New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-12-13
GREAT EXODUS FROM AMERICA TO EUROPE
MANY THOUSANDS OF LABORERS ARE NOW RETURN
ING TO THEIR OLD HOMES FOR CHRISTMAS

n the line Of Italians standing IN Iron' OF one
Of the steamship Offices week ago a"aItlns an op-
portunity 10 buy s1eerage ticket 10 'ren"a was
q spare. pleasant faced fellow
WIS, are vol, going back 10 Italy, some one
asked him.
oh I come back next sum. No stay IN Italy 1
% eel married Work good here. mon good every
hing good here"
.F5ew long have you been here
..-rree year. nine month
.vo. Ike Il here"
ma ,-oloneed contact with American life showed
80 II the first word Of his reply.
-. he said with an upward twist OF the
- ,har resolved itself into & smile. I come
hack mex sum
=. vns one OF many thousands Of foreign born
= rssliaus. Germans Scandinavians Russians
= slsvs who annually turn their faces toward
80 native land 10 spend the holidays. This year
,,rsvsr the number has been greatly augmented
~ those who have lost their work and find Il
more economical and think II less hazardous TO
V,s 1rhelr own country than here II is estimated
+hst this increase over last year has been more
thar ffty thousand. The Italian especially likes
n spend the Christmas holidays in his old home.
This man was not the only one who was return
irr FOR the same joyful reason. and doubtless it
would explain the trips OF large number OF his
,olnrrynen At this season OF the year who have
beer IN this country long enough to lay aside neat
urtle nest egg Two prosperous looking fellows
were seated IN the dining room OF one OF the i'm
migrant boarding houses late in the afternoon the
day before steamer was 10 san for Italian ports.
They were brothers. one being employed in New
Brunswick and the other. a strapping man and
good looking. was from the neighborhood Of Pitts
burg. Two or three other Italians at the table
with Them and ali We're making merry. The strap
ping fellow was going or the same errand-
i g. get married said he. he sat hack in
his chair. smile spread al over hts face All
mar come here: woman No get woman here
"a hon e-a~ nor la~- 7 E-~l
three four month"
Fey the drst week in December the triangle
bounded by Broadway. CortIandt-st. and the Hud-
son River. IN which are located many OF the steam
ship ticket Offices and immigrant hotels. IS always
alive with returning immigrants. They DO wear
the anxious looks which characterized them when
they left Ellis Island and entered the land. T.
has been replaced by & look OF confidence and con
renrment- Perhaps the only thing that disturbed
their equanirity this year the fact that the
suguerted numbers had increased the demand
for be-ths that several hundred were prevented
ron sailing on the steamers they desired take.
and were obliged 70 wait for others. There was an
Ame-tcanized air about them American hats were
on rhelr heads. American clothing covered their
hoses broad toed American shoes had replaced
The sharp pointed boots with which they were shod
when they first set foot in this country: they
smoked American cigarettes. and they logged along
American telescope bags. half as large as a trunk
There were few women among them. They were
evidently tU g. measure single men or married
men whose families were stu in Europe
They came from al parts OF the country. Some
had worked IN the Lake Superior mines. and when
work ceased they had started for their native
land 70 await more prosperous season. Some
s-a ron Colorado where strikes in the mines had
-r--u- them our u work. Others were from
Fr-rshurg where The closing OF mills had left them
without labor. The decrease OF reconstruction
work on the Pennsylvania Railroad and the reduc-
-f-- s- building operations in this city had had a
similar effect II some cases Even the prospect Of
q Presidential election e year hence was said 10
have s-4us-ee5 some. They were those who had
TOT learned that President has not the same pow
e~s q changing condI sons Of life that Car has
They had an impression that new President might
mean regulations that would not be for their vel
fare and they were seeking cover Then there
was the large number who 20 home every year 70
spend the holidays. Among these this year were
many Russians. They started early for an inter
esung reason Having no passports. they were
obliged 70 allow a week far stealing across the
border
TIE scenes about the Storage gangW-av ana IN
the Storage itself on one Of the eastbound steam
e-s are nor so lively those about the saloon