Omaha daily bee., 1903-05-31
GATEWAY OF The CONTINENT
Panorama Of Human Life at the Landing
Place Of Immigrants.
STRENUOUS DAYS At ELLIS ISLAND
From Two Thousand to Four Thou
sand Arrivals Every Day-Pic-
turesque Scenes I'm the Pen-A
Princess in the steeraEe,

These are strenuous days down In the
New York pen, with anywhere from 1000
to 1000 emigrants coming In per day. The
big new room on the ground floor at Ellis
Island, where those who have been ad-
mitted and are awaiting their friends are
secluded, resounds to many 8 sigh OF i'm
patience, and often a groan of anxiety.
After the long. wretched voyage, cooped in
the steerage, this last wait in the New
York pen seems the last maddening straw
to the weary, dirty, forlorn crowd inside.
The men and children do not seem to mind
1t much, but the women mind It a great
deal. They sit on their poor old half-burst
valises or on the big gunny sacks that
serve them for travelling impedimenta, or
on the floor, IL benches and baggage are all
occupied, and watch and watch the door.
Therein appears from time to time a big
man in blue clothes, who frantically bawls
forth words in many tongues, generally In
Italian. Francesca Salviati," he yells;
"Salviati, Francesca. Venite qua. Preston
His voice is raucous with much bowling,
but never limpidest Tuscan sounded sweeter
in Francesca's ear. She springs from the
board sachel, covered with flimsy, light
gray cotton, on which she has been sitting
while bestowing upon her youngest its
natural nourishment. The youngest is
/ strapped III n DIO"H pdIGSlB oAaNNs hhS :"
papoose. which bondage It endures with the
unearthly patience of the Italian bambino.
Francesca grasps the brown roll in one
arm, the baby whlmpering family at this
rude interruption of it's meal. over her
shoulder she sings two brown sacks, tied
together I'm the middle. In her other hand
she grasps the huge satchel, which fairly
weighs her down. She gives a sharp com
mand. and the rest of her progeny fall in
line, five of them. little stepstairs, all the
way down from 9 years old.
scenes in the Pen.
Presto! presto! Hurry up!' yells the
man in blue clothes.
Francesca staggers toward the door.
She stumbles up some steps and down
some others, through an anteroom crowded
with people, to an iron gate. Out of the
iron gate and through another iron gate.
and once more she is in an iron pen, all
fenced around with grating.
Mother of God" mutters Francesca,
will they never have done putting me in
iron pens2"
She wonders if she will have to stay as
long in this one as she did in the last. Tive
whole days! Madonna mia! Francesca
clasps her hands as well as she can for
bags and the satchel and the pappoose
bambino.
But, no. At the very moment when the
horrible thought sweeps over her another
man in blue clothes comes to another iron
gate and again bawls 'Francesca Salviati'
Francesca staggers forward again. The
man In blue clothes stops her. There
should be five children he says, and be-
gins to count noses. Is the nobleman then
going to take her children from her? She
clasps the brown baby tight. Poor Fran
cesca! No one would have her children
They are a most undesir able commodity.
where's the other one?' says the blue
nobleman. you haven't got but four be.
sides the kid"
1t is true. The naughty Giuseppe Il
lingering behind Ia the iron cell, whence hi
is hauled forth with contumely. How car
one poor woman keep track of a satchel
two brown bags, a baby and Ave children
Francesca has been so bewildered and 81
blinded with the light In her eyes that yh,
could see nothing distinctly, and she die
not understand when the official called out
"All right: this is your woman; come OF
there" Somebody came on with a rush
and suddenly Francesca sees-Cicillo; yes
1t is her Cicillo, whom she has not seen To-
so many weary months, to whom she hai
come all this weary way. ending in inter
minable iron pens and bawling, bluecoate(
l noblemen. A great light breaks over hel
face, and happily there is the same ligh
ON Cicillo's. He is glad to see her and tn,
baby and the five children, and he take
the bag and the two sacks and has still
hand left for the last baby. whose lIttl
nose was put out of joint; and togethe
they go away to find the boat for the barg
office, and another family is launched OF
American life.
I Back in the New York pen the noblemai
in the door Is still yellins names. Man.
receive no response. and he calls then
7 over and over again. Anxious friends ar
waiting outside, but the expected one
have not yet arrived. At one side the doc
two young men are busy all day sendin
kilograms for emigrants. They are yer.
? polyglot young men.
How Muchf
The first question asker each patron O
the stand is regarding his financial abilit
to pay.
| Hast du geld?' asks one of them OF
e customer.
e "Avete danaro2" he asks the next.
IL - IL - -