The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-06-07

-
Stand at the recorders. desk and watch
the newcomers as they file past and listen
to the questions asked They are in a for
eign tongue. but If it is not a rush day
the accommodating recorder will give you
the substance OF the conversation
Here stands the Polish girl with her Rus
sian sister behind her. packs on backs and
grips In hand. TO the questions they an
swer promptly and with an open and frank
countenance then show their money. which
| Is carefully counted and returned 10 them.
W hat is il they say?
They are going TO their uncles in the
West. They have paid their passage.
WA large sum for the working psasantry
10 accumulate. Their uncles have been in
ms country ten and fifteen years-their
their destination: they also have fifteen or
/ twenty dollars each. ample means for food
and incidentals on the way. They need no
sieepers. these strong. healthy girls: they
rest and doze on their sacks full of their
worldly goods. Their papers are stamped
and they are passed in.
Before they reach the stairway. however.
they are intercepted several times and one
mans work is inspected and verified by
another. so that as the last Inspector sings
out "lnsidei' the girls are directed down
the stairway to the railroad floor. ware
they buy food and proceed TO the rear of
the building and into the compartment
where others await them who are billed for
transportation over the same line.
This IS the material for future mothers of
me me great West. toilers and tillers of the
At the recorders desk we again stand
watching a fashily dressed French girl
who. for storage passenger. seems UNI
necessarily and gaudiy attired. She an
sWers her questions promptly but guardedlv.
and darts suspicious glance at the record
er from time to time he iots down men,
oranda on card.
How much money has she? Oh plenty.
Out came 3o0f. but with 1t not a sufficiently
GEAR reason for admission. as she has no
trade or occupation. She has only friends in
New York: no relatives: is 80 years old ;
coming only on visit She becomes quite
indignant and abusive when card is given
nsI net. marked 5 l." and several words
written on II in an unintellisibe hand She
does not pass down the staircase 10 In
side, but instead passes inside the deten-
ue Nr where later she is summoned be-
lore the Board of Special Inquiry. and it
decides that the Tenderloin'' contains
enough women of her class. and the next
steamer of the line takes her back to
Next in line is a bookkeeper looking for a
LOO Iss N ms country His father has paid his
passage. given him money besides. and he
mas mas friends in New York. He speaks only
niue English: but enough to nike himself
| understood. Why did he leave home? Well,
perhaps a ne wasn't needed at home. He was
water would do him good Money enough:
record clear. but desirability questionable.
On being turned over to the .S l." the ne
cision is to give him a chance
Sekt IN line IS well-knit. stocky PGie.
with nothing in the world but carpet bag.
bundle and a small showing of money.
something less than $40. Ambition is writ
the West and a ticket to reach him
Passed. and as he clears the inspectors
the familiar word inside is heard again
Nov" says the recorder, pausins for
moment: There is man who will hoe his
v, T.. He knows nothing but work. Look
a. his eyes. mild; but good. He has been
his living from her. Turn him loose from
the train when he reaches his destination
spade or shovel. He won't hang around
looking for Job but when the first greet.
ings are over between brothers; he'll dig;
have something growing. and that's what
he'll live on. He will weather It, too. He
comes from a hard country and is tough
and l are shivering in an ulster: and when
our fingers are too numb to count our
money. he will be saving wood That's
the stuff We want here.
Now. look at the difference between him
and that bookkeeper. come in Just before
him. That. duffer will get in with shift
weeks before he finds anything to suit him.
give up his job. perhaps. in a few weeks.
and. after running through his money fast
his friends and give them all the cold
hand so that soon he will wish he was
across the pond again.
He won't wear WE'LL could see that in
his makeup but 1 felt the board would
pass him in.
the doubt and-well. 1 may be prejudiced.
but I'd say nay many times when they say
yea.
show you some of the 'cuchllos they take
away rom the excluded Italians before
they are put IN the pen Some of those
snlxss would rip Won up quicker than you
chaps wanted to stick you. All carry
knives with them, and sometimes two or
three are concealed about their rags. al
TO take them away. Once In awhile there
is dispute in the excluded room and If
those chaps had knife some blood would
flow
Proceeding down TO the railroad one can
see on a crowded dav hundreds Of the i'm
migrants filing past the ticket counters pur-
chasing massage for destination in all parts
of the United States and Canada. AS they
leave the room they purchase bags full of
food. which afterwards is hungrily devoured
on the rear railroad car or COMPARTMENTS
allotted to the various squads going out on
certain railroads.
One of the largest detention departments
is the New York detained. in WHICH i'm
migrants are kept pending word from
friends. the receipt of money or tickets
from distant places. Two dollars head tax
Is imposed on each immigrant who enters
to settle in the United States. but not on
Mexico.
MANY abused unfortunates in the recent
Jewish riots and the Macedonian outrages
would give that and many times two plus
the transportation fee If they could but get
away from their misery? The immigrants
do not pay the head tax to the Government.
1t Is levied BY the steamship companies and
In turn is paid by them to the Treasury De-
partment.
This money helps to defray the ex-
oenses OF tbs, immigration service and does
not 60 into the Golfers OF Uncle Sam
Three thousand immigrants day means
an income of 5000. but while in the aggre-
gate this seems an enormous amount, 1t
must be borne in mind that the Ellis ISL
and as we'll as other immigrant clearing
stations are costly affairs. with their large
equipments.
Three thousand souls day, Where do
they go to and how do they live? That is
the question that arises TO the average
reader. for. since the first of the wear that
has been the average daily influx
To the untraveled reader the great West
l