The Boy With the U.S. Census

and sent in, he tried to learn something about the employment of children. He chanced to meet one of the photographers who had been with the Congressional commission, and the tales this man told we

is sense of the time dragging was largely due to the fact that the boy had not heard a word about his being considered in

ver to the populat

ad wanted to go, but not hearing anything abo

is morning that you were

rector

im that your schedules had averaged six and a third per cent better than those of any one else in that section. So he said, 'That reminds me, I had almost f

Burns," said Hamilton, "to mentio

ian looked at

ntages. If that turned out well for you, it is yourself you have to th

laughed

re easily forgive a man who attacked you personally

I could hit back in the first case, but in the s

'm glad at any rate that my

said the older man, "but when did yo

he fact that I was doing census work of a more difficult character already, but I thought I would rathe

g to do the popul

way through the supervisor of the enumeration district to which I had asked to be assigned. The supervisor of that district had sai

e are you g

explained, "whether everything will go through as

ns where you ha

her part of the State entirely,-down

lack belt State," h

ably thickly settled. The supervisor is a friend of my older br

e district look over the papers for

pervisor of the other district. It was a little irregular, I suppose, but the Director knew all about it and it was for the

're headed for Kentucky I should think yo

New York by evening and spend Saturday night and all day Sunday there, catc

o do. I can arrange for you to be off Saturday morning; it is only a hal

ould be

a pad, "that the fractions of overtime you have worked recently, cumulat

ing to Europe for the summer, and I shouldn't see a

the noon hour Hamilton hurriedly packed a grip, and was back at the office without a minute lost, for

aper the statement that two large liners were in New York harbor and would dock that morning, that each ca

boy announced "Father, do you know

to be no trouble for you, since the Bureau of the Census is a part of th

I'd lik

you ought to try to get hold of all the information you can, ahead of time. I

he historic immigration station,-carried Hamilton to the famous Ellis Island. Preferring his reque

and I'm just going to my station as an enumerator for the population. I have two days in

ioner answe

to the Chief Clerk to get a pass, and if there's anything more you want, let me know." He touched a bell. "Show this gentleman to Mr. Tuckman, and let hi

friends readily, and with his alert manner and direct appeal, he usually secured attention. Walking sharply through the place he soon found himself down in what was called the Information Division. For th

bout Ellis Island just by asking questions,

hould understand what I saw. There's not much use in watching things unless you understand just what's going on. I have some knowledge of it, of

ow you round myself as far as I can spare the time. It so happens that there are a lot of scattering things I want to look after through the b

"I always think the beginning is the most imp

" he said, as they walked along the hall and out of the door to the well-kept lawns that stretch betwe

liners that came in this morni

Hamburg boats," h

run by the immigra

mpanies. They bring all the steerage passengers who can't show that t

se; "I didn't think any cabin passengers came

rs as well. Why, during a period of three months recently, nearly three thousand cabin passengers were de

sland?" queried the boy. "I don't understand. I thought Ellis Island was to

with thousands of immigrants on board entering New York ha

y for a first-class passage makes every man a desirable citizen! A first-class berth is no insurance against an incurable disease, for

oy remarked; "I supposed always that first-class pass

s, or any government, for that matter, would find it cheap and easy to dump all the public charges of Europe on our shores for the price of a first-class ticket. Oh, no, that would never do

y of money, they would n

sm or things of that sort. I tell you, there's a big slice of our work done before ever a vessel reaches her d

tattooed lady, the fat baby, the gi

customary kind of work, but on the other hand it is very difficult to prove that they could not get good money at a sideshow. If, however,

nting to those who had just been unloaded from t

e. Suppose we go this way," and stepping over a low iron railing, the official, followed by Hamilton, walked briskly up beside the line. A few yards from the door of the building, this line of people passed into a long barred lane. At the entrance of this stood an inspector who c

