©mmgAmeimkdams 
 
 by Katharine K.Crowel) 
 
PRINCETON, N. J. ffj^ 
 
 Purchased by the Hamill Missionary Fund, 
 
 JV 6455 .C74 
 
 Crowell, Katharine R. 1854- , 
 
 1926. I 
 
 Coming Americans ' 
 
COMING 
 AMERICANS 
 
 By Katharine R. Crowell 
 
 Author of 
 
 " China for Juniors " 
 "Japan for Juniors " 
 "Africa for Juniors " 
 " Alaska for Juniors " 
 
 The Willett Press, Publishers, 5 West 20th Street, 
 New York City 
 
 Prices, paper, 25c. ; cloth, 35c. Postage extra. 
 
 ARRANGED AND PRINTED BY THE WILLETT PRESS, NEW YORK 
 
5^ 
 
(£omtng Americans 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 
 THE BEGINNING OF IT 
 
 HE beginning of it? Well, I suppose 
 for Francesca and Josef, Stephen 
 and little Angelica, the beginning of 
 it was that day when their father 
 told them he was going to America. 
 Such a sorrowful day! For these 
 children loved their father dearly, 
 and how could they be sure that if 
 he went to America, they would ever 
 see him again ? How would you boys 
 and girls feel if your father should 
 
 Italian say some day: "It is all settled, 
 
 children ; I have decided to go to the 
 planet Mars?" For to these children America was as far 
 off and mysterious as Mars seems to you; and, happily, 
 to their fancy it also sparkled quite as brightly, so, though 
 they all cried as their father kissed them good-bye, they 
 dried their tears when they really heard what he was 
 saying — "Some day I will send you a letter with money 
 in it, and then your grandfather, your mother, and all 
 of you children will come to live with me in the happy 
 land — America. " 
 
 All this happened more than a year ago, and to-day 
 the letter came! A funny looking letter, too, with such 
 queer names in the postmark, Slaiington, Pa., U. S. A.; 
 but their mother's sweet face is as bright as the sunshine, 
 and in a moment all the children are excitedly laughing 
 and talking, for there in the letter, as their father had 
 
 3 
 
promised, is the money to take them to America! Fancy 
 how yott would chatter if your father had sent you tickets 
 for the trip to Mars! 
 
 Such news flies fast, and very soon all the neighbors 
 hear of the letter, and, themselves very wistful, wish the 
 mother joy, and indeed all who are not too old or too poor 
 quickly decide to set out with them for the new and happy 
 land, and for "Slatington, Pa., U. S. A.," wherever that 
 may be. 
 
 So there is much and eager talking of preparations to 
 be made. What shall they take? and what shall they 
 leave behind? It is a puzzling question, for, aside from 
 their idea that America is a golden sort of country, where 
 all who go live happy ever after, they really know very 
 
 little about it, so as 
 they talk, warm friends 
 and good - natured as 
 they all are, there threat- 
 ens to be war in the 
 camp, for our family are 
 sure that America is all 
 coal mines and railroads 
 and steel mills, while 
 others feel certain that it 
 is all high buildings and 
 railroads which run over 
 the housetops. It all de- 
 pends, you see, upon 
 whether one's father is a 
 miner in Pennsylvania, 
 or a barber in New York 
 City! But you may be 
 wondering what it was 
 that in the first place led 
 the children's father to 
 go to America. 
 
 Servian Gypsies Just shut yOUr cyCS 
 
 for a moment, and — 
 listen. Cannot you hear a tramp, tramp, tramp, as of an 
 army marching? Do you hear it? Open your eyes then 
 and watch this endless procession as it goes by. There are 
 thousands upon thousands of people — men, women, boys and 
 girls, tiny tots, even babies too little to walk — or talk; but 
 
 4 
 
the rest are talking, and in about fifty different languages. 
 You do not need this, though, to tell you that they come 
 from many countries. The queer dresses and head- 
 coverings would prove it. Look! There is a Hungarian 
 now — our family are Hungarians — wearing high boots 
 and embroidered dolman; and his hair is braided! There 
 is a Pole ; his hair is cir- 
 cular-cut, and he wears 
 a short jacket. This one 
 just going by is a Ser- 
 vian, with — what is that 
 sticking in his belt? A 
 dagger, surely — he will 
 have to give that up if 
 he has any idea of reach- 
 ing the land of the Free! 
 There go some Turks: 
 then Jews, from Cilicia; 
 here are Russians, Syr- 
 ians, Italians, Greeks — 
 too many to name, and 
 of all their queer belong- 
 ings, the shoes are the /„ iMiand 
 queerest. Keep your 
 
 eyes on the ground for a moment. Don't look up! Just 
 watch the foot-coverings as they go by in throngs — made 
 of wood, sometimes — very clumsy; or of heavy leather, 
 clumsier still — top boots, Paris shoes, sandals, slippers with 
 toes turned up — the feet in them have started from 
 almost every country under the sun, but they are all bound 
 for one land — the free and rich and happy land — America 
 
 But why is it, do you suppose, that all these people are 
 leaving their homes, expecting, many of them, never to go 
 back to them? We in America do not leave our homes, 
 never to come back. 
 
 No; but perhaps we should be glad to if America 
 were like Russia, where many are persecuted, and where, 
 for millions of people, there are no schools; or like Italy, 
 where the heavy taxes required to support the army and 
 navy, crush out the very life; or like Germany, too 
 crowded to allow boys or girls much of a chance in life; 
 or like all of them in demanding the best years of every 
 man's life for service in the army. You see there is a 
 
 5 
 
tremendous difference. America is free and happy; 
 there are schools and a chance in hfe for every one, es- 
 pecially for every boy and girl — oj course, we don't leave it. 
 
 But fathers and mothers in 
 Europe, weary of their own hard 
 lives, have heard glowing ac- 
 counts of all these things, and so 
 it comes about that this great 
 procession is journeying across 
 Europe to the Sea — to Bremen 
 or Antwerp, Marseilles, Fiume, 
 Naples — any port where they feel 
 sure a ship may be found to take 
 them to America. 
 
 The curious thing is how all 
 these people came to hear the 
 glowing stories; and perhaps it 
 would be as well to stop calling 
 them "people," and give them 
 the name which belongs to them. 
 From the time they leave their 
 homes — in Russia, Italy, Ger- No Chance in Li/e 
 
 many, France, Scotland — it 
 
 makes no difference where their homes are — all the people 
 in the procession we are watching, are emigrants. Some- 
 thing must happen though, on the voyage over, for as 
 you will see, when they land on Ellis Island or at Boston 
 or Charleston, quick as a flash the name changes; I leave 
 it to you to say why. 
 
 But we were wondering how these emigrants got 
 their knowledge of America, for many of them do not 
 know how to read. It was different when the most of 
 them came from Northern Europe, from Norway or 
 Sweden, from Denmark, Germany or Great Britain. In 
 those days, if you had been watching the procession and 
 had called out, ''Can you read?" if Swedes or Scotchmen 
 were going by ninety -nine, carrying their heads high, would 
 shout back, Yes! and only the hundredth man need hang 
 his head and say ''No." 
 
 Now, it is different. The greatest number come from 
 the South of Europe, and if you should ask your question 
 of Italians from Southern Italy, more than fifty out of 
 every hundred must say "No." 
 
 6 
 
(Of course there is a reason for this difference between 
 Northwestern and Southeastern Europe. Your bright 
 wits will easily guess what it is.) 
 
 So it is plain that knowledge of America does not 
 always come from books or newspapers. No, it was 
 the men who first ventured over the sea who sent back 
 the glowing stories and those who have come later keep 
 them up. They send back also letters containing money, 
 and lo! fathers and mothers, children, sisters and brothers, 
 uncles and aunts and cousins, whole families, with neighbors 
 and friends, pack up their worldly goods and follow to the 
 happy land — and so it was that our children's father 
 caught the fever and went off to America to seek his 
 fortune in the mines of Pennsylvania. 
 
 But novvadays the relatives need not trouble to 
 tell the stories. The Steamship Companies take care of 
 all that. For you see, they are on the lookout for " cargo " 
 
 for their ships, and emi- 
 grants are the best pay- 
 ing cargo they can have. 
 
 So there is scarcely a 
 spot in all Europe where 
 agents of these com- 
 panies are not found. It 
 is as though they had 
 spread out a net with a 
 fine mesh — so very fine 
 that even the smallest 
 babies cannot wriggle 
 through — all are dragged 
 into the ships! To per- 
 suade these people to 
 emigrate, the agents 
 w?iy They Leave Italy make golden promises of 
 
 riches and prosperity. 
 But, you see, the object of the company is to get the 
 passage money, not to keep its promises, and many times 
 those who have been brought to America on these false 
 hopes must wish themselves back in their old homes, 
 wretched as in some cases they may have been. 
 
 But our travelers must, by this time, have settled 
 their disputes, and decided what to take with them. Ah, 
 yes; and they have certainly settled the matter on the 
 
 7 
 
safe side. They will leave nothing behind! for who knows 
 what they may need in the new, strange country! Beds, 
 of course, and even food, perhaps, and things to cook 
 it in. So after much exertion and squeezing and jamming, 
 two immense mattresses, and all their connection of 
 blankets and pillows and heavy quilts; forms of cheese, 
 fruit, clothes, cans of olive oil — in short, all their possessions 
 are packed in huge boxes and big bundles; geraniums 
 
 here are their beautiful solid mountains that have never 
 failed them. How lovely they are now in the sunset 
 light, and how sweet the air, and how still, except for 
 the sleepy good-night twitterings of the birds, and the 
 far-away church bells softly ringing for vespers. It is 
 a fair land they are leaving. Will they come to one as 
 fair, I wonder? 
 
