davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-08-14
Safe past the quota deadline"
1t Is Real Mystic Maze
to Enter Land of Libertu

Leading from the inspectors Mt the tall
desks are passageways running in four
different directions. One leads to a
room where immigrants are kept over
whom there has arisen some question
ms TO the ndvisability Of admitting them
to the United States; one leads to the
ferry for those who have passed all
the inspectors and plan to live in New
York: one leads to detention room,
where the immigrants wait for rela-
fives or friends who must arrive be-
lore the immigrants may leave the
island; the last one leads to the trains,
by way of the ferry. for those who mean
to settle In the West.
Hulda tells the inspectors that she is
TO meet Hans. who Is going to marry
her. She Is sent to the temporary de-
tention room. She finds herself in n
screened inclosure, but Hans is nowhere
IN sight. Others are more fortunate.
AN Italian woman sitting beside her
jumps up breathlessly when she hears
her name called out. An attendant
opens the door. An Italian, feverishly
excited, rushes forward crying la mia
mogllel., (my wifc). He grabs the first
woman he sees. 1t happens to be the
mntron. He kisses her again and again
until he and she are exhausted. Then
ne holds her off at arms length to feast
his eyes on the welcome sight. An ex-
preston of CONSERVATION comes over his
face. "Dio mio 80 he shricks. Non
Ia moglie :" 1t is not his wife. With
out so much as a ''scusi" to the poor
woman whom he has been kissing so
ardently, he pushes her aside. and espies
the only object Of his affection, who
blinks and stares, dumfounded.
Hulda looks pensivcly at the kiss
ing post and the kissing gate" She
doesn't know that those are the names
given by the inspectors to the almost
hourly scenes of intense JOY. She Won
ders II she will be called soon. And
she is, strangely enough. She hears her
name and in an instant she Is in Hans
arms, the officials nearby, unsmiling,
distnterested-not because they are in
human, but because they see SO many
Huldas and Hanses. 1t Is all part of
their days work, and they become cal
lous, only because It would break their
hearts II they didn't.
Hulda, as was Indicated Is fortunate.
Many Of the thousand immigrants who
come into the United States have more
difficulty. Some are diseased, some for
other reasons are likely to become II
charge to the Nation, some are Tex |
quota" And these are sent to the de- !
tenton wards upstairs. The third class
passengers detained are separated ac-
cording to sex. the second class are not. |
But they are all quartered in bare, life
less rooms. You find them there-wait-
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-08-14

mitted 70 see relatives or friends living
this side of the ocean. This Is done In
order to permit the Board of Inquiry
to work smoothly. Those who are de-
ported are allowed to see friends and
relatives at certain specified hours.
Each immigrant is regarded as an
individual who. by virtue Of his stun
tion. i in need Of help and protection"
said Thomas F. Mulholland, represen.
tative OF welfare council. one Of the
eighteen organizations who co operate
with the Government on the island.
ne saddest cases that come 10 our
attention. aid Miss Sarah I. Wea-
one member of n family dies just as the
new worl is reached. This happens
oil too frequently. Some time ago n
little Polish woman arrived with her
TWO children, n boy and n girl The
boy was taken i'll with scarlet fever on
the boat, and put in the hospital at Ellis
Island, where he died a few days
later.
The mother was n plucky little soul.
sad beyond words. with voiceless grief
which made It all the more pathetic.
AS me ferry pulled out to New York,
she looked back at the hospital windows
"here lay all that remained of her little
son, and then. as the boat docked nj the
other side, shook her head sadly ms she
Sa@ed up at 'he tail buildings. 'Neuya
1ork she sighed. And New York
meant little to her at that moment ;, -.
NO wonder the attendants become
moro or less callous. They would die ~
emotion felt too violently. and without
ceasng. if they didn't. The atmospbere
or the great Administration Building
is one ~ tension. The moments are fnii
'with life. The scramblng to collect
bundles and boxes. when word comes
.hat theT are free; the violent embraces
and kissing between son and fatber'
mother and son, husband and wifa'
When they hrst see each other: tho u,et
tlred eyes Of long waiting. and OF de,
tention which is not altogether under.
stood-all these. joys and griefs. wonj5
eat the heart out Of anything but a
In the detention halls nre little cbr.
oren' quaint little bodies in alien
Cl9tAes They sit about and stare tbey
ron on the floor, they suckle at the
preoSt OF detained mother-somebow'
they are the most pathetic because tbsv
nre gay. The older men gaming ot tbs
lohg tables in the mems datcntion mar
yer for third class. tho women writin.
Ietters - women with white scarfs
lightly bound over their heads-soma1
now. they aren't half SO pathetic. Tbev
must walt, certainly, and they NAV have
70 60 onck over the sea in the end-bu,
they are all rather brave
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-08-14
Medical Inspection First
Ordeal to Be Undergone

