Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-12-24

ton start important
movement of immigrants to the United states. 1t
was the Irish potato famine that Irish immi-
grafton to double in a single year and to be multi
piled five times in many years the middle
ties conditions in Germany began to swell the immi-
grant tide and in eight years the number of
German immigrants increased seven-fod.
But as rule, especially in the case of the new"
immigration the number coming from any one coun-
try is very small at first In 1870 only twenty
Greeks were welcomed our shores Not until 1890
did the arrivals reach the Thousand ,ori, 1,t
during the succeeding twenty years the stream con-
unued to grow until in 1910 it was more than a
.housano-Ioid greater than in 1870. and than
twenty times great in 1890 In 1870 fewer than
three thousand Italians to America But the
Italian immigration had increased to twelve thousand
a year by 1880, fifty thousand year by 1890 a hmm
req thousand year by 1900, and to nearly quarter
OF million by 1910. Austra-EIungary gave us les.
than five thousand immigrants in 1870 and more
than quarter Of million 1910 The Russian
immigrant wave had barely started in 1870. and yet
II mas Drought US nearly three million souls since
them while Austria-H Hungary and Italy have each
sent US more than three million in that time
All European countries except Russia and Turkey
recognize the right of their people come to Amer
lea Under the laws citizens are forbidden
to leave the country for permanent residence else
where, but the fact that upward of three million of
them have come to America in forty years demon
strates that despotic nation cannot stop the
irresistible nderlust Of humanity when econon,c
necessity forces it to on Turkey has the
same sort Of law but it also is more honored in it's
breach than in its keeping. When northern Furope
bids farewell to its immigrants it knows that when
once they reach their American port OF entry they
are lost to Europe forever But with southern an0
eastern Europe 1t is different Here the emigration
in the nature Of of transient Industrial
workers; fair percentage of whom will return. 1t
is felt that the ones who return plus the money and
the experience they bring back are worth more than
the larger lumber who out.
The present day immigration embraces a comnar-
atvey small proportion inhabitants of the larger
cities Only the Russian Jews form an exception
to this rule but that fact that they
are compelled to live in the cities. The immigrant
usually comes not because he is unable to make
living at home-for the possession of enough money
to get here argues his ability live at home-b.t
in the hope of making better living than is possible
at home He is simply a with labor 10 sell
he sees much higher price for it in America.
The direct cause of our immigration today is the
letter writer and the returning immigrant 1t is
from them that the European peasant hears OF this
great land Of high wages across the seas Their
messages tell of prosperity of earning much in
a day. often, as the peasant earns in a week There
is scarcely village in all southern and eastern Eu-
which has not contributed it's share to the i'm
migrant tide and in fact. scarcely woman
who has not father, brother, uncle
sin here in America who has been here Thir.
ty million dollars year is sent back in American
money orders as mute but indisputable witness OF
hood hears about it when money order arrives. For
instance when the Italian saves 500 and sends it
home-thats 500 lire in italy. 500 lire buys
home If one sent you enough money
across the to buy a nice little bungalow,
wouldn't your friends know about it? And if
your brother go to South America and send
enough money back to his parents in single year ia
buy home, and with it a letter saying that other
members of the family could just as and that
he had places for them ALL wouldn't you want to go:
Well, that's exactly what happens when the new"
i'm
In many cases a proud father and mother when
they receive such letters, pass them from hand to
hand and let all their neghbors the great pros
perity their until the whole community
his in America And there one class
that this news particularly appeals to-the boys with
bidding ambition. They eager to try their
luck in America as is the American country boy TO
go to the city.
These letters tell little of the hardships and the
privatons endured make saving possible Come
closer home. A country boy whose parents stand
well in his communicating father and elder in the
church. justice Of the peace, 0 a school trustee
goes the city. At home the boy goes with the
best people of his community, has his horse and
buggy and is otherwise well fixed; but when he gets
to the city and becomes street car conductor or
factory hand do you suppose that pride will
him tell of little hall he sleeps in of the
cheap food he must live of the doors that
closed against him socially? No. works on. hop
ing eventually to climb the ladder high enough
command in town the things he gave up when he
left home.
So it is with the immigrant-at best it is
hard to give up life the little village with
adjacent poppy fields its friendships, and all that but
when immigrant arrives and gets work. finding
himself only a Dago' only a Hunkey' the
eyes of the native American fit only be cursed
and cuffed about handled in the mines other
places which use unskilled labc. might handle
cattle and horses. it's situation that the people
back home need be told about The immigrant
will bear it all because he must denying himself
every comfort hasten the days when he needs
it no longer. 1t is terrible price he
pays it with cheerfulness that is pleasant
when you have looked through his rough and
forbidding exterior into his heart.
When ne is killed in the course of his work-ani
he has a monopoly the dangerous and extra haz-
ardous trades-the verdict of the coroner's jury
not be 90 many words that it only a wop,"
but it might as well be-for that is nearly always
the effect of Perhaps fifty thousand such