 This going away is pretty hard on the old grand- 
 father, but the sun itself seems to shine in the mother's 
 eyes, though there must be a rainbow somewhere, for 
 it shines through tears. As for the gleeful little children — 
 well, they are happy still, for are they not going to see 
 their father in the happy land? But a little shadow rests 
 upon their gaiety and the gleefulness is checked by the. 
 numerous stories they are hearing of the dangers of the 
 journey overland to the big ship, and the terrors of the 
 sail on the deep, deep sea. 
 
 In Holland 
 
 are potted, and bird-cages 
 are covered up, for gera- 
 niums and canaries are 
 necessaries of life to Hun- 
 garians! And strange to 
 sa}^ when all are ready to 
 leave the little home at 
 the foot of the Carpathian 
 Mountains, it suddenly 
 becomes very dear and 
 beautiful. How can they 
 leave it for that dim and 
 far-off country, which, to 
 be sure, always floats be- 
 fore their eyes in a rosy- 
 golden haze; but after all, 
 rosy-golden hazes are not 
 very substantial, and 
 
 8 
 
The shadow passes though — of course it must, with 
 such a sunshiny mother about — and the journey is bravely 
 and brightly begun. They must go all the way to Naples, 
 where they will embark for America on the "big ship." 
 Well, at last they reach Naples and find themselves part 
 of an enormous crowd at the steam- 
 ship ofhce, for while they, with others, 
 have been traveling from Hungary, hun- 
 dreds — many hundreds — have been jour- 
 neying to this steamer from all parts 
 of Southern Europe, and from Asia, 
 too. You will see Turks and Syrians 
 presently. 
 
 This waiting in the crowd at Naples 
 is not a happy time at all. Our brave 
 little girlie, whose courage has never failed 
 her yet, comes pretty near giving out now. 
 What wonder? For hours and hours they 
 In Italy must Stand, without shelter from the sun 
 
 — broiling-hot and blinding-white. This 
 is all the harder to bear, because they have had no break- 
 fast and very little sleep. 
 
 But certificates, tickets and baggage {ph, that baggage!) 
 have at last been attended to, and the time comes when 
 they are allowed to go on board the big ship. It is a 
 good deal of a struggle to get up the very steep in- 
 cline of the gang-plank, 
 and there are hundreds 
 and hundreds of men 
 and women , and so many 
 children — every one 
 weighed down with bag- 
 gage, the sturdy chil- 
 dren carrying their full 
 share. Do you notice 
 how many have small, 
 rush-bottomed chairs? 
 
 Why do they have them, From Twdve countries 
 
 do you suppose? Cer- 
 tainly not because it is easy to get them up the gang- 
 plank. Look at those tiny tots carrying big fiber baskets 
 of fruit! Among them is little Angelica. 
 
 So now they are off for America, and I think we will 
 
 9 
 
not say very much about the voyage. It is so wretched, 
 
 and there are so many, many miseries. Such terrible 
 crowds in such small space, and almost no air to breathe — 
 or worse than none. And the poor little babies ! Nine out 
 of every ten, I am sure, began to cry as they were carried 
 up the gang-plank at Naples, and they seem likely to keep 
 it up all the way over! There are no seats in the steerage, 
 except for the lucky ones who brought the little chairs. 
 And there are two dreadful storms, when our poor, sick 
 little children, frightened nearly to death, wish they 
 could die; and all the time, from the first minute on board 
 they are cruelly treated by the ship's people, pushed 
 and' jerked about, struck with heavy blows. Poor people, 
 who cannot understand a word that is said to them! 
 and this cruelty lasts until they put their feet on Ellis Island ; 
 there, Uncle Sam takes hold, and the law^ of kindness 
 rules. 
 
 But they are not at Ellis Island yet, and just as they 
 think the long wretchedness of the voyage is about to end, 
 a thick, white blanket of fog wraps the steamer round and 
 round, until not one foot can she move. No, not for two 
 whole livelong days, and all the while toll the dismal, dismal 
 fog-bells, and the whistles shriek, and screech, and 
 the bewildering white blanket wraps closer and closer. 
 
 Golden, rosy, happy America? Poor little children! 
 
 On the Way 
 
 10 
 
CHAPTER II 
 
 UNCLE SAM TAKES HOLD 
 
 UT that was not really America! It is 
 only a German steamer, caught in a 
 fog! And, after a while, the. fog 
 folds itself up and is seen no more, 
 and there is the real America — green 
 hills and sparkling blue water; 
 sparkling air, too, and a brisk and 
 salty breeze that makes life fairly 
 tingle in the children's veins; the 
 beautiful harbor, where we count 
 four big "liners" from France, Italy, 
 Slavonic Germany, England, all of them 
 
 crowded with — emigrants? No, in- 
 deed, for something has happened, and they are 
 immigrants now, and I wish you would tell me why ! 
 And see the great ships, their sails dazzling white in 
 the sunshine, soft grays in the shadow; but most of 
 all are the children delighted with the quick little 
 steam tugs darting everywhere. But lift your eyes 
 higher! No, not to the right, though you may see there 
 the Brooklyn Bridge and the lines of high buildings, 
 which drive our incoming guests almost wild with ex- 
 citement, for no matter what language they speak, "sky- 
 scraper" means — New York and friends to meet them. 
 But look! Someone motions to the left, and how quickly 
 they turn about; and in all these people, hearts beat 
 wildly, and eyes are upturned, for there before them 
 stands Liberty's Statue, her torch blazing now in the 
 sunshine ; and just beyond lies the gateway to the promised 
 land. They know it, for over it, against the blue sky, 
 streams out, brighter than the torch, the red, white and 
 blue of the Flag. 
 
 America, at last ! And there on the dock waiting 
 for them is "Uncle Sam," in the person of the Inspector, 
 Now follows a busy time for him, and a fearfully anxious 
 one for the immigrant. Suppose he should be turned 
 back! and he will be if his "ship's ticket" (you must 
 have noticed that each child holds one tight in his hand) 
 is not just as it should be. 
 
 II 
 
In the steerage of the steamer, during the waiting time 
 in the fog, there were great struggles with baggage, for 
 one's best clothes must be found to glorify the entering 
 into the promised land. And it is a gorgeous color- 
 picture we see as the people stream up the gang-plank 
 by — hundreds? No, by thousands, for this is the historic 
 day when twelve thousand were landed. How can they 
 
 scarfs — and not far av/ay embroidered jackets of most vivid 
 green. Here comes — a flower-bed? Well, at least there are 
 geraniums enough to make one, and of course the bird- 
 cages follow — and here, at last, are our Hungarians, and 
 the very first to step into the golden-rosy country is little 
 Angelica. Still carrying the fiber-basket! Empty? No! 
 as full and heavy as ever, for that fruit, I would 
 remind you, has been brought all' the way from the 
 little garden in the Carpathian hills for her father's 
 enjoyment; let us hope it was not very ripe when it was 
 picked! 
 
 Over these little citizens-to-be waves the Stars and 
 Stripes, and as they enter Uncle Sam's big house, the 
 first thing to which they lift their eyes is the flag. The 
 many-colored procession streams on and up the stairs. 
 On the landing they are stopped by the doctors, who 
 examine eyes and head and hands. Watch them a moment. 
 See ! the first doctor in the line has chalked an F on the 
 lapel of that man's coat, and that one has a T. I am 
 afraid he may write B. H. on Stephen, because of his ban- 
 daged head! No; he only says, with a pleasant smile and 
 a kind little pat, "Better have the tooth out, little chap! " 
 
 Ellis Island 
 
 manage those enormous 
 bundles, or those huge 
 valises, only prevented 
 from bursting by the 
 grass ropes tied around ? 
 Ah ! these handsome 
 boys coming up now are 
 more sensible; their be- 
 longings are in gaily- 
 figured hour-glass -like 
 bags, thrown over their 
 shoulders. More bright 
 colors, even sometimes 
 scarlet dresses and pink 
 
The little chap understands the tone and the pat and the 
 smile — but not the words — and smiles back. 
 
 You notice that all the lettered persons are taken away 
 for more particular examination. Our people are not let- 
 tered and are passed on to wait for their turn at the Reg- 
 istry Desks. There are comfortable seats for all who 
 must wait, and opposite each seat a place for baggage. 
 It is good to see the women and children put 
 down their heavy loads and sink back on the 
 benches. Watch this man. If his papers are all 
 right and if he has enough money, and if he knows where 
 he is going and how to go, passing the Registry Desk is 
 only a matter of a moment or two — but these things, 
 especially the papers, are not always all right, and as we 
 watch we see many are marked with some letter, most 
 of them signifying detention for some reason; but the 
 worst that can possibly happen is to be marked "S. I.," 
 for this means a possible turning back by the Board of 
 Special Inquiry. 
 
 And all at once, we see that our children's grand- 
 father has been marked S. I. Why, I wonder? It must 
 be because he is 
 too old to work 
 for his own sup- 
 port, for Uncle 
 Sam says that 
 all who cannot 
 support them- 
 selves must be 
 sent back in the 
 ship they came 
 in. When the 
 meaning of S. I. 
 is explained to Just Arrived 
 
 the old man, all 
 
 the light goes out of his face and even his bright-faced 
 daughter looks startled — but wait ! her husband is 
 coming to meet them — he said so in his letter — and all 
 will be right then. 
 
 After all, a good many of these people must know 
 how to read. See them gazing at that notice, printed 
 in seven languages and posted everywhere. The top 
 hne says, MEALS FREE,* and doubtless those queer 
 
 Paid for by steamship companies. 13 
 
jumbles of funny -looking marks say so, too, in Polish or 
 Arabic or Yiddish, or other tongues. And doubtless 
 Poles and Syrians, Russians and Hungarians are alike 
 rejoicing, for they must, by this time, be frightfully hungry. 
 