A woman doctor opens Hulda q waist,
examines her heart and lungs; looks at
Uulda's hands for ringworm. looks at
her eyes for trachoma. But Hulda has
known the delights Of the Dutch va
riety Of soap and water. She Is clean,
and neat. and the doctor has little trou-
bic with her. But others are not so
fortunate. Here is mother, whose
child seems to the doctor to reveal some
symptom of contagious disease; and
the mother and child are placed to one
side for removal TO the hospital at the
other end OF the island for further OBJ
servation. Here is n father who alone
OF his family of four has n disease Of
the eyes. He doesn't know why he is
not allowed to follow the others. whom
he has been with the whole voyage
through He looks after them with
tears in his eyes.
All this time Hulda wonders where
Hans is. Without Hans, America
would overwhelm her, and she Is fright
ened. But she hasn't time to be much
frightened, because she is told to hurry
after the others passed by the doctors
up a stairway. The stairway leads to
n large hall filled with long rows Of
benches. Hulda starts for one of these
benches, but an officer stops her and
looks at her card.
On the other side of the sea, when
Hulda arranged to make her voyage,
her name was placed on sheet OF
pnper. Not only her name, but her
age, her nationality, her reason for
coming over and other details. Thirty
names were placed on each sheet Of
naper, and each sheet was numbered.
And the number of the sheet which
hoId ber name Wls marked on the little
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-08-14

alty Of the country in which the child
is born.
The parents and their child reached
America a day after the South African
quota was exhausted. and the child is
detained. 1t Is possible to appeal cases
to Board Of Inquiry. which sits daily,
THE findings of this board are sent TO
Washington. and the Department Of
La Dor decides.
In all likelihood. the little South
African. who Is English to the core.
will be deported. though her case has
been appealed. But she may return to
this country Immediately the new quota
begins.
the Island. A French girl born in AL
geria was excluded because she arrived
on the last day of the month, during
which the 90 per cent maximum AL
gerian quota had already been ex-
hausted. II the ship had landed on
the first day Of the next month, when
the new monthly quota Of 20 per cent
began. She would have been admitted.
As il happened. she is 'ex quota and.
unless she Is able to convince the Board
OF Inquiry TO the contrary, she will
have TO return to make the trip over
| again.
Perhaps It's stupid arrangement,
SHlu COMMISSIONER LOO. Dut "Hdt
can we do! We are bound by the laws
which Congress gives us. We have no
authority beyond what the law allows
And the law does not allow US to admit
'ex quota aliens. l have recon-
mended that n change be made in the
matter Of nationality being determined
by that Of the nation in which the child
Is born, even when the parents are alien
TO that country. But nothing seems to
be done about it,
The aliens who are detained. are
boarded and lodged at the expense Of
the steamship country which brings
them over. There is great dining hall,
and on the other side of the island Il
hospital. which treats from 5000 TO
| 10000 cases a year. Eighteen welfare
organizations work among the immi-
grants. They conduct religious serv-
ices, and maintain Il kindergarten and
nursery for detained children. They
furnish clothes 70 needy. They guide
immigrants TO their destinations IN New
York City, in order that they may not
be subjected to unsCrupulous pOrters
and taXicab drivers; they protect rela-
t!ves already in this country from
! shyster lawyers who try 70 reap n har-
vest at the expense Of their unfamil-
iarity with the regulations regarding
entrance into the United States.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-08-14
PORTALS TO LIND OF LLBERTYARE HARD TO PANS;
ELLIS ISLAND DAILY SCENE OF JOY IND PAzHC

