The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1912-05-16
inspection System Of United
States covernment-How the
Work Is Done on Ellis Island.
Most immigration Now Is From
Southern Europe.
sy JAMES scHREIsER.

T>HE' melting pot Of the uni
verse" Is the term that has
been applied to America by
writer's, economists and statis-
ticians for years. To the shores of the
United States have come millions upon
millions of people from other lands un-
til, 1t is estimated, 30.OO0.OOO aliens
have been admitted since the end of
the eighteenth century. The wealth Of
America. "the land of golden promise"
attracted this vast horde. and many of
them have succeeded In acquiring
goodly share OF the riches Of this
productive land.
In analyzing the ingredients. 10 to
speak. Of this melting pot" In the
United States we discover thousands
Of foreign born persons who have
reached an enyiable station in life and
hundreds Of thousands of children
born nfter their parents have come to
American shores. who have attained
high places on the ladder of fame and
fortune.
But the currents Of Immigration
have changed. Statistics show us that
the difference between the immigrants
now arriving and former newcomers Is
marked. OF the total immigration
prior to 1883 % per cent came from
England, Ireland, Scotland. Wales.
Belgium, Denmark. France, Germany,
the Netherlands, Norway. Sweden and
Switzerland. From 1888 to 1897 81
per cent came from Austria Hungary,
Bulgaria. Greece. Italy. Montenegro,
Poland. Portugal. Roumania. Russia.
Scrvia. Spain. Syria and Turkey. This
latter stream is one-half illiterate,
More than third does not settle here.
but returns to its source, and the re-
mainder live largely to themselves and
resist assimilation. OF course majori-
ties are mainly considered In the
above. There are a fair number Of
educated arrivals from all these ma
tions. but they are in the minority.
TRY TO GET THE CREAM
The United States government until
recently had given little thought to
the rejection of undesirables or the
study of conditions as they exist in the
various countries from which future
inhabitants Of the country are recruit
ed prior TO their coming.
Canada and other British colonies.
South Africa and Australia particular
~, accordin: to an immigration ex-
pert. have succeeded to an extent in
wrestling many of the more desirable
Immigrants from lis. Through tlorid
advertisements and commercial asen-
cies they are appealing to the sense
OF adventure OF the people of the coun-
tries or northern Europe. bidding them
try their luck in their midsts. Canada
even Is operatin: her publicity cam
pnicn through the newspapers In the
United States.
Picked up here and there over n vast
foreign area by various influences
which aim at making capital from
them, the immigrants leave their ma
tive homes and after three or four
weeks OF travel wake up TO find them
selves in an American harbor and
ready to he examined by quarantine
doctors. The best Illustration of how
this work is carried through is to be
seen when the ship drops anchor Off
New York. Either the newly appoint
ed health officer Of that port. DIR. J. ].
O'COnnell, or some Of his assistants
board the anchored vessel. and the i'm
migrants are Immediately assembled
for inspection. AS rapidly as possible
those who have no apparent disease
and the suspicious passengers are sep
arated. The latter are put to the ther-
mometer test. If the temperatures of
those not obviously diseased are found
to exceed 99a degrees they are taken
on the ship and held for further ex-
animation on Swinburne or Hoffman