 If we hurry we can perhaps reach the dining-room 
 before the hungry crowds get there — such a big, clean, 
 sunshiny and airy room, and sweet, salt (yes, both) air, 
 at that. Long tables, also clean and shining; an4 the 
 white-coated waiters are ready to serve a very nice-looking, 
 hot and hearty meal. After the steerage — what luxury! 
 
 But here at the wide 
 doors are gathering 
 hundreds of more or less 
 starved people, waiting 
 to come in. Suppose we 
 go out! 
 
 We pass the baggage- 
 room — luggage seems a 
 better word — mountains 
 of it, which will soon 
 disappear ; but there will 
 be mountains more to- 
 morrow — and to-mor- 
 row — and to-morrow — 
 endlessly, for the rush of 
 it never stops, the year 
 through. 
 
 And here are the 
 detention and waiting 
 rooms, and it is here 
 especially that we are 
 The Journey's End glad to remember that 
 
 there are Missionaries 
 on Ellis Island. Uncle Sam is kindness itself, but when 
 it comes to sorrow and disappointment and homesickness, 
 it is only the Missionary who has the cure, and I wish 
 you could see how the missionaries of Ellis Island have 
 learned to comfort the stranger in a strange land, even 
 when they cannot speak his language, or her language, as 
 it is more likely to be. 
 
 Shall we look in the "Missionaries' Room?" It is 
 empty now, though; that is, empty of people, for they 
 are all busy. Among the thousands landed to-day there 
 
 14 
 
are enough sorrowful and needy ones to keep the mis- 
 sionaries very busy. We count twelve desks — that must 
 mean at least twelve missionaries. We also see big presses 
 full of clothes — especially children's clothes — and one 
 great closet full of dolls and toys and boxes of candy. And 
 there in a large cabinet are cheery messages, printed 
 in at least twenty-six different languages. The Bible is 
 here, too, in almost as many tongues, and no one who can read 
 in any of them leaves ElHs Island without at least a Gospel. 
 
 We shall soon know how that disappointed old man 
 is getting along, for, as a great and unusual privilege, 
 
 Uncle Sam's Big House 
 
 the Commissioner has signed a pass which admits us 
 to the Board of Special Inquiry. A good many "S. I.'s" 
 are here sitting in rows before the Examiner ; and here sure 
 enough are our people. The older ones look pale and 
 anxious, and even the little people are pretty sober. The 
 father has not come yet. 
 
 Their turn to be called before the Examiner will come 
 presently. But just listen to the Examiner. I told you — 
 did I not? — that he can talk in twenty languages. There 
 are Spanish people in front of him, and his words are soft 
 and musical, but as these men, with such queer hats — 
 
 15 
 
looking like a piece of stove-pipe covered witii sheep- 
 skin — come up, they seem to change to a buzz-saw; others 
 come, he simply grunts — a succession of grunts, and the 
 men in front of him grunt back. Next he hoarsely gurgles 
 way down in his throat; but happily, whatever the lan- 
 guage, his words and looks are kind', and he tells us, in 
 sensible-sounding English, that long ago he resolved 
 never to speak a 
 cross or hasty w^ord 
 to these poor people, 
 so frightened are 
 they and miserable 
 in the fear of being 
 sent back, and some- 
 times, you know, he 
 does have to send 
 them back, or, as 
 they say at Ellis Isl- 
 and, " deport " them. 
 
 We are sitting so 
 that we can watch Ahais Fret 
 
 the people waiting 
 
 on the benches, or coming up to be examined. Right 
 back of us is a door. On the other side of it is a room 
 where relatives are waiting for their families. First, 
 those in the Board Room are questioned; then the 
 relatives are called in and questioned. If the answers 
 agree, then all is right and the family may go happily 
 off together — but they must not speak to one another, 
 or show any signs of gladness, until the door of the Board 
 Room is closed behind them. 
 
 Well, the old grandfather is at last called up. Poor 
 old man! you cannot think how dull he looks; that S. I. 
 seems to have crushed all life and hope out of him. But 
 he manages to say that his son has promised to support 
 him, and to come to take him to his new home. He can- 
 not tell why it is he does not come. And so he goes back 
 to the bench, and there the family sit in a row. Tired? 
 More than tired. These have been such hard days. And 
 why does their father not come? Little Angelica, utterly 
 weary, leans against her brother; the little fellow braces 
 up at this and places his arm protectingly around her. 
 He says something to her — I wish I knew what — and she 
 
 i6 
 
smiles up at him. The mother quietly holds her baby- 
 girl ; but two little red spots burn hotter and hotter m her 
 cheeks. They are facing the western window, and sud- 
 denly — is it that the sun has flashed out from a cloud, 
 and shines in their faces? No; not that — the door be- 
 hind us has opened, and the father comes into the room. 
 Watch radiant little Angelica! Not tired now! — none 
 of them are tired now; but they must not yet make any 
 sign, and the little woman holds herself together bravely. 
 
 But listen! the Examiner asks, "Whom do you come to 
 meet?" (He speaks in Hungarian, but repeats in English 
 so the clerks may write it down), and the man says, 
 "My wife, my children, my father." "Are you able to 
 support them?" "Yes; T'am all ready for them. I have 
 a house, with five rooms." "Do you promise to care 
 for your father, too?" ''Yes," says the man; but just 
 here there is a quick little stir, and a soft rush through the 
 room and little Angelica, not able to wait another second, 
 is in her father's arms, her arms tight around his neck. 
 He kisses her over and over again ; he is crying, too. Why 
 
 should he cry, w^hen 
 he is so glad? But 
 behind Angelica are 
 all the children, the 
 mother with the 
 baby, and the 
 trembling grand- 
 father. And the 
 father kisses them 
 all right in front of 
 the Examiner's desk. 
 It is against all 
 rules, but I think the 
 Examiner cannot 
 Detained See clearly for a mo- 
 
 ment, and when he 
 does, he says a few gentle words, and they go quietly out 
 of the room, Angehca holding tight to her father's hand. 
 
 So good-bye, httle people; and may America never, 
 never be anything but golden-rosy to you! 
 
 Our kind missionary friend, to whom we owe tliis visit 
 to Ellis Island, tells us we must see the Railroad Waiting 
 Room, for there will be "lots" of children. So we go with 
 
 17 
 
her down the long halls to the waiting room. Lots of chil- 
 dren? Indeed, yes. I wonder if you give a guess how often 
 you will hit the countries they come from? There are the 
 little Hollanders whom you have already seen. A sorrow- 
 ful little brother and sister, for their mother died on the 
 way over. How sturdily and tenderly the boy protects the 
 little sister, whom even her doll cannot comfort. Presently 
 they will be sent to the West where their father is waiting 
 for them. Surely, those big-eyed boys are Russians, and 
 there is a splendidly handsome little fellow, Murillo, his name 
 should be. These fair, but pink-cheeked little girls are 
 Swedes. This group are Spanish gypsies, and these 
 are Syrians, I am sure. And over there — why surely, 
 over there are our Hungarians once more, still sitting 
 in a row and still is Angelica's arm around her father's 
 neck. 
 
 Their railroad tickets are stuck in their hats, and what 
 do we read thereon? Why, "Slatington, Pa.," of course, 
 as the postmark on the letter said. 
 
 Our missionary has suddenly left us, but I tliink she whis- 
 pered "dolls" as she flashed away. (The missionaries here 
 come and go in a "flash," I notice. I suppose it is because 
 the immigrants are usually only one day on Ellis Island, 
 
 so what can be done 
 for them must be 
 done quickly, for 
 "they may not pass 
 this way again.") 
 She flashes back 
 with her arms full. 
 She gives a toy to 
 each of the boys, a 
 doll to Francesca, a 
 rag doll to the baby , 
 and a beautiful doll 
 
 The Way They Come (one family) tO Angelica;and 
 
 that darling little 
 
 Angelica clasps her treasure for one moment, lays her tenderly 
 down, then flies to our missionary, and looking up at her 
 with adoring eyes, takes her hand and kisses it, and simply 
 because we are with the missionary she kisses our hands, 
 too ; and the grateful, loving pressure of one little immigrant's 
 lips makes all little immigrants dear. 
 
 i8 
 
But all those other children. Did they not have anything? 
 You remember those boxes— five-pound boxes of candy ? The 
 missionary brings one with her, and all the little boys and 
 girls in that big room are soon happily and stickily munching 
 in many languages, though there would seem to be little 
 difference in tongues. And is it not a curious thing that to 
 sight and taste candy is 
 simply and instantly 
 candy, in English, as it 
 were. 
 
 And there's another 
 curious tiling — blue eyes, 
 black eyes, brown eyes, 
 Russian, Italian, Greek, 
 Swedish — twinkle and 
 smile and say, " Thank 
 you," and the mission- 
 ary's eyes smile back, 
 "You're welcome," and 
 they understand one an- 
 other perfectly without 
 speaking a word. 
 
 There's a fine hospi- The Home of the Little Hollanders 
 
 tal at Ellis Island, for 
 
 many times sick people are landed from the steamers. Here 
 is the children's ward, bright and full of sunshine, and 
 happily the little white beds are nearly all empty to-day. 
 
 On our way to the boat why is ''Department of Com- 
 merce and Labor'' on so many places? Why? Because 
 -Uncle Sam has put all matters concerning immigration in 
 the charge of this department, and "^this boat is a Govern- 
 ment boat, belonging to the department. And it is wliile 
 on our way to it that we see one of the saddest sights 
 of Ellis Island — the "S. I." people who have been turned 
 back. 
 
 It must be that they have some dreadfully "catching" 
 disease; or possibly they are convicts. This scowling man 
 may be an "Anarchist," who does not believe in any kind of 
 government, and thinks all rulers should be killed! We cer- 
 tainly do not want him in this country, for he would never 
 make an American! It is for the sick people, and the families 
 in wliich there are sick people that we are most sorry, and 
 they look in need of all the sympathy we can give. 
 