that can be expected under the circunn-
stances.
Immigrants are men and women
said Commissioner Robert Z. Tod,
great joviul looking, white haired man,
and the obviousness of 1t only gives his
statement the more emphasis. They
are being detained because Of tho nee.
essary laws Of this country. and their
detention must be made as comfortable
as possible. And their freedom to go
into the country must be given them as
efficiently and with as much dispatch
as Is possible.
"They come here, under the great
handicap of language which isn't un-
derstood. They are excited. They are
fearful as you or l would be under
the same conditions. Many of them
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-08-14

Immigrants. And then Hulda has to
wait again.
At the other end of the long hall and
corresponding with each row of benches
there are desks. At each desk are an
inspector and an Interpreter.
The immigrants are called to these
desks singly or by families, and they
are checked up according to the lists.
They are asked their age, their trade
and how much money they have in their
possession.
Hulda has heard some Of the immI-
grants talking about how much money
" Is necessary to possess to get into
equal to 800 herself. Some of the i'm
migrants have much less. The more
cunning swap" honey with each other
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-08-14

are poor. many ignorant. There has
been some complaint over our trrnr-
ment of them, especially over those
who are ,ex quota and, consequently,
Detained
1t Is to be remembered that an amend
ment to the Immigration Law restricted
the number Of aliens who may be ad-
m!tted to the United States in any one
year to 3 per cent of any nationality
resident therein As determined by the
census Of 1910. That is TO say, if there
were 5000 South Africans in the United
States when the 1910 census was
taken, $50 will be permitted to enter
the United States each year. The fiscal
year begins July |. 1t is also pro-
vided that a maximum of 20 per cent
of that quota may be admitted each
Month. This makes It possible for a
QUOTA to be exhausted within five
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-08-14

They follow the gang plank to the
pier, carrying their baggage. Italian
women, dark and animated. balance
on their black heads big canvas bags,
bearing bound to their waists with an
apron. perhaps child, perhaps an
other bag. A great calm man with a
pipe. guides by the hand two swarthy
silent children. Two young women
maybe from Switzerland. maybe from
Germany-giggle incontinently. when
customs officers hastily turn over their
effects. Three hundred steerage on
Hulda's ship! And they wander around
babbling continuously, rushing up to any
Sadnny SGa who ts them ooHs %%ays
particularly for them. A feeble old
Italian woman sits alone on her wicker
trunk. weeping, whether for JOY or
for sadness, no one can tell.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-08-14
Stern Quota LaU Keeps
Many Out of COuntrY

Because many Of the aliens do not
understand these quota regulations,
which have been deemed necessary bv
the Government, they are doomed to
great griefs. \ little girl who has been
in the detention quarter fortnight
was born in South Africa. Her parents
are both English. And the English
quotas, for obvious reasons, are prac.
ticaly inexhaustible. But the South
African quota is exhausted. And a law
gives the child Of an alien the nation
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-08-14
Gateway of Freedom
Is Home of PuradOxeS

