The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-06-01
ELENA SOUVENIR
OF ELLIS ISLAND

Annie Kendrick Walker in Mobile Her
aid.
1t Is generally conceded that statistics
stand foremost among our modern
plaques, and yet ] found myself asking
the government officials at Ellis Island
for statistical information concerning the
migrant woman who is coming to these
shores in vast numbers, who has already
come by the thousands in vessels that
take weeks to cross the Atlantic.
But a glance at statistics is not as
impressive as a day spent at Ellis Is
| land where a knowledge may be gained
of immigration laws and where the i'm
migrant woman steps on American soil
When 1 left Ellis Island the tide was
coming in, and there was thick mist
botting out the lights Of the harbor.
The ferry landed us at the barge office
and l remember that we took advantage
of the shelter afforded by the elevat ed
tracks and walked hurriedly beneath
them to catch a surface car that would
take us up town. 1t was raining drearily
and we were wretched and hungry and
quite as weary as if we, too, had Just
landed on foreign shores. But we had
Ellen, and there is always satisfac-
ton in getting what one pursues.
I cannot say, however, that we pur-
sued Ellen. 1t was case of fate. She
was released to us at Ellis Island-she
with circular box of tin painted an
emerald green, and small tin trunk
filled with dutiable articles Ellen's per-
sonality did not impress us any too IA
vorably, but after a look at the women
In the barge office awaiting inspection
my friend thought Ellen was far above
the average of the Irish girls.
Ellen was exactly like the pictures
in the comic papers. 1t was only when
she turned her small blue eyes in our
direction that the little pug nose failed
to show itself with the usual degree of
individuality. The feather on her hat
showed signs of having come in con-
tact with salt water. 1t hung Imply
over the brin of her hat of coarse black
straw. But Ellen had a trunk and a tin
box, while most of the other women in
the detention bureau had all their world
ly goods done up In a table cloth.
My friend said 'she would take Ellen
and the official escorted all three of us
to the room where the luggage was de-
tanned, and Ellen's goods and chat els
were singled out from the mass of boxes
They were sent over to another section
Of the building and there examined. Ellen
was the most reticent of creatures. She
had been asked so many questions that
to her mind must have seemed entirely
unnecessary. Her boxes had been open
ed and her things tossed here and
there. "Dutiable" was q term I'M
known to her. Then after her examina-
ton by the government officials her new
| mistress put her on the witness stand.
There were few things that Ellen es-
capped. Was she married, did she have
any relatives in this country how old
was she, had she ever been to this coun-
| try before, had she ever been i'll. a tor
rent of questioning had been turned loose
| by the officers Of detention and yet her
new mistress was not satisfied with the
Investigations.
The immigrant woman answered all
questions indfferently. She stood near
the window with her eyes upon the har-
! Dor, by her side the pathetic little tin
| box.
| 1 tried to imagine myself an immigrant
woman 1 put myself in Ellen's place.
She was perfectly friendless on foreign
| shores. The custom house officials had
| seized her baggage. The little money
| that she possessed had been taken to sat-
isfy the demands of the government.
For hours she had been waiting in the
detention bureau, and as faSt as one point
| was settled toward her release another
YVES raised. But she had come to this
country. She was here to stay, and she
was only one of thousands who believed
that here was a land of prosperity, and
it is this thought that keeps life in an
immigrant woman whom the tides bring
ashore. There were boards of immigrant
women at Ellis Island that day. 1t is
always the case. In regard to the rela-
tive proportion of males and females
it may be said that in the case of the