Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-13
Copyright. 1907. hy John Elfrcth Watkins9


! Special CORES onrlsncc Of The star.
! PHILADELTHIA. Pa. July 10, 1907.
| To determine Just how ra pidly and how thor
| oughly the largest foreign element # our
; civilzation-the alien Italian-becomes as
simulated into our body polite was the
purpose Of most important sociological
| Investigation Just completed by the L. S.
bureau of labor under the direction OF
| Commissioner Charles F. Neill. Since the
sons and daughters of sunny Italy COM
menced to Outnumber all the other for
! elgn hosts Fastening 10 our shores theorists
have given voice 20 many m!sglVInss as
to their effect upon the social equilibrium
but hitherto no investigation of the COM
ponent facts Of the problem have been
made. For the purposes IT the 1hNes''sa-
ton which has been personally made by
Emily FoGg Meade, special agent 81 the
bureau of labor the Italian settlement NJ
Hammunton, y. J., was selected. ms town,
which has sprung up in a clearing OF that
vast primeVai forest known as the DER
sey pines, was chosen for the study be-
cause the influx of Italians there has not
been assisted in any way by Americans
and because, these cInisrants have there
been left to work out their own salVatohs-
they have been settling there in increased
children born III this country now com
prise very nearly a half Of Hannonton
porulati ion of 1890 souls The true value
! Of the investigation is its demonstration
OF what the Italian e:nigrant can make
OF himself when taken away from the Sums
of our cities 1t offers the first tangible
data toward the solution Of what. after
that Of the negro. is now our most serious
social problem.
The condition of the typical Italian on
first arrival is contrasted by the invesu-
gator with his state OF being :Ater j re"
wears in the land of the dollar and maj
IL with that of the first generation born in
America.
The first picture Is that OF the green
horn Italian berry pickers broughl INTO
the Hammonton district by their native pa
drones Many of this class. having become
attracted to Hammonton. have remained
there and become home builders. Ihus an
grades are seen in this settlement. Ihese
newcomers are mostly from crowded VII
lagos of southern Italy and Sicily rather
than from isolated farms. Every possible
s,,ace in their native villages has been occu-
pied by a brick house OF three or Tour
rooms a mule, several pigs and some chick
ems commonly sharing the same roof. Ih"y
have generally owned or rented in the out
living districts small farms Of from one tc
one and a half acres. Living mas pGSh
chean prices low and they have been able
20 live on ) cents a day apiece, eating Fo-
lenta macaroni, green vegetables Drtau'
cheese milk figs. Chestnuts and iresh
have done farm work for others nave re-
ceiyed 20 to - cents day. Only the rlch
have worn hats, wooden sandals have COW
cred their feet and collars and neckueS
have never been possessed.
Arriving on the berry fields about Ham
monitor they bring with them such luggage
rs boxes barrels and corded wooden trunks
containing bedding. clothing and some pro-
visions | have personally visited TINS re-
gion on my own account and nave seen
Them bring goats as a milk supply Tor thelr
infants The escape of goat resulted III
a SUSPENSION of berry picking for hours and
until the fractions beast had been cap
tured The women among .nese newcom-
ers wear skirts, waists and aprons or cot
ton and bright-colored handkerchlefs Tor
their heads The men arrive in old store
| clothes and the children in di.ap.dated SIN
gle garments. The latter sometimes go en-
firely naked in such hot weather as this.
The breakfasts OF this class consist Usually
81 dry bread and water, with onions ana
cuciImbers added. What little cooking there
is is commonly done outdoors. frequently IN
ovens built of stones. Some place chuhks
OF dry bread on a fence until IL mods ana
water is then pumped on it before 1t IS
eaten.
Scores in One House.
When visited one property to make
,hotoeraph of the Italian berry pickers
-, yl.