Ellis Island bristles with para
dox, wretchedness, misunderstand-
ing, aimlessness. And yet Ellis
Island is one of the most humanely
conducted of institutions. And that
is the supreme paradox-the ulti-
mate paradox Of the place.
The most poignant way to under
stand Ellis Island is to enter it as
an alien, and Of course, that is the
best way to misunderstood it, too.
Another good way to misunderstood
Il is to wander through as a casual
observer.
When Hulda TULIP, of Holland, who
comes over to meet and marry Hans,
her sweetheart, steams up the har-
Dor and passes the Statue Of Liberty,
her heart begins to palpitate. "Land
again" says her head. "Hans"
cries her heart.
She has feeting pictures Of her
self moving down the gang-plank,
and hurling herself into her sweet
hearts open arms. She sees herself
pushing by these slower, older folk
who have crowded her so in the
crush Of the steerage, and out upon
the streets Of freedom. How she has
waited for this moment through the
long, anxious uncomfortable days OF
her voyage! How impossible it
seems for her to wait a moment
longer for Hans and America!
But when the liner has docked,
uniformed officers push her back as
she jostles with the others toward
the gang-plank. And Hulda must
wait.
Hulda doesn't know why she
must wait. So she sits on her great
bundle Of clothes, and the tears come
to her eyes. About her are the other
steerage passengers, waiting too.
An old woman out of Middle Europe
somewhere, who made her 600-mile
trip in an apron for her outermost
garment, cuts slice Of cheese from
tremendous slab Of it under the
clothes in her wicker trunk, and
slowly munches it. A young mother,
from Italy, nurses a whimpering
child. A patriarch, with sad eyes,
and crinkled brown face, lights his
curved and elaborately ornamented
pipe.
And while Hulda and the other
aliens in the steerage are waiting
and wondering why they are waiting,
the frst-class passengers leave the
ship, and the second class, and the
United States citizens in the third
efass, which is steerage. They have
al been examined on the boat by
Immigration officials, and on the pier
their baggage is inspected by GUS
toms officers.
Hulda waits maybe one day, maybe
smother day, But at last, early one
morning, she is allowed to leave the
snip, with the swarm of alien men and
! women and children who glow with
Nbns expectation Of seeing America.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-08-14

Today there are restrictions. 1t Is n
big day II 500 to 1000 go through. And.
of course, the administration buildings
have become veritable hotels. And IL
this necessary conversion into tenn
porary shelter for immigrants who must
whit days and maybe weeks is not alto.
gether successful. at least 1t is the best
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-08-14

ing--dozing on the benches, gambling,
eating lunch and throwing the scraps
under their feet. Few of them, though
the opportunity Is given, 90 out to the
open air porches, where the cool breeze
blows from over the harbor. Most of
them stay in the stuffy rooms. breathing
in the bad air, apparently unconscious
of the disagreeable pungent odor Of dis
infocfnnfa
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-08-14
Uncle San, N0lU Guards
Portals From UnlUOrthy

It must be remembered that Ellis
Island was built to be a clearing house
for unrestricted immigration. In the
old days it was not uncommon for 5000
to pass through in day.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-08-14

Just fifteen to twenty minutes
over the water by ferry, struts,
races, eats, thinks, plays, New York
"a conglomerate roar Of manifold
Industry, canyons of steel and stone
Tipping the very clouds, a colossal
bonfire Of electric lights-the most
emphatic, the most awe-inspiring
symbol of all freedom.
Within the confines Of Ellis
island, eats, sleeps, thinks, waits the
alien-plastered, institutional-look-
ing walls surround him, uniformed
attendants inspect him, the odor of
human bodies and disinfectant
poisons the air he breathes-the
most abject, the most pathetic
symbol of the very antithesis of
freedom.
Such is the impression and the
contrast Ellis Island leave for the
casual Investigator. One thinks of
jails full of victims who have COM
mitted no crime, where the crue!est
walls are the insurmountable bar
riers of strange tongues, where
keepers must seem inhuman largely
because they are efficient, and de-
spite the fact that they themselves
are even as anxious to free the vic
tins as the vistims are to be freed.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-08-14
STERN LETTER OFLAW MAY
SEPARATE MOTHER ANDSON,
BUT PARTING IS SOFTENED
Shedding of Tears and Ecstatic Shrieks
of Welcome Fall Upon Unheeding
Ears and Eyes Long Accustomed to
TRAGEDIES
camel through the eye of a needle!

rNRsT squeeze your camel through the eye a
1 Then Ellis Island with alien!
old Island is far from New Cradle Of
Liberty the Land Of Promise Europe herself alien with
questionable credentials
little land hope Deferred halfway anxiety and
s1e; port establishment long voyage
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-08-14
Nepcomers Are Accorded
sympathetic Treatment