 19 
 
So we leave Ellis Island; but let us stay on the boat to 
 watch the crowd of immigrants go off. Look up there by 
 
 the Barge Office. Do you 
 see a wide gateway ? 
 Uncle Sam's watchfulness 
 ends there; but just out- 
 side there are lines of 
 people waiting to receive 
 friends and relatives, and 
 with those who have no 
 friends to meet them we 
 are quite sure to find 
 missionaries who will see 
 them safely tlirough the 
 difficulties that bristle all 
 about their way. 
 
 The Medical Examination The day We hit UpOn 
 
 for our visit has been 
 just an ordinary one, except in the great numbers landed. 
 There are extraordinary days — one in each year. 
 
 On this day there are several steamers coming in; it is 
 late in the afternoon of one of 
 the shortest days of the year; 
 very cold and dark. At the 
 dock are many immigrants — 
 many, many children, and they 
 are sorrowful and homesick 
 little children, for is not this 
 Cloristmas eve? And at home 
 there would have been the 
 Christmas tree — a tiny one, 
 perhaps, but still a Christmas 
 tree — with candles brightly 
 sliining, and great delight and 
 festivity. All day long they 
 had heard nothing but bewail- 
 ings and regrettings from the 
 older people, until now their 
 sad little hearts feel very sore. 
 
 No Christmas Eve, and no Through Crying 
 
 beautiful Christ-child in the 
 
 strange new land, so they say over and over again. 
 It is very dreary and cold and dark. 
 
 20 
 
So they have landed and now they pass under the flag into 
 Uncle Sam's big, warm house. They lift their heavy eyes — 
 and behold! What a perfect radiance of light and sparkle 
 and beauty! Christmas trees? I should say so. A forest 
 of them, glittering with gold and silver, brightly twinkling 
 with thousands of tiny lights, and weighed down with gifts, 
 and from far above them floats down the music of "the song 
 the angels sang. " The children know the music well, although 
 the words are strange. Sad eyes now? No! Hea\'y hearts? 
 No! Look, now, at the happy children! And this fairyland 
 of beauty is not all. Each one has a box of candy and an 
 
 The Statue of Liberty 
 
 orange, and every one, young and old, has a gift from those 
 wonderful trees! Watch the children as they open the 
 Httle purses and find shining inside a new beautiful — is it a 
 gold penny? There are little marks around the edge which 
 in a surprisingly short time these bright little children will 
 understand to say "The United States of America." May 
 they be ''luck pennies" indeed and bring the very best kind 
 of luck with them! 
 
 You wonder how all this radiance and happiness 
 could have been brought about? I wonder, too, but 
 
 21 
 
it is those wonderful missionaries who have done it, 
 though I fancy Uncle Sam helped! It took days and nights 
 of hard work — work and the spirit of the Christ-child in 
 their hearts. And surely they hear from His lips to-night, 
 ' ' I was a stranger, and ye took Me in. For inasmuch as ye 
 have done it unto one of the least of these, ye have done it 
 unto Me." 
 
 Next year you may know some tiling about it yourselves, 
 for it is quite within the power of you boys and girls to help. 
 
 Did I mention it? The colors of those myriad electric 
 bulbs were — red, white, and blue! 
 
 Ellis Island 
 
 22 
 
CHAPTER III 
 
 GATES AND NO GATES 
 
 ^ OR Ellis Island is not the only gate- 
 
 ^^1^ way to America, though through it 
 
 -^^^^.l" there came, last year, nearly 800, 
 
 ^jlfll 000 immigrants. There are at least 
 
 i - I thirty -four others, where strange 
 
 ^^S^ gfc people are coming from all parts of 
 
 ^Fl^^^^SS^^ the world, in all a million and more, 
 ^HM^HS^^^ many of them, but not all, to find 
 ^^^^^^^^^^K homes in this land of ours. For 
 ^^^^^^^^^^F a long, long time people have been 
 
 1 coming to it to find homes — almost 
 
 Italian since the day Columbus showed the 
 
 way to it! So many tilings hap- 
 pened at once, just about that time — a few years before, 
 perhaps, or a few years after. 
 
 Suppose we make the centre of them all a date. Now, 
 don't groan, for this date is only our old familiar friend, 
 1492, whom we seem to meet at every comer. This date 
 and all the other things that led to the coming of the first 
 emigrant ship, make me tliink of that old woman who 
 bought a pig with a crooked sixpence, and then was afraid 
 she could not get home that night. You remember what a 
 time she had when neither dog nor stick nor fire would 
 help, until all at once 
 
 "The cat began to kill the rat, 
 The rat began to gnaw the rope, 
 The rope began to hang the butcher, 
 The butcher began to kill the ox. 
 The ox began to drink the water. 
 The water began to quench the fire, 
 The fire began to burn the stick, 
 The stick began to beat the dog, 
 The dog began to bite the pig. 
 The little pig, in a fright, jumped over the stile, 
 And so the old woman got home that night. " 
 
 23 
 
You see it was only necessary to get the cat and the rat, 
 and the rest in the proper order and they started them- 
 selves. 
 
 Just so as to the beginning of Emigration to America. 
 Here are the happenings that rather suggest the old 
 woman and her pig, though that was fun, and this is 
 earnest. 
 
 First, we see the people of Europe; dull, dull, dull, 
 not knowing how to read, and with scarcely an idea in their 
 
 heads. A man called 
 Peter the Hermit suc- 
 ceeded in putting an 
 Idea into their heads, 
 or rather their hearts, 
 and 
 
 Second, we see them 
 — armies of them— start- 
 ing eastward, to carry 
 out this Idea. 
 
 T hird. S ee t hi s 
 
 beautiful city, with glis- 
 
 From Bussia tcuing domcs and shin- 
 
 ing minarets. Shut up 
 in the city are nearly all the hooks that Europe, at this 
 time, possesses. 
 
 Fourth. We see armies, with strange new artillery, 
 coming to besiege the city, and the Bosporus glows with 
 crimson light, reflected ^rom the streams of fire that 
 pour over the walls upon the enemy. It seems a magic 
 fire — water will not quench it — but the heavy balls of the 
 new artillery triumph, and the walls of the city fall. 
 
 (You may not think it, but the magic fire — as well as 
 the balls — has a connection with our Fourth of July.) 
 
 Fijth. While the city is falling, let us look into a 
 very quiet and still Scriptorium {guess at the meaning of 
 this name, if you do not already know it) ; quiet and 
 still, with a half-dozen young men at work; but it stands 
 for Harper's, Scribner's, Macmillan and all the rest, for the 
 Scriptorium was the Publisliing House of the Middle Ages. 
 And the young men who are copying manuscript stand 
 for the mighty printing presses of to-day, for they make 
 all the books there are. As we watch them working in 
 "initials," we see that they at least know the secret of 
 
 24 
 
exquisite "three-color" work! They are writing on 
 paper made from sheepskin. Why'? Because there is 
 nothing else to write on! Unless possibly a little paper, 
 made of papyrus and straw; but, as they carefully copy, 
 word by w^ord, and as I said, while the walls of the city are 
 falling. 
 
 Sixth. Not very far away, we see two men, mysteri- 
 ously hidden in the forest, making metal type, and print- 
 ing from them, and 
 
 Seventh. Look! here is a man triumphantly showing 
 some paper which, after many trials, he has succeeded 
 in making from linen rags. 
 
 Eighth. Now comes in 1492, and the discovery of 
 America; and to crown all these things. 
 
 Ninth, we see flashing lightning, and hear thunder 
 heavily crashing among the Hartz Mountains in Germany. 
 After the storm, a student finds in the library of a German 
 University an old book, which he has never before seen. 
 Later, we see the same student — but now he wears a 
 monk's cowl — toiling up a marble stairway, in the city 
 of Rome, on his 
 knees. When part 
 way up, he stops sud- 
 denly. 
 
 There! I have 
 told you all the 
 story. All ^'ozi need 
 do is to put the 
 different parts in 
 their proper order, 
 look off toward the 
 East, and — did I not 
 tell you?- — -there, 
 just rising above the Courtesy of Benj. F. Bnck. 
 horizon, is the May- Italian- Swiss Colony, Astl, Cal. 
 
 fower.'* Presently 
 
 vou will see the first immigrants landing on Plymouth Rock! 
 
 And so began the coming of immigrant ships to Ameri- 
 ca; and vou can make a tolerably good guess as to the 
 kind of Americans their passengers will make if you know 
 the reasons for their coming. "They have always been 
 
 *We can hardly regard the vessels of the "Jamestown Experiments" as 
 "Immigrant" ships. 
 
 25 
 
coming" — yes; but lately they have been coming 
 in enormous numbers, and they land at many different 
 points, which is the reason for our thirty -four (or m.ore) 
 Immigrant Stations or " Gates if we choose to call them so. 
 
 I am sure you could easily name the first and most 
 important. 
 
 Boston, of course, is one, and at least sixty-five thou- 
 sand entered by it last year. Baltimore's gate has almost 
 as many to go through it as Boston's. After Baltimore, 
 come New Bedford Mass.; Bangor, Maine; Key West, 
 Florida, and several others on the Atlantic Coast. 
 
 But, 3^ou see, we have now a front door and a back 
 door — the difficulty is to settle wliich is front and which 
 
 Free Kindergarten 
 
 is back, for in New York, San Francisco is thought to be 
 at the rear of the house, while in San Francisco people 
 say, "Back in New York." 
 
 Well, at front door or back, there are immigrants 
 clamorously knocking, but, as at Ellis Island, not all are 
 allowed to come in. 
 
