Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1907-09-27
PARADISE FOR ALIENS
San Francisco to Have Finest of
Immigrant Stations.
WILL BE A COMPLETE VILLAGE
Surrounded by Walks and Roads,
Angel island Station Will Have Its
Own Lighting and Power Plants,
Hospitals, Stores and Hotels.

San Francisco bay Is To have the
finest immigration station in the world,
writes Louis j. Stellmaun In the San
Francisco Chronicle In another year
Angel island now almost uninhabited,
will be very lively place. Upon il
will be e"ectel Il model village. which.
II present plans are carried out, will
be the cleancst, best arranged and
In all respects the finest and healthest
immigration station ever stablished
even by Uncle Sam, whose hospitality
TO aliens Is famous. Indeed. the new
comers from foreign shores will prob
ably think they have struck paradise
when they emerge from the steerage
quarters of an ocean liner and land AT
the summer resort which the ilnmigra-
tion bureau has provided for them.
Here IS how it all came about
Some years ago congress passed reso
luton asking Secretary Victor Metcalt
to investigate the growing immigra-
ton demands of the Pacific coast and
report thereon. Metcalf did thor
ough Job OF it-so thorough that he
made congress see the needs OF San
Francisco through the eyes of her own
people. Congress was SO impressed
that 1t Immediately appropriated 5000
900 as starter for the work and ac-
eepted the bid and plans of Walter ].
Mathews. a California architect.
Mathews took trip east and visited
the big Ellis island station, secured
data and information from headquar-
ters and returned TO draft set Of
plans and specifications which Com
missioner General Of immigration Sar-
gent indorsed as the best and most
complete he had ever seen. According
ly work was begun without delay and
Is now we'll under way. The big dock,
where vessels Of the greatest draft
may tie up without difficulty, has been
completed, and the task of grading is
now being pushed as rapidly as pos
sible.
The Angel island station will he a
complete village. surrounded by walks
and roads for every purpose. having
its own lighting and power stations,
waterworks, hospitals, stores and no.
tells SO to speak, and will be con-
structed with the stricteSt regard for
sanitation that Is possible. 1t will
have capacity for handling from
1900 to $500 immigrants and sleeping
and feeding accommodations for 1000.
The principal building will be the ad-
ministration building, close to the wa
ter front. This is designed for the re-
ceiving and discharging Of immi-
grants. 1t contains separate dining
rooms for Europeans, Chinese and
Japanese, for employees. visitors and
officers, a baggage room, offices OF the
custom inspector, board of inquiry,
Chinese inspector, commissioner of
immigration, etc, as well as Chinese
and Japanese detention departments.
| Immigrants are first received and
| taken to an examination room, divided
into compartments separated by iron
railings. The Chinese and Japanese
are separated from the Europeans. and
| the women Of the latter class are also
received in separate compartment
Here. under skylight, the first test
| for trachoma the dreaded Asiatic eye
| disease, is made, and if suspicious are
aroused which render further exam
nation necessary the applicants for
admission thus classified are passed on
to the physicians quarters, where
from waiting room, they pass to a
private examination room equipped
with every late appliance for the ex-
animation of patients.
II found to be diseased-unless the
disease he cOntagious-the applicant Is
placed in the hospital and detained tc
await developments. If at the end OF
a certain time it is found that he can
not pass the physical requirements fol
admission to the country, he is deport
ed. If suffering from contagious
disease, he is of course deported al
once unless his life would be endan
gered by such action.
If the applicant passes the first test
be goes into another room, divided into
compartments according to his mani
Test which gives his mental. mora