The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-03-09
The ITALIANS IN
this COUNTRY

COMING AT THE RATE OF 100000
A YEAR-ARE GENUINE
HusTlERs. y
Their Men Are Hard Workers, Their
women virtuous and All Are Fru:
gal and Thrifty-Make Money by
Saving lt-seme Of Their Colonies
Are Models Of Their Kind-Many
Engaged In Truck Farming and In
the Raising Of Fruit-A New Jersey
Town Which Was Settled by Them
New York Has Majority.
Although America has long been the
land of thousand roads to fortune.
the Italian was the last to come here
In the search for success, But now
that he has found the way he is max.
ing up for lost time. In the decade
1s2o.so only .4os italians came TO
America, an average of only Al a year.
Now they are coming at the rate. OF up.
wards of 100000 year. Italy Is now
furnishing the greatest number of men
that the Old World is sending to the
new. The increase in the population
of New York's Little Italy, has made
that city the third largest Italian cen.
ter in the world.
The Italian is genuine hustler. He
comes over here for job, takes what.
ever kind of work he can get. and
sticks to 1t. 1 heard of physician
who served as dishwasher. and a
lawyer who worked for several years
as a waiter until he could learn the
language and become adjusted to the
general scheme of things. One steam.
ship line will have only Italian stew.
edores, because they work harder and
are more temperate than the men c.
other nationallties. The enterprise
and thrift of the Italians is indicated
by the statistics, which show that in
New York they have 1000 real estate
holdings, valued at s2O,ooo,O0o. They
own 10000 stores in Manhattan. and
have s15,oOo,OOO in the savings banks.
There are two Italian steamship lines
and 1G daily and weekly newspapers.
Thrifty and virtuous.
1t is rare thaing 10 see an Italian
beggar. Boston shows a court calen.
dar that has only three drunken Itnl.
ians out of every 1000 of the popula.
ton, against three of every 100 of the
population drawn from Northern Eu.
rope The women rarely appear in
the police courts. and are noted for
their thrift and virtue. Reports on
temperance and crime show that while
"a per cent. of the distress suffered
by Americans is due to drink. less
than 4 per cent. ofithe Italians trou-
BILE is traced to this source. They are
quick.tempered, and their acts of VIC.
lence are generally due to this char.
acteristic.
Through the Efforts OF the mission.
airy sisters of the Sacred Heart, and
of the resident Italians, the Columbus
Hospital was established in New York.
While this is essentially an Italian
charity. the patients represent every
nationality and creed. There is not
an Italian physician on the stan,
which is proof of TIE broad American
spirit that actuates the management.
There are Italian policemen and post.
ment in New York and members of
that race are In the legislatures and
on the bench in several States. The
president of giant fruit concern in
San Frascisco, and the promoter of a
million dollar ranch industry, came to
the New World only few years ago
In the steerage Of an emigrant snip
Statues Erected by Them.
The American.Itafian citizens of
New York have given three statues 10
that city. One OF these is the fig.
ure of Garibaldi that faces Washing.
ton Square short distance from lit.
tie Italy" Another is the bust of MAJ.
zini, the italian liberator, in Central
Park. Botn of these pieces are the
work of Turini. The third statue
stands on the lofty column in Colura.
bus plaza, at the Eighth avenue and
Fifty.nipth street entrance TO Central
Park. These patriotic people are now
raising funds to build a school in
memory of Verdi. with whose music
even the most humble of them are
thoroughly familiar.
Raising the erape
Although two-thircs of the total
number of Italians in. the United
States are locat ed in New York. the
trend of their emigration is now to-
ward the country. Californta's sue.
cess in fruit growing is said to be
largely due to the efforts of the $4,000
Italians who have made their home
there and who brought their art OF