 The western gates at San Francisco, Seattle and Port- 
 land are not so interesting to us as the eastern gates, for 
 in the stream of new-comers, it is the children we are 
 watching for, and not very many children cross the Pacific ; 
 but children almost beyond numbering sail over the 
 
 26 
 
Atlantic and come in at all the eastern gates. But, in 
 addition to the front and back doors, there are all the side 
 entrances! Four thousand miles on the Canadian border, 
 and about three thousand on the Mexican frontier, and 
 
 Porto Rico and 
 Hawaii, besides! 
 
 It is not an 
 easy matter to 
 guard all the 
 possible enter- 
 ing places; and 
 it is necessary to 
 guard them well, 
 for you would 
 hardly believe 
 there would be 
 so many people 
 trying to smug- 
 gle themselves 
 or others into 
 the United 
 States. This Ca- 
 nadian side has 
 been the easiest 
 
 way to get in. It is not so easy now, since Immigrant 
 Stations have been estabhshed at Halifax, Quebec, and 
 Montreal. 
 
 We can easily 
 see how these Sta- 
 tions help, but how 
 do the Inspectors 
 manage to guard the 
 long frontier ? These 
 are some of the 
 ways: Every day 
 they examine in- 
 •coming trains, look- 
 ing for foreigners 
 who are being smug- 
 gled in. Fancy 
 what this means, for the Immigration Ofhce has accounts 
 with forty-five companies doing a passenger-transportation 
 business across the boundary, between the Atlantic and 
 
 An Italian Tenemerd, Nev) York City 
 
 Courtesy of Benj. F. Buck 
 
 Market Bay at Independence, La. 
 
 27 
 
Pacific Oceans, and from them all — trains, trolleys, ferry 
 and lake boats — more than 6,000,000 passengers entered 
 the United States last year; among them were nearly 
 fifty thousand immigrants. 
 
 Niagara Falls is a favorite place for the smugglers, 
 who hope that among the thousands of passengers they 
 may escape inspection. But so alert are the officers 
 that this seldom happens — even at Niagara Falls. 
 
 The Inspectors watch the ferries and fleets of steamers 
 on the Great Lakes. All the year through, in the hardest 
 weather, they have boarded every train, met every ferry 
 and every steamer coming by lake, river, or sound, and in 
 one year have prevented from entering the United States 
 
 Immigrants at Honolulu 
 
 more than five thousand immigrants, many of them 
 having terribly contagious diseases, and many being 
 escaped convicts. Just now they are especially careful, 
 for in Denmark, a very large number of convicts have 
 lately been released from jail, and without doubt, many 
 of them have it in mind to try to get into the United States. 
 
 28 
 
Notwithstanding all the care and watching, occasion- 
 ally smugglers do get in. Not long ago a party of twenty 
 immigrants, nineteen of them having trachoma, a hopeless 
 and terrible eve disease (do you remember the T on coat 
 lapels at Elhs Island? It meant trachoma), tried to get 
 over the border. The railroads refused to carry them. 
 
 Everdng School, New York Citrj — Twenty-seven Nationalities 
 
 But some man agreed to furnish them wagons, and delib- 
 erately drove them over the border into North Dakota! 
 He was arrested though, as were twenty other smugglers. 
 Finding the Canadian side so well guarded, these smug- 
 glers are now trying the Mexican border. So it has be- 
 come necessary to establish Stations all the way along 
 from Florida to California. New Orleans and El Paso 
 are very important stations. 
 
 At El Paso all passenger trains are examined, and smug- 
 glers, knowing this, bring in their immigrants in sealed freight- 
 cars, which by the co-operation of the railroad men are shifted 
 in such a way that the inspectors cannot examine them. 
 They leave no ways untried, these smugglers, and it is safe 
 to say that Americans are very seldom "made" out of the 
 foreigners who try to enter where there are no gates! 
 
 29 
 
30 
 
CHAPTER IV 
 
 NEW YORK ARITHMETIC 
 
 Spanish 
 
 I VERY forty seconds an immigrant enters 
 New York." Every forty seconds I That 
 must amount to a considerable number 
 in a year, don't you tliink? Will you 
 I work it out, while I try to find how 
 many of those who come in a year are 
 children ? We do not care so much for 
 the grown-ups, you know. It is the 
 children who are going to make real 
 Americans. You remember, don't you, 
 what crowds of children there were at 
 Ellis Island that day — but what did you 
 say? Seven hundred eighty-eight thousand, 
 four hundredl Is it possible that just one in every forty 
 seconds comes to that? It's tremendous, isn't it? Not all 
 of them stay in New York, but there are thousands and 
 thousands who do, and I have found out now that last 
 year there were nearly fifty thousand 
 more children to be placed in the public 
 schools than the year before. We shall 
 take a look presently at the schools after 
 we learn why so many immigrants stay 
 in New York. 
 
 We were speaking of that day at 
 Ellis Island and of the crowds of chil- 
 dren. So many dark, sparkling eyes 
 and so many dark but not so sparkling. 
 The first are Italians from the south of 
 Italy; the sad eyes come from Russia. 
 
 Many of them will stay in New 
 York, and, as they make their way 
 up West Street by the North River, 
 (which notwithstanding their names 
 run in the same direction), closely 
 /6 following their guide, shall we follow 
 
 them ? First to the Italian quar- 
 ter, and afterward we will go over to the East Side to the 
 Jewish quarter, or Ghetto. We soon reach "Little Italy," 
 there are manv such in New York. What crowds of children 
 
 id 
 
 io 
 
 y Z o o 
 
 V 2)0.0 CO 
 
 2 S-f ^ Q a 
 3 / ^3 C 60 d 
 
 JZ-. 
 
 31 
 
in the streets, and, for that matter, what streets! and what 
 houses! But they are not as bad as they were before good 
 people began to try to make them better. The worst of the 
 tenements now are better than the best of them used to be, 
 and the crowds of claildren are not so great, either, for many 
 of those who — Hve? — well, eat and sleep in the tenements, 
 are now in the late afternoon having good times and becoming 
 healthy Americans in park and playground and on recrea- 
 tion pier. 
 
 The street is still quite full enough of people and hand- 
 carts, fruit stands, street pianos, to the music of which 
 many a little girl is dancing, though the sound is nearly 
 drowned out by the peddlers shouting their wares — vege- 
 tables and fish with 
 very queer names. 
 Signs and posters 
 here are all in Italian. 
 Newsboys dart here 
 and there, wherever 
 there is a chance to 
 sell a " BoUetino " or 
 " Progresso " or " Ar- 
 aldo." They are 
 certainly a sign 
 that, Italian as 
 everv^tliing seems to 
 us, these foreigners 
 are becoming Amer- 
 icans, for the news- 
 paper is one of the things that help in the making. 
 
 Little Italy, as I said, seems very Itahan to us, but 
 the people who have landed to-day seem not to feel at home, 
 but quite bewildered. It is not Italy at all to them, but a 
 place where ever\^thing is strange. Even the old friends 
 and neighbors who come to greet them are so changed and 
 so "Americanized" that they hardly seem the people whom 
 they used to know. 
 
 It is astonishing how soon the children become Americans! 
 Look at the boys playing — ItaHan games? No! Marbles; 
 it would be baseball if there were no policeman about, and 
 will be when he departs. The little girls are playing " London 
 Bridge is falling down," and "All around the mulberr}^ bush." 
 They skip rope — the rope and even the skipping may be 
 
 32 
 
Italian but the words they are calhng are " Pepper, salt, 
 mustard, vinegar." Games need sharp seasoning in Little 
 Italy! You will hardly believe the numbers of Italians there 
 are in New York — ^nearly half a million. What makes them 
 come? Well, it is partly because so many have come that 
 more are continually coming, for Italians like to keep to- 
 gether; but there are other reasons. You remember when 
 we saw them counting out their money at Ellis Island there 
 was not very much of it. So they must get work and wages 
 
 In Need of Help 
 
 at once. They can generally get it through some friend or 
 by paying commission to an agent in the quarter. The first 
 Italians who came over did not "work," they went about with 
 hand-organs and monkeys, the latter delighting some chil- 
 dren and frightening others, but fascinating all, collected 
 pennies at such a rate that the organ-grinder could vory 
 soon send home for his family! But hand-organs w^ent out 
 and the push-cart came in, and the push-cart remains, but 
 Greeks — for there is also a Greek quarter in New York — 
 have about ousted the Italians from the business. The 
 
 33 
 
Italian now is " the man with a shovel " or spade. And now we 
 do not wonder that he stays in New York, for to be dug seems 
 to be New York's principal object in hfe — dug up for electrics 
 and pipes and tilings; dug down for the foundations of sky- 
 scrapers; dug under for subways, and dug through for tun- 
 nels — a Paradise, truly — for the man who wants to dig! And 
 that man just now is the Italian. His cloildren, when they 
 are men, will not want to do it; they will be Americans then! 
 Who then, will? We need not worry, for New York by that 
 time will surely be worse than the catacombs of Rome, and 
 
 Italian Sweat Shop, Xew York City 
 
 cannot be dug any more, lest evers^body fall in — though then, 
 to be sure, they would still need to be dug out. 
 
 Anyway, the Itahan is likely to have a chance to use 
 his spade as long as he wants to, and meanwhile unless 
 some one comes to the rescue, the streets of New York 
 will be making thousands and thousands of a very poor 
 kind of American out of his children. You can imagine the 
 kind of American you would make if things were so with 
 you. 
 
 54 
 
And as it is in New York, so it is in other large cities. 
 The Jewish "'quarter" on the East Side seems more hke 
 a third. There are many queer sights in it. And after all 
 we have seen in our walk up from the Battery the strangest 
 sight of all is one we do not see, as an Irish- American 
 might say, for in New York there are Irish quarters too — 
 many of them. Look carefully as we make our w^ay along 
 through several blocks — and, if Little Italy was crowded, 
 what do you think of this? Notice especially the street 
 corners. Now — what dont you 
 see ? 
 
