookstoye to the dishpan
Is turned over to friends. Sometimes the
different articles will be scattered over a
whole neighborhood. Such trust IS on
sidered sacred. and no italian woman
would think of dispo sing of anything left
better bread than her own. she uses il,
and the same rule applies to bedsteads,
chairs. and tables. but care is taken to
damage nothing beyond ordinary wear.
An Italian family manages to take
vast amount Of baggage back to Italy.
Every article of bedding including the
mattresses and pillows. if the family be
prosperous enough to have such things.
is bundled up and carted off to the
steamer. The family trinkets are ctufTed
into a black oilcIoth handbag and the
extra dresses or suits OF clothes make an
other bundle Sometimes there are no
extra clothes, for the italian Iaborer is
great hand for wearing one thing until it
is worn out and then getting a new
outfit.
On the morning their steamer sails
there is a hurried exchange of Italian
farewells. and the family rush down the
tenement house stairs and pile into the
wagon in which their baggage has already
been placed. The wagon goes to two or
three more places. picking up many
more families with their share of bag
gage. Then they are driven rapidly to
the wharf. At the gangplank the ships
sumption or other contagious disease,
but few are turned back for the Italian
is usually in rugged health. He has no
feeling about leaving this country. for he
has absorbed none of the American pa
triotism- except the little that hung TO
the hard earned dollars and the patriot
ism went with the dollars when he chang
ed them for Italian coins at the bankers.