to a man standing just at the angle and watching carefully each immigrant a

doing anythi

have to investigate this matter. Here is a lad who says that you're doing no

, without taking his eyes, however, from the procession of figures

he said, "perhaps I'll have a chance t

se; then the do

thing doing now; watc

merest trifle, that's all I

like as not," and as the man passed by he leaned forward and chalked a big "B"

m?" asked the boy of th

e of th

s,

right, but before he is passed, he will have to be examined physically-a th

nched nostril, an evident difficulty in breathing, a certain carriage of the head, a blueness of the lips, certain types of pallor, all these and a number of little points which experience had shown to be symptoms of organic d

s a little 'hit-or-miss' to me. It's hard on an immigrant to be detain

y are detained, and this arrangement is only a way to render the detention shorter by letting those go through unchecked who do not need furt

quickly and deftly (principally for a chronic and contagious disease called "t

rts. All those who had been marked by any of the doctors, and, in the cases of families, all those in the party of any one so marked, passed up the right hand

e meaning of that division," asked Hamilton, "

try to make him understand anything. Then, too, since all the members of a family or party are kept together, there is no reason why they should make a di

they couldn't read the signs, and they don'

coming back, for the two passages lead directly into two series of

e all right,-where do

that this first group of doctors does, remember, is to detect the questionable or to pass the obviousl

are we going

ly, "because most of them will go right o

bore a large number suspended over its entrance, corresponding to the number of one of the manifest sheets of the vessel, and likewise t

nned on them now," said Hamilton, "it's all the

osely, you will see that in addition to the big number on

on answered, "and I was goin

n at the top of the stairs will guide him into aisle number seven. Then, when his turn comes and he has moved up to the desk at the end of the line, the inspector doesn

stem," said Hami

the official with a laugh; "wait till you

e questioning begins

immigrant the same questions that are on the manifest sheet. If the answers tally all the way through, if the man understands and gives an apparently straight story, if he has a sufficiency of funds to keep him until h

f he h

ass upon the merits of the case. He just affirms that the passenger has not made his title clear. Just as before, the aim is to enable the desirable immigrant to land as quickly and easily as possible. Supposing there were no crowd, an im

agreed. "And I notice that most

ng little of the Continental traffic, those held for special inquiry drop as low as five per cent, while for the vessels bringi

But I notice there is a third stream of people. One, you say, is going to the

there in a minute, but let us finish up with the man wh

ailroad or steamship route to any point in the United States or Canada. A money-changing booth was in the place, where forei

Hamilton. "I thought when they took off the

or the immigrant service. They give, accordingly, a cheaper rate to the government. Supposing, for example, that the regular number of the Lehigh Valley train was always numbered '9,' then every man who purchased a ticket for

," said Hamilton, "even food, for I s

A man can get two days' food, six meals, for a

rld can he buy for that

Four loaves of bread, two pounds of cooked beans, twelve ounces of sausage, one can of beef, one can

te it all. But why is it that most of the immigrants h

tion offici

m are not given until an inspector has seen their railroad tickets, and they do not land in New York streets at all. A boat takes each group to the railroad pier, and they are escorted to the train by an inspector, who places them in charge of the conductor who is responsible for their arrival at their desti

o they

"are all the people 'temporarily detained.' Most of them will he released shortly. If you

of nine names. Seven of the nine were in the room and came

milton. "I would like to

s guide, smiling at the b

side of the desk the friends of the seven in question were waiting. There was one lad, just about his own age, among the friends, and Hamilton waited curiously to see whom he

vity in the world, where a million aliens yearly pass through to Amer

you calling?

promptly, and the clerk nodded appr

the clerk said, "and the two of you

d, sir," wa

come. Why didn't your

l," answered the boy, "and has not lea

door in the grating was opened, and to Hamilton's delight it was the old Frenchwoman who came out. After a most affec