 Xot a single, solitary saloon. 
 Even so, and we shall have to 
 look sharply and perhaps travel 
 far in the Jewish Ghetto to find 
 one. One good mark for the 
 Russian Jew! There are Coffee 
 Saloons (where the patrons 
 drink tea — a la Russe), and very 
 numerous " Coffee and Cake 
 Parlors," which are really res- 
 taurants and workingmen's 
 
 clubs, combined. Jn the Woods 
 
 What particularly interests 
 us in this matter is the proof that Jewish children — who are 
 none too happy — are, spared the wretchedness of fathers 
 who spend their money in saloons, and at last come 
 home in such a state that wild beasts could not be more 
 terrifying or dangerous. 
 
 But these boys and girls of the Ghetto — even the little 
 children — it is hard to think of them. Did they, too, have 
 dreams of a bright and happy America, I wonder? They 
 do not find it, poor little things — in the sweat-shops or 
 factories, where many of them, four years old, five, six. 
 seven — work, work, work, the long day through. When 
 darkness comes, too tired to eat, they fall heavily asleep, 
 to be awakened — so soon I — by shrill whistles, w^hich send 
 them forth again to work. No sunshine, no play, no 
 childhood, for these little ones, in our free, happy and 
 Christian America. Not only in New York is it so. The 
 mines of Pennsylvania, the cotton mills of the South, the 
 stock yards of Chicago — in all there are suffering little 
 •"hildren of immigrants. 
 
 35 
 
I saw, one day, some of these little children, a hundred, 
 perhaps, gathered from the East Side of New York, to 
 have a " Happy Day " in the country. Part of their happi- 
 ness — as we thought — was to consist in having plenty 
 to eat that day. We knew before, but anyway should 
 have learned it from the thin, thin little bodies under frock 
 or jacket that they seldom had enough to eat. 
 
 But they should have to-day! and of the very nicest 
 tilings. For once, at least, they should not be hungry. 
 And when boat and train and trolley had brought them 
 to the beautiful woods on the mountain side, we thought 
 they would be nearly famished for sometliing to eat. 
 Famished they must have been, but not hungry; for 
 when food was brought them, they looked at it dully, 
 lifted up heavy eyes, and with sad little shakes of the 
 head, said "No; tanks," and turned listlessly away. Over- 
 worked, they were. Such little children. 
 
 We could scarcely bear it. What, then, must such 
 a sight have been to Him who took the little children 
 
 in His arms and 
 blessed them — 
 as though he 
 said, "Be happy 
 and gay, little 
 children, for 
 happiness be- 
 longs to you. " 
 
 But that was 
 in the morning. 
 And all tlorough 
 the lovely sum- 
 mer day Christ's 
 own blessing 
 seemed to be in 
 the blue of the 
 sky and the soft 
 white clouds ; to rest over the daisy fields and in the 
 gurgling water of the little brook, to come wafted on 
 the breezes, bringing sweetness of clover and fresh-cut 
 grass, and to sing in the joyous trilling of the birds, 
 and lo ! in the afternoon there came happy, rested, 
 hungry little children to enjoy the meal that was ready 
 for them. 
 
 36 
 
 starting for the Woods 
 
And after the meal? Why you know we are making 
 Americans, and this was the third of July, so of course, 
 there was a flag-raising, and I wish you could have seen 
 our little citizens-to-be give the Salute! Only we could 
 not see them very well. There seemed, indeed, to be 
 something the matter with our eyes all that day. But 
 
 you must man- 
 age to see clearly 
 after the flag- 
 raising and the 
 singing of "My 
 Country, 'tis of 
 Thee." Like an- 
 other company 
 that Christ had 
 blessed, our chil- 
 dren "sat down 
 in rows upon the 
 green grass." It 
 was a pretty 
 sight in the late 
 afternoon sun- 
 shine, and did 
 not lack in color, 
 for there were 
 
 Sag-Pickers boWCrs of fcms 
 
 and daisies and 
 
 clover and "black-eyed Susans," which thb cliildren had 
 gathered, and from which they could not be parted for a 
 moment, and in each "brick" of ice-cream there stood 
 erect and fl.oated proudlv the red, white and blue of the 
 flag. 
 
 I think the cliildren were perfectly happy then. But- — 
 perfectly happy? For one little girl, at least, there was 
 a flaw in the perfect day. It was in New Jersey. And 
 she first twitched one foot, and then the other, and sud- 
 denly said, in tones of distress, "Teacher, teacher; them 
 Nanny-goats is bitin' me!!" We never quite understood 
 it — the twitching we understood, and the tones — we 
 live in New Jersey — but they are not so large that they need 
 be called Nanny-goats! It rather hurt our feelings. But 
 the day was perfect — all but tlais swarm (not at all a 
 thick one) of Jersey — Nanny-goats ! 
 
 37 
 
The heart-breaking time was the leaving. I cannot for- 
 get one Httle girl, such a tliin, pale little body, who gazed 
 long at the sunny field where bright daisy-heads were bend- 
 ing and tossing in the rippling breezes; the merry little 
 brook; the trees casting long shadows now from the westering 
 sun; then, looking up at me, "Teacher, I wt:>ht I could stay 
 here," she said. 
 
 Italian Truck Gardens of Tennessee 
 
 But the trolleys were waiting at the nearest point, and 
 all must go aboard; baskets of food "to take home," flowers, 
 and the cliildren, who, waving their flags — not the tiny ice- 
 cream flags — these were pinned on their jackets — but 
 big ones "to keep," and to help them to be Americans — 
 weaving these and singing, said good-bye to the Happy Day. 
 We scarcely saw the weaving, though, for the thought that 
 clutched coldly at our hearts, that for these little children 
 the happy day *was over, and to-morrow morning early and 
 in all the summer days to come, they must stifle out their 
 lives at hard labor. 
 
 One thing you happy boys and girls can do — must do — you 
 must help to stop the suffering and torture — for it is that, 
 and you can help — of these little strangers within our gates. 
 
 And I can tell you that — ^unless they die first — these 
 cliildren of the Ghetto, if given half a chance, are going to 
 make true and loyal Americans after a while. 
 
 38 
 
How do I know? Well, you should just visit the night 
 schools over in the Jewish quarter — crowded with those who 
 have been working long hours in the sweat-shops, conquering 
 the English language, with its baffling "th's" and "w's"; 
 and ask some one to tell you whether there were any 
 Jewish boys in our army in Cuba, and if so, what kind of 
 soldiers they made ; and they have and can read almost the 
 best book on citizenship that was ever written. It is you 
 boys and girls who have the very best! I wonder whether 
 you have ever thought to look up its recipes for making good 
 Americans ? 
 
 There are many other "quarters" in New York. The 
 Syrian quarter, for instance, down near the Battery; the 
 Cliinese — more often called Chinatown. You should see 
 
 It a-lio- Americans 
 
 this at night to get the full effect of the long rows of lanterns 
 and signs; great stretches of blocks which make up the 
 German-/za//, it would seem to be. There are Spanish, 
 Persian — 
 
 But how can there be so many quarters? DonH four quar- 
 ters make one whole? Why, yes; they should, but fractions 
 do "act up" sometimes. I am sure you have often found 
 it to be so. If you have "begun Caesar" you will recall, 
 
 39 
 
for instance, the case of "All Gaul." Does not Caesar say it 
 was 'quartered into three halves"? wliich is harder to 
 "reduce" than so many quarters. 
 
 Suppose we try tlois : If four quarters make one New York, 
 then would not eleven (or so) quarters make a — Greater New 
 York? This may not be correct. I have always heard, 
 anyway, that "New York is an unsolved problem in immi- 
 gration," so it is quite natural that this chapter should begin 
 and end with struggles in arithmetic. 
 
 At \S'ork in the Apple Dryer, Tontitown, Ark.— Italian Colony 
 
 40 
 
CHAPTER V 
 
 THE "R. R.'S" 
 
 E saw them, you remember, at Ellis 
 Island, when, having passed the 
 doctor's examination and answ^ered 
 the inspector's twenty-two questions 
 (there must be twenty-two; the 
 game of Twenty Questions is not 
 played at Ellis Island), and having 
 shown their money, they are marked 
 "R. R." and passed from the Regis- 
 try Desk on to a point at the right. 
 
 where suddenly they disappear! 
 
 Lithuanian They sceni to drop through a 
 
 hole in the floor, and that is the last 
 we see of them — at that time. Fortunately we know what 
 the letters stand for, though to those who wear them they 
 must have been only one more puzzle in a long chain of in- 
 comprehensible tilings. 
 
 ''What do they stand for?'' Why — Railroads, of course, 
 and by means of them w^e may catch a glimpse of man}^ who 
 so mysteriously vanished from our sight that day. 
 
 Well, first there is the New York, New Haven i.^^ Hart- 
 ford, and its extensions. It takes us to mills and factories 
 in New England where there are many immigrants who come 
 by way of Ellis Island. There are more, perhaps, who are 
 landed at Boston, but the largest number in these mills and 
 factories are French Canadians, who, in general, enter our 
 country by one or other of the land gates. 
 
 But the N. Y., N. H. & H. carries us also to many an 
 "abandoned farm;" stony and barren, some of them are, with 
 soil all used up and worn out ; but men who in Sicily have 
 terraced mountains to make little garden patches, and who 
 are so skillful in irrigation as to almost make water run up- 
 hill, are not to be disheartened or discouraged by a few stones 
 or other obstacles in the way of success ; and it is quite likely 
 if you were to go to live in Hartford or New Haven you would 
 find your best milk and finest cheese and most luscious fruits 
 and vegetables came from the dair}^ and "truck" farms of 
 Italians, who, with their children, are fast becoming 
 Americans. 
 
 41 
 
There are Jewish farmers, too, in New England. Would 
 there were more! It will be a happy day for the children 
 when farms take the place of the sweat-shops. 
 
