The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1907-05-09
IHEPROSPECT|VE CITIZENS
Immigrants Cannot Understand
Delay in Admission.
HURRIED AT INSPECTION

UnOof FOrmef OOHulIlOho VIII
ty-Six Inspectors Examine Two
Hundred Daily - Perfect System
in Vogue.
Admitting immigrants to the free
dom of the United States is 5000
deal more than merely letting nl6S
of foreign persons pass in review De
fore a desk. Each candidate for
American citizenship passes as rigid
an examination as to his qualifica-
tons these days as though he were
being considered by. the admission
committee of a club There have
been times when more immigrants
have been passed through the food
gates at Ellis Island in single day,
but never have they been examined
with such thoroughness, despite the
extraordinary pressure from the
throng which craved admittance.
Various conditions result in excep-
tional rushes, among which may be
mentioned the demand in all parts OF
the country for labor, and that at
high wages.
In their anxiety to get their pas
sengers in the steamship companies
did not consult each others seized
ules. and the result is a clogging OF
the whole transportation machinery.
When the immigrants get to EiNs
island they encounter the tact
that the great pavilion was only de-
signed to receive and pass out 5,OOO
immigrants a day. The result IS
that steerage passengers may be de-
tanned for several days.
1t is impossible to strike an aver
age which will give any idea OF what
is represented in the examination OF
an immigrant as far as time is con-
cerned In most calculations the
time is given as two minutes for the
ordinary questioning which must be
given under the present laws. In the
case of large families consisting OF
children of such tender ages that it
is evident that they are not contract
labOrers or have never had difficult
ties with the authorities the exam1-
nation is expeditions after the father
has demonstrated his fitness for
American citizenship. 1t is then
merely to reckon with an equation of
me too" and to pass the whole COM
pany.
Under the present system the i'm
migrants are brought to Ellis Island
from the piers in small steamships
or barges, and are then directed
through a long covered passageway
to the lowe floor of the main pavil-
lion of the immigration station. Up
a stairway they go to the main exam
nation floor, where they are con-
veyed hither and thither with auto
matte precision. First comes the
sorting process, which looks like the
quick shifting about of raw material
which is seen in large industrial es-
adjustments.
The immigrants are carded into
groups of thirty and sent spinning
about until they seem to fall easily
and naturally into the various COM
partments where they belong. The
manifests which describe the third
class passengers must consist OF a
series of sheets of paper on each of
which only thirty names can be
placed. On each immigrant is
pinned a card which bears a number
agreeing with that of one OF the
manifest sheets.
Before the voyagers attain this
distinction, however, they have to
pass in review before Marine Hospi-
tai surgeons, who examine them as
to their physical fitness.
Each line has to pass two physi-
clans. The first one looks for gen
eral defects, while the other one
turns up the eyelids of every candi-
date, looking for those diseases OF
the organs of sight which are enough
to bar any immigrant from entering
this country.
The examination is conducted
with an amazing celebrity. The color
of the skin, the appearance OF the
ewes and other induces tell their
story quickly to the young surgeons,
who are on the alert for defects. IT
they see that there is something
wrong with an immigrant or have
reason for a further investigation
they make a chalk mark on the coat
Or gown. An attendant at the end of
the line put the chalked persons into
compartment by themselves and
pass the others to a large Enclosure,
where they are taken in hand by
quick speaking and nimble limbed
persons known as the grOupers.
Twenty-six inspectors, working
from eight o'clock until six, allowing
time for luncheon, attend to the in
coming tide of immigrants.
Each inspector averages two hum
dred immigrants a day, taking the
whole force or, in other words, they
work up to the full limit of the sta
ton under the present arrangement,
which is five thousand a day.
Bull Fighting Statistics.
II am off to Spain, for the bull