"but I'll admit I don't see why. No one would b

e official, evading a more direct statement, "and sometimes if the chief of the 'tempor

are they

e never temporarily detained over five days, except in the case where a child has been held in quarantine and some member of the family has to rem

those?" ask

member, does not mean that there is any reason for excluding the immigrant, merely that his inclusion is not self-evident. In most cases, answers to a few questions settle all difficulties, and the decisions to exclude are rare. In doubtful cases, a Court of Special Inqui

all appeal

orted at the expense of the ste

grounds for deportat

ely to become a public charge, criminals, anarchists, contract labo

ble here," Hamilton said, "and it must be a big exp

t undesirable immigrants here, and if they bring people whom we cannot accept, they must take the consequences and bear the expense of d

epped up. "I beg your pardon for interrupting, but I was just going to a

e interestedly. "I think you might come

" Hamilton asked. "That'

about three weeks ago, fully expecting her son to meet her, but during

n?" asked Hamilton, who was beginning t

find his ri

a travel

ike that, but she didn't know in what State. Now there are nearly forty post-offices with that name in

he is," said Hamilton, "why can't she l

ef replied, "and not very strong;

she's a

said as soon as they

your office this morning," the newcomer answered,

ision glanced at the telegram an

t's the way it came, witho

d, "that's from Bridget Mahoney's son," he announced, w

in surprise, but Hamilton's guide m

hough I think we all rather hope it is from him. But you see it isn't dated

port-my-ol

West, and it might apply to any one of thousands of cas

on's friend interjected, "you said the

his one came this morning, and it's just about as intelligent as the one you

out Hamilton, too eager

," was the answe

ld-Mo

sig

, just as

he same person," H

doubt of that," the de

ing fast," the boy remarked, "t

ice I've begged an extra stay from the Commissioner, and he's been willing to consent, but h

sion, one of the clerks called the chief. He came ba

was out at lunch. The same person wrote all three,

ld-Mother-I-have-ple

ated from?" a

ortation chief replied. "Oh

lton said excitedly. "Oh, Mr. F

er to

w! Mr. Farrell, I'm just as sure as can

trouble, because the boat sails early in the morning long before the office here is open, a

dget wit

strolled to the window. "No," he continued, "they

e her befor

at

her up a bit,"

ch other, and Hamilton's

about these telegrams,

lton, "but it seems a sha

the most desolate groups he had ever seen, sitting and standing in all attitudes of dejection. Among t

Mahoney?" t

sther," the old Irishwoman ans

t," Hamilton said; "did you write to

to Mickey O'Murry, but I'll niver tell ye whether I did give it to him, an' if I did, there's no kn

n the envelope? Can't you

e son, he makes shift to read me writin', but he always sinds me a written envelope to put me answer in so that the postman can read it. An

ully as he could, "and maybe he'll come by then. I have a f

, 'tis a hard returnin'. An' me so proud that me son should send for his ould mother. 'Tis a great country this America, but it's too big. I'd niver 'a

to be able to do something, to tell the Commissioner of the later telegrams, to appeal to the department, to make some wild effort, but the actuality of the group for deportation slo

"and as the boat from New York is just pullin

making their way toward the barge, he started along the wharf in the direction of the New York boat. He was on the opposite side of

ding in the front of the boat, leaped the light chain that runs waist high across the bow, and started on a

sioner's office. Don't s

man to say he was in a hurry, for he showed it clearly enough. But just b

y?" he called, just

er, scarcely slackening

to him in a few steps, for the other man was ol

side him. "I was talking to your mother a few minutes ago and she was all right

I do?" puffe

o you are and they'll fix things up in a hurry. Then go up an

t the man hesita

nudged him in the d

o run. In a second he was at the landing. The tend

g of the water from the cable, the creaking of the wheel as it swung rou

e window of the pilot

t's

d again. "Bridget Ma

n, but a cheer went up from the deportation officials on board and fr

dget Mahoney!

passing through Ellis Island on their way to the Middle