 It is likely that some of the R. R.'s took the New York 
 Central to Canastota, New York, to join friends and relatives 
 already there. Here are truck farms, and houses and bams, 
 and here are Italian boys and girls who are becoming such 
 good Americans that even now you can hardly tell that 
 they are Italians. 
 
 Visit the schools if you have any doubt about it! It is 
 possible you may hear of these scholars some day, for they 
 are ambitious and mean that you shall. 
 
 Many a Russian Jew marked R. R. went down that hole in 
 the floor, too! And some of them, by way of the West Jersey, 
 turned up later away down at the point between Delaware 
 Bay and the Ocean, where are Jewish colonies at Woodbine 
 and other places. These colonies had hard times at first, 
 but are prosperous now. If you want to know what straw- 
 berries and peaches really are, 
 you might try some from these 
 farms and orchards. 
 
 This is the place to which the 
 children of the Ghetto should go. 
 The free air makes Americans of 
 them in a jiffy! 
 
 But some R. R.'s were fair 
 with rosy cheeks and blue eyes. 
 If W3 take any of the roads 
 which lead to Minnesota or 
 Wisconsin, I am sure we shall 
 meet some of them, for years ago 
 their countrymen went to this 
 region to open it up and settle 
 it, so that now whole cities and 
 the great farming country are 
 almost entirely Scandinavian — 
 
 that is, the people came from a Wisconsin Citizen 
 
 Norway or Sweden or Denmark. 
 
 Scandinavians make good Americans — very — and those 
 whom we saw at Ellis Island are probably on their way 
 to join their countrymen in the Northwest, and there 
 swell the ranks of good citizens of Uncle Sam. 
 
 These R. R.'s will take us all over the United States 
 
 42 
 
if we attempt to follow wherever they go. 1 am sure some 
 Itahan R. R.'s went to Cahfornia, for Cahfornia is more 
 Uke Itah^ than any other part of tliis country, and there 
 are now, in various parts of it, about forty-six thousand 
 Itahans, who own nearly three thousand farms, vineyards 
 and orchards. There are some things you should notice 
 about the Ital- 
 ian immigrants. 
 They pay as 
 they go, as a 
 general thing, 
 and are almost 
 never paupers. 
 And in Califor- 
 nia at least, 
 where are all 
 those acres of 
 beautiful vine- 
 yards, intoxica- 
 tion among 
 them is almost j'uivu ->,u:^s coior,y ut a^u, cai. 
 
 unknown. 
 
 We find Itahans also in Arkansas and Texas and 
 Louisiana, cultivating cotton and sugar; in North Car- 
 olina and Tennessee, where their "truck" farms are be- 
 coming famous. In Florida, too, and Mississippi, are 
 colonies. All roads going South took some, perhaps, 
 though generally immigrants bound for the South enter 
 the gates of Baltimore or Charleston. 
 
 Besides all the R. R.'s who dropped out of sight that 
 day, you will remember the crowds in the waiting-room. 
 The Lackawanna will help us to find many of them, who 
 were bound for the coal fields of Pennsylvania. We have 
 a special interest in some of the mining towns, and may 
 come back here later. 
 
 But do you know what I have been tlainking all tlais 
 time that we have been flying over the railroads? Why, 
 of the roads themselves! Who made them? "The rail- 
 road w^as the magic key that unlocked America. " Who 
 made it ? 
 
 Away up in North Dakota, almost at the end of civil- 
 ization, a railroad is just now being built, at the rate of 
 two miles a day, too — so as to catch the wheat h^^vest, 
 
 43 
 
which will be ready presently. Let us watch, for a 
 moment, the hundreds of laborers — immigrants — who 
 are fairly flinging the tracks across the prairie. How 
 strong they are and how willing to work hard. And do 
 notice the Contractor — an immigrant, too, from the 
 North of Ireland, who has built thousands of miles of 
 railroad, not only over prairies like tliis, but also in the 
 heart of the Cascades and the Rockies, where a mountain 
 sheep could scarcely have found a footing. 
 
 With system and energy, he orders the w^ork — but who 
 does ifi Not Americans — no, immigrants, and it has been 
 by immigrants, hundreds of thousands of them, from 
 Ireland, Itaty, Bohemia, Hungary, that almost all our 
 great roads have been made. 
 
 " R. R.'s" indeed; they deserve the name; and while 
 we are trying to make Americans of them, have they 
 not been making America? 
 
 The Flag Salute 
 
 44 
 
CHAPTER VI 
 
 MAKERS OF AMERICANS 
 
 F you do not want to wait, but wish 
 to see, at this moment, the foreigner 
 of to-day becoming the American of 
 to-morrow, just take a look with me 
 into the kindergartens (strangely 
 enough, this name itself is a for- 
 eigner, which has never become 
 American), which we may find now 
 in city and countr}-; some of them 
 a part of the system of public schools, 
 some of them carried on in connection 
 Swiss with Settlements, others under the 
 
 care of churchesor missionary societies. 
 Where shall we go first? Why, naturally, to those 
 places where the children most abound, although when 
 we speak of kindergartens the first one that comes to mind 
 is at "Slatington, Pa., U. S. A," where Francesca and An- 
 gehca and the boys must be able, by this time, to greet 
 us in English! But we cannot leave New York just yet, 
 for there, in kindergartens, we shall find thousands and 
 thousands of little foreigners; in some of them tliirty or 
 forty different "kinds." Indeed, there is at least one 
 kindergarten where, in the block in wliich it is situated, 
 more than sixty languages are spoken — outside, but not 
 -in the kindergarten. No; there they speak English, and 
 they learn it in the shortest time! And when you see 
 these little people from Italy and Russia and Syria, Greece, 
 Austria, Hungarv" — each morning giving the salute to the 
 flag, and marching to patriotic songs, you do not doubt 
 that they will be Americans to-morrow! 
 
 And it is a happy tiling they are in the kindergarten, 
 for they w^ould also learn quickly if they were growing up in 
 the streets — ^but their first steps could scarcely, in that case, 
 lead to good citizensliip. 
 
 The kindergarten starts them in the ver\^ path that leads 
 to it — in happy play, happy, honest work, and happy obe- 
 dience to the Golden Rule. 
 
 After the kindergarten comes the real school. You all 
 
 45 
 
know what that means, only you must add to your work, as it 
 is, the thought of doing it all in a foreign language. 
 
 So the children who com^e to America little enough to go 
 to the kindergarten are the fortunate ones, for when they 
 enter the primary school, they can already think in English! 
 
 Just try to realize how full these schools must^be. We 
 are thinking now of those in the lower East Side of New York, 
 which is so crowded that if all parts of Greater New York 
 were as full there would be in it as many people as in all the 
 United States, and of course you know how many that would 
 be. No wonder there is not room in the schools for all the 
 children. You remember that there were fifty thousand 
 more last year than the year before, and the wise people 
 now say that there will be more immigrants coming from 
 Europe this year than ever before. How can all these boys 
 and girls and little tots go to school? Already there afe in 
 many of the schools morning, afternoon and night sessions. 
 
 Vacation Kindergarten 
 
 thus making one building answer for three sets of j^upils. 
 There have also been added airy and sunshiny school-rooms. 
 Where? On the roofs of the buildings! 
 
 What more can they do to make Americans of the for- 
 eigners ? For the public school is the real maker of Americans. 
 
 They are doing more, though ; for in New York and in other 
 cities school "keeps" all "vacation," and if you have thought 
 much about these boys and girls in New York and Boston, 
 
 46 
 
Chicago, Philadelphia, and other large cities, you will be glad 
 to know of these vacation schools, for think how dreadful the 
 summer days and evenings, too, would be in these crowded 
 places were it not for parks and playgrounds ; the recreation 
 piers, fresh-air excursions, and the vacation schools, which 
 are often roof -schools as well. If you know anything about 
 it you will know that the roof of a "skyscraper," shaded with 
 awnings, under which the fresh and sunsfuny breezes blow 
 over sweet-smelling 
 roof gardens is not at 
 all bad for a school- 
 room. And one can 
 "look off," ah, how 
 far! over green is- 
 lands and sparkling 
 blue water, rippling 
 up into whitecaps ; 
 or down through the 
 Narrows, far, far 
 away, where, against 
 the horizon, are glis- Vacation Carjx n d ri n g 
 
 tening in the sun, 
 
 white and gray — big birds, are they? or sailing ships? 
 
 They do not teach from books in these summer schools! 
 Perhaps one reason is the discovery that many a girl, though 
 "not long in the country" can tell "considerable" about the 
 Andes, or the Amazon, but has not the least idea where knives 
 and forks should be placed on the table! So in the vacation 
 schools they teach the things which will prepare these new- 
 comers for real American living. Housekeeping, cooking, 
 physical culture, carpentering, basket-weaving, gardening, 
 nature work, dressmaking, millinery — ^but the hooks wait 
 until September. 
 
 Perhaps of all the schools for foreigners the most inter- 
 esting are the evening classes. Those who attend them have 
 usually been working hard all day, but this you would hardly 
 think, so eager are they in making use of these classes in art 
 or design or music. We notice the number of Russian Jews 
 and of Italians, and wonder whether there may not be some 
 day famous painters and sculptors and musicians, who drew 
 their first inspiration from these night schools. 
 
 There are evening playgrounds, too. Blessings on the 
 man — or more Ukely the woman — ^who first had the happy 
 
 47 
 
thought of roofing over the long piers, and making gardens 
 of house-tops! These house-tops are not too easily reached — 
 six flights of stairs to climb sometimes — yet you should 
 see the tiny tots and the babies who must have been car- 
 ried up. These roof gardens are open until ten o'clock. 
 There is singing just before closing time, in which often 
 two thousand voices join; but — after that, two thousand 
 people must leave the pleasant sights and sounds and the 
 fresh breezes, for the stifling, unspeakable tenements. 
 
