The New York herald., 1922-03-19

TT is widely believed that one of the
humblest occupations is tina. of the
janitor janitor's son may well be
considered as having narrow opportuni-
ties to achieve high places. When one
does attain high estate it is interesting
to examine into his progress
Some years ago an immigrant family
consisting of the husband, the wife and
two boys, one eight years old and the
other somewhat older, arrived in New
York. None of this family could speak
English And there were mighty few pen
MES in the family treasury-for in those
days the law did not require of immi-
grants as much money in hand as now.
There were no friends or relatives to
greet this family. Just the sight of tabled
New York and the hope the great metrop-
oils of the New World held out to those
who had heard legends Of it in their peas
ant districts abroad.
Somehow all immigrants, no matter how
friendless and relativeless they may be, are
their arrival. The narrow streets that
lead away from the landing pier into the
mysterious uptown" provide a oath for
the newcomers to follow, and along this
path into the city there is some turning off
place for all of them that eventually leads
to a home.
This particular family, unable 10 ask
questions after the immigration interpre-
ter left it to it's own devices, turned up the
most promising streets and, dividing it's
carpet bags between mother, father and
children, turned north
Led to the East Side.
As Usually Is the Case
Even the family traditions of this i'm
portant epoch in its history are silent as
tc the incidents of that first venture into
the strange and busy and not over hospit
able city Somewhere along the way the
mother and father grew tired and. without
plan or purpose, just to break the monot-
ony of following one path toward vague
destination turned off into another
turned off into another-turned to the
right.
To the right from any street that leads
into the city from the immigrants landing
place leads inevitably to the East Side.
Perhaps this is why the crowded teeming.
voluble East Side is the haven of most OF
the immigrants who come to America as
strangers with no definite prospect The
Broadway up which they turn from the
docks Is long and tiresome, straight and
unnovel. The streets to the right look
more inviting. Then too, immigrants from
almost any country on the Continent will
find, IL they watch closely-as they all do
the faces of those turning into and out from
these cross streets, kindred faces-faces
that remind them of home, only they are
usually sharper, more alert faces than
those of their whilom neghbors
Perhaps this family saw faces Of familiar
nationality coming from one of the streets
that broke in from the right. At any rate
they turned that way and soon were in the
meltingpot.
From the East Side the father of the
family shortly afterward emerged, with
a few broken English exclamations, with
employment as a janitor in one of the new
fiat buildings far within New York's up
town. The family went along to help take
over the job and to find its first real home
In their new land, in the cellar OF the fiat
building. The landlord called this cellar
basement. In this respect. at least. the
landlord was courteous-to the cellar.
The father had no stipulated hours OF
employment. He was on duty from the
time he got up one morning until he got
up the next morning. For IL there was
anything to be done while he was asleep
some one urgently awakened him to do It.
The landlord had hired only the father
But mother and boys served him just as
fully and continuously as did the father.
The wages were small-even for those
days, when the Iaborer who made a dollar
a day was of the elect and looked down
upon lesser mortals. But, then, there was
the cellar, for which no rent was col