New-York tribune., 1908-10-25
Commissioner WafchOrn Tells
How He, Himself, Got
Through.
BY James B. Morrow.

Young Bob watchorn, English miner.
gaunt and eager with very black hair fine brown
eyes. q darkly handsome face and two swift fists.
g little pie shop the moment he found himself
in America He had been week or more at sea-
IN the old Bothnia, long since become rubbish for
the scrap heap, living the lean vapid regi-
men Of the steerage. and was as dangerous as
hungry wolf,
Indeed" he said the other day twenty-eight
years later, 81 could have eaten the shoes OF the
guard who pushed into the sidewalk through
the door Of Castle Garden
But he is Bob no longer except perhaps, to
his comrades. who. with smoky lamps in their
greasy caps and blue powder marks on their pale
faces stIu go the hills down into the earth
for their bread and butter Officially, ne IS Robert
Watchorn, United States Commissioner Of Imrni-
grafton, Ellis Island. New York
had asked for his first thought after landing in
this country. 'SentimentaIly and patriotcally,
he replied. - wish 7 could say that was reflect
ing upon the great subject OF human liberty But
the sign Of the pies vas before my face, and &
savory odor was the atmosphere. So head and
heart were imperative in the presence ot british
and gnaping appetite. I entered the shop rather
briskIy A big man il white apron stuck MS
verrnilcn face across the counter.
What ktnd% he asked, somewhat roughly.
Apple 7 said. and in q hurry
Il threw him an English two shilling piece, swal-
1ov-,ne the ME almost before he reached the cash
drawer. Then 7 waited for ny change, but ne
didn't give me any. Presently I asked for It
f,Tuthin' comm you he replied in shout
that was meant TO scare me
7 gave you two shillags in English noney' l
said pretty firmly .
:. You're damned liar he yelled. as he pushed
his chin forward most frighrfully-
If you were over here, you ~o1ioA oa-e u
sa, that loudly answered
.sy7-rereupou he put one Rand CT the counter and
leaned into the air. knew il wss good tactics 70
land the first blow. Before he hst fairy struck /
-he Acor there vas heed-cn collislon oel"esh !
bIe 1z.- er4 end my right Ast- Th7 red IN MS
fsqe rs.-aed j eious yeI5r az he reached arO-n0
fo- notE5nE II particular e-r- -. do~A'
-. ,.-ffrenlsn ran in. ans W1n'ei 10 know about
IL Then th5 proprIeto- cs-- Tia M sto'9 anu
-. -v.,-ss{lfIng pIe.e ped cat Of the cash I
drawer. vaz Tie illness '--at e'i
..aTTer had r-eeired Is cents in change, the po-
1ice-,sn leu a-e NO the street and waved me Oh
toward ths 3udelrite region or eheap I0ueii-s .
houses ! looked shout snd saw tIeInehu0~s ~
:, - tb4n that l began 10 think. was past /
+,+,.-o,e and there considerable pepper
i, rry- system; but perhaps had nade nlls'aAe !
sr coming 10 a strange people, among "hol III a.
the land there net one faT'4lilaF lAGe' DO Ia
-. l-nev,. .et alone friend 10 help were IN
trouble" ,,s g.
since then" I sald, you nave ~
and fortunately ,.-.,. -,
svrered when you consider what mas oeeh oon7
=, ba,-a landed on these shores-ouF shores no" /
-, +hsr,-v-ithout any capital except hopeful
-. a,d so4,nd health. No boy, native or foreign
- ~sr he kept down in this country II he. IS .
,-oasr serious and industrious Carplng critics .
- .t,a lisriess creatures in the bread lire don .
-, eo hut IL is true Men fail principally be .
80 n Incidence or bad habits, and then com .
~Ts5n of The laws AID groan about tyranJs who .
don't exist ~ 80 (
carl Schurz came with nothing. Andrew ar
- -old ne that ne had about 20 cents. l took 4
- zvarchorn and my TO England several .
- ago and showed them my old home and the .
80 n v.hich : worked when I was boy Of
- Then We went Il Ireland, and in a little !
- savy nv chance the unveling Of marble sab
= tbe memory OF william J. seweIl, Of New Jer-
=. vpboss money had practically built and main
- -be Episcopal Church OF the village. When
; a+,,-,,Ad 20 New York 7 learned that william j
-au rad been 2 uaeruber OF the United States
c.,s4A. that he began life as e secticn hand on
i-osd III 20 cents day, and that he died worth
many millions Of dollars
- ,,-,s very ROOM Mr. Watehorn went 70
~ has employed nazy as twelve thousand men
:. - r4rna described how his father, coming from
I-.Is,d was put ashore in New jersey, and in the
.,-. racalse the huownothngs Of New York
.,,,e5 a Il foreigners with death. The grea test
"a Ae-t story that was written is contained In
-. rscorf3s ~ this office II viii be given tas
.arLa .sns day. and it VIII be uUa