During the period Of inquiry into the
cases OF immigrants detained for one
reason or another, they are not per
The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-06-03
FIRST CROP REPORT SHOWSA BETTER
 COTTON OUTLOOK
Further Scattering Liquida- ton or Realizing Before Re- port Was Published, De-
 tober Selling Down
By Associated Press

New York, June 2.-The feature in the cotton market today was the first government crop report of the sea ; pared with 66 last year and 74.e, the 10year average. There was further scattering liquidation or realizing be- fore the report was published and on the appearance of figures but the market then almost immediately ral- lied on covering of rebuying by re- cent sellers.
 Before the close. October sold up to 20.60c. or 65 points above the low level of the morning, and that de- livery closed at 20.52c, with the gen eral market closing steady at. a net advance of 31 to B points. The late advance was promoted by complaints of excessive rains in the eastern belt and firmness in the stock market. but local brokers said 1t loked as though people who had sold earlier in the week on belief that low condition figures had been discounted had found comparatively few con tracts for sale after the publication Ul the liB BuFee anu 0au consequently turned to cover their commitments.
 The market opened steady at an advance of points to a decline of points and very soon eased off under local selling and renewed H. quidation. Pressure increased some what as the hour for the government report Approached and immediately following its publication active months showed net losses of IS to 31 points with July selling at 20.15c and December at 19.S0c. There was trade buying at this decline which steadicd the market and covering became more urgent late in the afternoon. with July selling up to 20s5c and December to 2o4oc just before the close.
 cember to 20,40c just before the close
 Bullish weekend figures contrib uted to the late strength, which car ried the price of October contracts back to within 25 points of Mondays high record. The first bale of the new Texas crop was reported at Houston this morning, Spinners talk ings of American for the week were placed at 22S,961 bales against Ill., Sts last year.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-06-03
Is Good Volume of Buying tn Iron and
 Steel, Says Reuiew

Cleveland, O., June 2.-(Special.)- )- The Iron Trade Review today says:
 Buying is going along in good volume in iron and steel but deferred deliveries are having a tendency to hold the new tonnage in check. Pro- ducers are exhibiting more caution in adding to their obligations with the fuel situation clearing so slowly. Production is more on a level this week.
 More urgent demands for coke are appearing as the coal strike dra ss on and conditions in the Connellsviile region show slow improvement. This is accountable mainly to the efforts of various producers to get fuel to start idle blast furnaces.
 Announcement of the general freight reduction has served to ua- settle the iron ore situation. The 10 per cent reduction apparently only applies to the rail haul from lower lake ports, but if the effective date is kept July 1. shippers feel little tonnage will be moved down before that time strong effort Is being made to induce the railroads to put the reduction in effect at once and also 10 extends 1t to the upper lake rail rates.
 Generally the rate reduction is re- sarded as a negligiblel factor from either a cost or market standpoint. The assembling cost of the materials to make a ton of pig iron in the Mahoning valley will be reduced ap- proximately 60 cents a ton and in steel from 75 cents to s1 a ton. A 10 per cent reduction on upper lake rail rates would add 20 to 25 cents to this saving.
 The scope of recent building ac- tivity is shown by the initial report of structural steel awards in April for the whole country were 177,600 tons, 99 per cent of fabricating ca pacity. This compares with 139. 300 tons. or 77 per cent of capacity in March. The railroads, especially in the middle west. continue to press hard for rail deliveries on contract. The Gary mill now is producing 10.- 900 tons weekly and will increase soon if the steel can be provided Tho weeks car awards were, 2.750, of which 1000 was for the Santa Fe.
 Another week of slight change IS shown by The Iron Trade Reviews market composite of 14 iron and steel products. The average is S36.64, compared with s36.62 one week and s3660 two weeks ago. The May average was s36.49 against s34.42 in April. s32.97 in March and s32.S6 in February. the recent low month.
 Foreign trade in iron and steel IS making a favorable showing. April exports were 1s7.562. which excepting March, with 206,474 tons, was the best in I3 months. Imports were 15.- SS4 tons, compared with S,612 tons in March and the highest in 12 months.