Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1913-09-18
Vivid Little Pictures of Happen
ings at Ellis Island.
Five Thousand Immigrants Go
Through the Gates Every Twenty
four Hours-They Come From
Every Quarter.

New York-Five thousand seekers
Of liberty" are pouring through The
gates OF Ellis Island every u hours
these days. They come from almost
every quarter of Europe, Asia and
Africa. and their sole ann is free
speech aud a chance at the reputed
golden stream that flow S through val
ley, dale and city thOroughfare. To
them Ellis Island is an extraordinarily
lrage but quiet zoo. They marvel at
the tongue the other alien speaks,
and the American looks askance at
them.
Paid employees Of the government
handle the aliens seeking admission
to the United States like SO many
cattle or hogs. There's a reason for
it, however. They are unfamiliar
with the dozen or more languages
spoken, so they use their hands. They
shoe these prospective citizens to the
right and TO the left, forward and
backward, just like Farmer John
handles live stock in the barnyard of
a 160-acre Iowa farm. They pass, in
costumes as varied as their tongues.
through the portals of the admins
trative building, to seek Americas
gift of welcome.
At Ellis island everything is the ap-
eparance of dense lines of people
herded into this space or that. and
an attendant in blue tapping his
hands to make them walk Outside,
tied up at the wharf, are two decrepit
barges filed with moving figures.
Suddenly keeper pes hundred
or more Of them with a strand OF
command and hastens them into the
building. There they are herded be-
fore a physician. herded in to lunch
shipped into the registry room and
finally, by gradual process, discharged
or detained temporarily or for depor-
tation All the time they are behind
wire screens. whose sides they feel
tentatively. and through Nhich they
peer wonderingly
A zoo or an animal market at the
first impression; but If you wander
about long enough you will be able
to differentiate them and find the
spark of some sort of individuality be-
hind each blank countenance and the
communicative eyes. Find. in spite
Of the dress. the tongue, the crush
that would seem to crush out indfy1d-
uaiity and mass them unoer one term,
the same old thoughts, feelings and
desires. Here is an account of just
a few'4picked up casually IN one day
Nora Malone was sitting in the Gag
to. {I,., II aH.
ner of her handkerchief to wipe ii
tears from her constantly streamin.
eyes. Nora's tie was green and her
eyes were as black as her hair. and
Nora was the prettiest bit Of femi-
ninity, TO American Sigh, in all that
crowd. She had been detained a few
days previously to await the arrival
Of Mike. who left the "ould country
about one and a half years ago and
had at last sent her word that
home was ready for her. Now. when
Nora reached the island, Mike had not
yet come from his home in Colorado
So she waited as philOS0phically as
her patience would permit her, with
all the Italians she couldn't under
stand and didn't like. Ano it was hot.
and she wasn't looking as pretty as
she had, and, oh. what's keepin' the
b'y?"
Suddenly her name was called and
i sounded queer after all the gutter
ais that had preceded it. She was led
into the little cage behind the kissing
post Don't you know why it is so
termed? Just because as soon as
one of the men or women has been
detained until the arrival of a friend