The San Francisco call., 1908-10-04


other r.: tive dependent on him; and
more than that, every Italian books
forward to taking a wife and beget
ting children, to becoming the head of
family, TO taking his place among
the men of his village. How strong
this family ideal is among the Ital-,
ians from highest to lowest can hard
ly be appreciated in America.
Seldom can fathers of the peasant
class start their sons in an independent
business. There is small chance for
them to get ahead at home. Their best
hope is America. There they can go
and. in a few years, while they are still
sending small remittances home, they
can also, out of their wages, lay
aside enough to be able on their
return to Italy to set themselves
up in business for life; purchase
a fishing boat. or a few cows or a
horse and cab. invest in something
that Will continue TO yield themselves
and their families a living. Their am
bition is never above that, for, in such
things, Italians are singularly content
How simple are their desires, How
humble are the fortunes these aliens
seek With what happy hearts, If dis
ease or accident has spared them, if
any degree of fortune has attended
them, do they conceal their few hun
dred dollars of savings on their per-
sons under dirt and rags, and, board
ing the steamers. whose foulness and
dangers cannot retard them or quench
that joyous feeling in their breast if
the ships PROV is pointed. toward the
home land and they set their course
by the eastern stars. Small heaps of
gold do these returning exiles hug
tightly TO their breasts. for even If
not of great value, measured by some
standards, the gold holds for them the
entire future
But another side of the picture pre-
sents itself to the American mind. 1t
is but a humble amount that each Ia
borer carries away; few hundred dol
lars, and of what small denominations
are their weekly or monthly remit
tances home while they are still among
US. any one can see for himself if he
stands sometimes by the money order
window OF some of our postoffices. But
what this sum of gold of America s
minting in the aggregate is thus
drained off through these thousands of
small channels, taken out of circuIa-
tion and poured. out in Italy into every
mountain hamlet. fishing village and
roadside resort, it would be difleuIt to
calculate. And we may ask ourselves
the question, Can we stand this drain
on our money?
II accomplished labor and the works
that these foreigners leave behind
them is the equivalent of the money
they carry away.
We were once passengers on one of
the Mediterranean liners plying be-
tween Hoboken and Naples and Genoa.
Before taking passage we were in igno-
rance Of what hordes were to be our.
fellow passengers. What was our con-
sternation on arrival at the wharf on
the morning of departure to learn that
instead of a cargo of wheat that we
were supposed to carry. $500 Italian
peasants were going steerage
II lacked yet hour OF sailing time
when we reached the docks, but they
were there already en- masse. as Ill
looking a throng as. could be found
anywhere on earth. uncombed, un-
washed and with clothes worn thread
bare. Their arms were full of paste
board valises. paper packages, un-
wrapped pieces of clothing and tools of
their trade-hoes. pickaxes, rakes and
shovels.
We were filed with dismay and had
nightmare visions OF what would be
the scene if there were an alarm or
disaster at sea.
But such possibilities are wisely pro-
vided for. Every ship officer is armed
and water piped along the decks could
drive the steersge below, could bring
them into submission. and, If necessity
demanded il, hot water or even steam