The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-08-01
AT THE KISSING GATE.
Ellis Island the osculating Spot OF
the United States.

Ellis Island the OSculaClnS SPOI u
the United States.
kansas city JournaI)
The one spot in this world where,
year in and year out, there is more
kissing, real earnest kissing. too, than
there is anywhere else is on Ellis is
land in New York harbOr.
Every day, rain or shine, not or cold,
if fairly resOunds with the earnestness
of the greetings that take place there
With the kisses are tears sometimes.
The spot is near the western part OF
the great new red and gray turreted
building wherein Immigrants from the
remotest quarters of the globe are re-
ceived. examined, and If not found
wanting, given into the fostering care
of Miss Columbia and her Uncle sam
Officially the spot is known only as
the bureau of information, certainly
severe, unromantic looking sort OF place
with its long lines Of iron ratings and
high latticed Enclosures But at one
END. the end nearest the door which
affords exit from that part or the
building is the kissing gate. Here u
| is that the kissing begins and Is pro-
4onged over the little distance 10 the
| door or to the benches which are
ranged in close lines at the extreme
1 lower end of the room
! The bureau of information is the
! point to which are sent all those VINO
/ seek friends or relatives among the I'M
migrants, and the kissing gate is the
/ first point at which they meet face TO
! face, hand to hand, lip 30 lip
| Here it is that the father, gray out
sturdy with the peasants sturdiness,
meets the rough handed, toll marked
! son who has worked and saved 10 bring
the old man here. And il is where the
mother and the daughter meet husband
| and father after years Of separation
! It is here the lovers meet, Shyly, nrSJ
/ a bandclasp and sidelOng glance, and
then the fumbling kiss that is only a
half q kiss and half a bump because
they thought those blue-coated ofTicia IS
were watching them Watching them
indeed
And here. too. others wait and wall
and wait for husbands, brothers
/ sweethearts who WiH never come These
stand against the latticed pens ans
watch the others kissing, and thus i
goes on, day after day month ate
month, year after year
It may almost be called the gatewa,
into the United States, for such il /
for thousands upon thousands OF tn
immigrants. All who are met by rela
/ tfves OF friends pass through ito b
caught UP and Rugged and kissed, an
: / cried over little. perhaps, before tn
new life in the new land with the oil
friends
You ask any of the officials in tn
e bureau of information about the kiss
l. ing gate and they will point it out {
you. tell you that there's somebody {
other kissing there all day long. an
y that is all. There is no novelty in n
sight or the custom for them. It ha
been going on ever since the buildin
was erected, and before that just &
many years as there have been imm
= grants arriving.
The kissing gate hears kisses ar
: greetings in nearly al the tongues an
= / dialects Of the world.
y stay here long enough" one of Il
" officials said. and youll see every Air
le of human being you've ever heard
t. and a lot you've never heard of. Al
as for kissing and hugging, a SUNNI
y hotel and bear pit are nothing TO
i. Men, women. and children hug al
- kiss each other and one another. Som
:. times they VIII for just a moment