The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-05-12
Ellis Island WEDDINGS
n LOT OF ROMANCE AMONG THE
IMMIGRANTS EVERY
YEAR
MANY COMPULSORY WEDDINGS
Girls That Follow Their Lovers to
America-SOme Sad Love
ADMINISTRATION
Matches.

No matrimonial bureau in New York
does such work for Hymen as the bu-
Eeau of immigra ton. Mrs StuckIin and
Miss Taylor, matrons on Ellis island,
engineer international marriages with
expedition ana dispatch. The mission
aries on the island, the board Of special
Enquiry, and various minor officials who
conduct matrimonially inclined couples
10 the Office of a justice of the peace
help on the good work, says the New
York Sun. Occasionally even the COM
missioner takes a hand.
More than 200 weddings are arranged
on Ellis island every year, and the
mance back Of those go cases would
Keep the family story papers of the
country supplied with copy of a most
thrilling sort. There are a few smiles
and a great deal Of true love in the
stories. Perhaps there are more tears
and heartaches.
Fully one-fourth Of the marriages are
compulsory. The lovers have left the old
country together, ani the womans state
of health is such that were she desert
ed in strange country, she would be
unable to work and would become a
public charge Even if her lover has
money there is 10 guarantee that he
would be true to her and provide for
her; and in any even the government
could not recognize and encourage I'M
lawful relations So neither the man nor
the woman can land unless with Il mar
rage certificate.
Ordinarily they are quite willing to
comply with the condition Ninety Ter
cent of the cases involve folly, ignorance
poverty rather than wilful sin The low
ers have been too poor to marry or fam
lily quarrel5 have prevented. Then there
is the old pitiful story of the woman's
shame, and the two have fed to a new
country intending to find work here,
and marry IS soon as the man can make
enough money to support them. OF the
bar that the immigra ton bureau presents
they seem to have had no warming and
they would gladly marry if the officials
suggest it. But even a marriage ccIe-
mony will not open the doors of the
promised land to them, unless some
friend or relative will come forward and
agree to look out for them. until the
man can find work and get upon his
feet
The law seems hard, at times, but it is
not always easy for even strong, Will
ing man TO find work, and the wOman's
illness is a .fOregone conclusion, and New
YORK hospitals and charitable institu-
tons are already oVerCrowded. So the
woman cries, and the man sets his teeth
after the fashion Of men who are playing
a losing game. and the return steamer
carries the couple back to work out their
salvation in the old country
Another variation of the same story
often occurs. The man has come to
America alone, to find work Perhaps he
has sent for the girl. Perhaps she has
followed him, because it was no longer
possible to hide her folly from her home
folks and she could not endure the shame.
In the first case, the lover is at the pier
to meet her; or, if he lives at distance
he has notified the immigration officials
that he expects her. lie must however
send an affidavit of his intention to marry
the girl, before she car 90 on to him;
and, even then, the authorities usually
arrange with some responsible person in
the town where the man lives, to see that
the wedding takes place
When the woman has come without the
mans knowledge the problem is more
puZziing. Sometimes the man is willing
and glad to marry the girl when notified
that She is at Ellis Island: but unluckily.
masculine constancy. which does not
thrive over we'll on land. seldom seems
proof against a sea voyage. The officials
have found, by experience, that when the
girl writes to her lover he seldom
answers. and that an official letter fares
no better Moreover the man is likely to
disappear altogether and leave no ad-
dress.
AS result of this state of things it
has been found advisable to have some
representatives, Of the bureau look the
lover up and notify him, by word or
mouth. that he IS wanted on Ellis island
Even then ne may refuse TO come, but the
foreigners innate respect for of1icialdom
and the officials clearly expressed opinion
on the subject, very often have the de,
sired effect.
There is a little girl in the dentention
pen now. a hOlloW-eyed, white-faced girl
who stands near the open door, hour
after hour and watches the narrow strip
OF hallway within her view. She doesn't
talk with the other immigrants, some of
wnom are voluble enough. but whenever
an official comes to the door, or a tele-
graph boy strolls down the hall, she
stops forward with hungry hope in her
eyes. Then she falls back to her old DO
sition once more and waits and watches
Are you expecting a telegram" asked
a Sun reporter who had noticed her dis
appointment
81 don't know" she said YEARLY. "T'm
expecting
shes been here some time" explained
q gOod-natured inspector who was stand.
tnS by the door. 'ifer lover came over
two months ago, but he forgot to tell her
he was coming until he was on the slip
Then he sent her a letter telling her he
send for her in a month or two He's
written once since, but he didn't send for
her His family and hers got enough
money together for her passage and sent
her over to find him. We've a man in
Philadelphia looking for him, but we get
10 word and / guess she'll have to so
back. She is a nice little thing, too. in
spite of everything"
You see a good many hard things
down here?" the reporter asked.
The inspector s jolly face clouded.
I'VE do that. The laws have to be en-
forced, but the unhappy women that
come through here scrt of get on mans
nerves. It's a great place for getting
acquainted with human nature The
thing that made me madden than ANY,