The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-06-07
FOR WORK AND LIBERTY, TOO.
MOTIVES THAT BRING THE I'M
MIGRANTS TO AMERICA.
Concern for Their Children Leads Many
Parents to Break Old World Ties-Au
Want Wider Opportunities to Work
An Inquiry at Ella llland

/ Want Wider Opportunities to Work
! An Inquiry At Ellis Island.
Ask an official at Ellis Island why immi-
grants are pouring into America and he
will answer:
"To get work"
And not to enjoy Hberty7' the visitor.
actuated by preconceived notions, may
ask.
mo; to get work." the official will reply.
About all the liberty they care to possess
is the head Of the goddess on the American
dollar"
The official is both right and wrong.
! When an immigrant arrives at Ellis Island
| he Is questioned as to his material condi.
| ton and prospects: Are you In good
| health? Are you capable Of work, 80 that
| you will not become public charger
| What are you going to do when you land1'
| The man answers: II can take care OF
myself and I have come here to do it," and
go the official is right. But he is not re-
| quired by law to inquire of the mans hopes;
| and 80 he Is wrong.
| A visit to the various pens in the big
receiving station, In company with poly
glot interpreter, will substantiate this
statement. 1t will do more. 1t will show
that many an immigrant talks Of work
first because, dimly or fully, he feels that
work and plenty OF opportunity to work
are at the basis of higher living and liberty.
Jan Jablonski, who came from Prussian
Poland the other day bound for one Of
the three Lake cities where Poles are
numerous-Chicago. Buffalo or Cleveland
is representative Of this class.
why have you come over here. Jan
Jablonski?" asked the interpreter.
For work. was the answer.
And isn't there any work to be done =
Poland?.' went on the interpreter
"Then why have you come here to work.
Because there is more work to be done
here ,,
The Pole searched through pocket OF q
heavy coat and pulled out bundle of soiled
and much worn letters. He searched
through the pile for moment then pulled
out one. ,,,
the paper, lives in Chicago. He wrote me
that there is much to do here. You are
not tied down to one kind Of labor he said
You can do many things and make money
at all. You can get up in the world, II you
want to, and you can surely educate your
And you came to do all these things:'
asked the interpreter.
"Yes," was the reply.
and which do you want to do the most?'
.To work hard to take care OF my three
sons and two daughters and educate Them
was the answer.
This desire to make a better home for
the children and to fit them more properly
for life has strong hold on thousands Of
the fathers and mothers who pass through
Little Freda is in school the whole year
round" writes a relative or a friend in
America.
An the children are going to school
and can read and write, and we can make
enough to keep them there is frequent
third.
In such manner is America held up TO
OldWorld pa rents as the children's paradise,
and thousand Of immigrant fathers and
mothers, who tell the blue-clad officials
to work for the olinging broods that they
Herein may be found the reason why the
second generation 10 60 easily absorbed
ss s sGS hs ''
NV wife and l." said Antonio Sabrolla.
from Rome, to the interpreter, will worl!
for the children and send them to school
and make them like your children.
won't you become Americans, too2 ques-
toned the interpreter:
Sabrola shrugged his shoulders
"We are old, he answered. bent olive
tree full grown cannot be made straight.
children ike yours
A similar answer was given by an Austrian
miner bound for the anthracite coal fields
Of Pennsylvania.
school, will become storekeepers, like my
brother" he said, and live in a fine house,
like Americans, but my woman and I are
used to hut:
ITO work" when asked why he came; but
pressed, as were the men Of families, many
ampihed their brief replies.
ITO work at many thing. and to get
up and be somebody said a northern
Italian
"ro work for home for my sweethear.
and have her here a. my wife. Why,
my brother in Minnesota says this is fine
country to raise family in" said Scam
dinavian.
aTo work and do as damn please, 40
long as don't break law" was the re-
joinder Of bristling Irishman.
TO he left alone at your work and In
your home, and not have your property
was Firms answer.
or tho hundred or moro immigrants
who were interviewed 30 to speak. this
Finn was the only one who spoke the word
nDerJy. ms II explained Dy the lact lhat
Finland is being roughly Russianized just
now, while in the other countries repre-
sented among the immigrants questioned
no drastic measures have been lately in
stituted.
Even a half dozen Poles, typical repre-
sentatives OF a liberty loving race, failed
to use the word. But they showed their
love Of country and liberty when the in.
terpreter jokingly asked, as Poland dead
YETI"
The mems shoulders Strengthened. their
eyed blazed.
POLAND is not dead-she will never die''
they cried.
One Of these mon was Jan Jablonsli,
who had previously declar red that he cams
to America in order to give hi children
q better chance in life.
And what is liberty but untrammeled
opportunity" said the interpreter to his
companion, after Jablonski's answer had
been reiterated by other mouths. Il. my
SELF fifteen years ago came through az
these men are doing now.
Then l said to myself. I am coming
here to have q better chance to earn
living now know fully what felt
v.guely then-that only in a free land
like America can better opportunities be
secured