 And there are still thousands and thousands down in 
 the streets. Think, for instance, of the newsboys and the 
 bootblacks! They have a hard fight to become anything! 
 The Boys Clubs help most to make Americans of 
 them. There are many of them, with the membership 
 mounting up into the thousands, and they are the saving 
 and the making of many a boy. Mr. Jacob Riis says one 
 
 Boys' Club is worth 
 a thousand police- 
 men's clubs, and, 
 for the street boy, it 
 must be one or the 
 other. 
 
 But there are the 
 country kindergar- 
 tens and the coun- 
 try schools — where 
 Americans may not 
 be made quite so 
 rapidly — perhaps 
 not until the day 
 after to-morrow! 
 but they may pos- 
 it is good for the 
 it is good for 
 
 Vacation Kindergarten 
 
 sibly make a better kind of citizen 
 young lungs to expand in the bracing air 
 young eyes to roam over wide-reaching field and forest, 
 and you may here see fewer spectacles than in the city ; it 
 is good, above all, for the young legs to run as they will; 
 so the small foreigners grow up in these country settlements 
 — a free sky above them ; homes — not tenements — to live in ; 
 the duties of citizenship made clear to them day by day, 
 their love of country growing as they grow. Surely they 
 will make Americans, and Americans worth while! 
 
 48 
 
CHAPTER VII 
 
 Russian 
 
 "CHILDREN OF TO-DAY, THE NATION OF 
 TO-MORROW" 
 
 OU remember the .finding of an old 
 Book by a certain student of Ger- 
 many, once upon a time ? That 
 "Student's Movement" surely 
 amounted to something! Well, 
 upon that Book the foundations 
 of our Republic were laid, and 
 upon it they stand, and so it 
 comes about that on tliis Sunday 
 morning, if people are obeying 
 the law of the land and of the 
 Book, we shall find thousands and 
 thousands of these foreign-born 
 boys and girls, not at work nor at school, but absolutely 
 free to learn on this day how to become the very best 
 kind of Americans. 
 
 Just think over the best Americans you know, or 
 know about. You are studying "United States History," 
 of course. Now — think! You want great Americans, you 
 know. Begin with Washington, and think down — or 
 up! — to tliis very Sunday. You may have five minutes. 
 So write down the list. Ready? Now, check off those 
 who believed the Bible and tried to live up to its teach- 
 ings. Great Americans, I said; that means men, and 
 it means women, too. Everyone is checked. I thought 
 so! and on this Sunday and all Sundays, and through 
 the week beside, it is this kind of American that we want 
 to make of all the cliildren whom we saw coming in at 
 Ellis Island, and of all who have come since; for — think 
 a moment — every day since we were there, the children 
 have been streaming in — under the Flag. They will all 
 be twenty-one years old some day! And so will you. 
 
 Foreign -born, and native-born, you will all be citizens, 
 and will all vote together — certainly all you boys will, 
 and perhaps — things do change, sometimes, in a dozen 
 3^ears or so — so perhaps the girls — well, at least, it may 
 be well to be ready! If all the — thousands? No; it 
 will be millions and millions — if all of vou have found that 
 
 49 
 
it is righteousness that exalts a nation, and that sin is a 
 shame to any people, and if you say so by your vote and 
 .influence, then the Stars and Stripes will wave over a 
 glorious and happy America! 
 
 So on Sundays and on other days, Christian people 
 are trying to help the foreign boys and girls to become 
 that kind of Americans. They do this by church services 
 and Sunday schools, in kindergartens and day schools, 
 by music classes and reading roomxS ; by colporteurs to give 
 the Book, which may be as new to them as it was to Martin 
 Luther; by kindness at all times; by nursing the sick; in 
 showing them how to make comfortable and happy homes ; 
 by evening classes for those who work through the day; 
 by play-grounds and the gymnasium; by bright lectures, 
 and nature study and work, in showing, by example, 
 the working of the Golden Rule; in all these and in many 
 other ways they are making of our foreigners strong, 
 healthy, happy Christian citizens for America. 
 
 Don't you want to help? Not so hard a thing to do 
 as perhaps you think, and it would be if you had to do it 
 alone; but, you see, there are "lots" of big, strong people 
 ready to help you. Did you ever hear of a Home Mission 
 Board? Why, what a question! Of course you have heard 
 of Home Mission Boards and of course you are not a 
 bit like that boy 
 who thought Mis- 
 sion Boards were 
 simply the planks 
 that " Mission " fur- 
 niture is made of ! 
 
 So far from that, 
 I am sure you have 
 often sent money to 
 help carry on the 
 work of your special 
 Board of Home Mis- 
 sions; but perhaps 
 you have never cooUng school 
 
 happened to think 
 
 what a great work it is doing for our country and for the 
 foreigners, in helping them to build churches, in training 
 ministers to carry them the Gospel, and in forming and 
 supporting Sunday schools. One Home Mission Board — 
 
 50 
 
perhaps it is yours — has churches for almost every sort of 
 immigrant we saw at ElHs Island, with preaching in twenty- 
 two different languages, and if you really want to share 
 with the little foreigners the best thing you have, and to 
 help them to climb up the path to citizenship, I can show 
 you one way to do it. Ask someone to tell you, or better, 
 find out for yourself all about the work the Home Mission 
 Boards are doing for these little people — the work they are 
 doing now, I mean, i 
 
 Yes, but besides all this work to be kept up, there will 
 be, this year, well — perhaps one hundred thousand more 
 
 Open Air Service 
 
 boys and girls to be placed in Sunday schools! Think a 
 little about this, and you will very soon find something 
 you can do. Surely the Boards will need your help and 
 you will need theirs to get all these children in, and just as 
 surely, you will find "being partners in the concern" 
 a very happy thing. 
 
 For the sake of the little strangers, and for the sake 
 of Him who was once a stranger — just try it and see! 
 
 But let us spend a week now with our little Hungarian 
 friends! For we find them at last, happy in their "five- 
 roomed house." Not happy though on the dreadful 
 
 51 
 
day of the accident in the mine, where their father worked. 
 After long hours he was rescued, but the fathers of other 
 httle boys and girls were killed. Such days come often in 
 the mining regions. 
 
 Let us watch Angelica in the kindergarten — "No more 
 a stranger or a guest, but like a child at home. " When 
 
 These cliildren will certainly make notable housekeepers 
 some day! And Tuesday they iron; Wednesday they cook; 
 Thursday, ah, Thursdays they "garden ; " Friday they sweep, 
 and Saturday is baking-day. 
 
 Sunday? On Sunday, we must say good-bye to little 
 Angelica; but first she will say, for us, in her sweet, blithe 
 voice, and with a soft blurring of the hard English letters, 
 her "golden text." This is it: 
 
 "Suffer the little children to "come unto Me, and forbid 
 them not, for of such is the kingdom of Heaven. " 
 
 And thus far, to little Angelica, America is a rosy- 
 golden country. 
 
 They are coming still, these little children, and like 
 Angelica, happy, gleeful, triumphantly glad to reach 
 "America." Don't let them be disappointed. The Flag 
 promises a happy home, happy childhood, happy schools, 
 happy work, after a while. Then — citizensloip! 
 
 There are many who are trying to prevent the Flag 
 from keeping its promises; but you boys and girls — 
 Americans horn, stand by the Flag, and help the little 
 foreigners to love it for what it does for them, and to 
 stand by it, as you do, for so will our foreigners to-day 
 be Americans to-morrow! 
 
 Kindergarten on Recreation Pier 
 
 she came she did 
 not understand one 
 word of English, 
 but in six weeks 
 she could speak it. 
 Fancy her delight 
 in the singing, the 
 marching , the games 
 and the "work." 
 This is Monday in 
 the kindergarten — 
 not a "blue" Mon- 
 day either, though 
 it is " wash day. " 
 
 52 
 
Suggested Program. Chapter I. 
 
 PRAISE IX MANY TONGUES. 
 
 Singing; The Italian Hymn — "Come, Thou Almighty King." 
 Bible Reading: The Law of Freedom. (Foundation text: If 
 
 the Truth shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.) 
 Singing: The Portuguese Hymn — "How Firm a Foundation." 
 Singing: The Spanish Hymn — "Blessed are the Sons of God." 
 
 SOME BOYS WE KNOW: 
 
 1. The Carol-Singer of Eisenach.* (A miner's son.) Three- 
 minute paper, followed by 
 Singing: Luther's Hymn — "A Mighty Fortress is our God." 
 
 2. The Little Musician 
 of Saltzburg. - * 
 Three -minute il- 
 lustrated talk, fol- 
 lowed by : 
 
 Singing: Mozart — 
 " Christ the Lord 
 is Risen To-day. " 
 
 3. A Boy Who Could 
 Sing. 2 * Three- 
 minute story, fol- 
 lowed by : 
 
 Singing: The Austrian 
 Hymn — ' 'Hark ! 
 What Mean those 
 Holy Voices. " 
 
 First Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia 4. A Farewell to Sicily, 
 
 followed by : 
 
 Singing: The Sicilian Vesper Hymn — "Guide Me, O Thou Great 
 
 Jehovah!" Offering and Prayer. 
 Singing: The Russian Hymn — "O God All Terrible. Thou Who 
 
 Ordainest." 
 
 Questions. Chapter L 
 
 1. Why do the people of Russia come to America? 
 
 2. Why do Italians and Germans come? 
 
 3. What reasons are there for the differences between South- 
 
 eastern and Northwestern Europe? 
 
 4. How has knowledge of the United States spread through Europe? 
 
 5. Name six ports from which emigrants may embark for America. 
 
 6. How do emigrants usually get their passage money? 
 
 1 See "Schonberg-Cotta Family," Part I, Else's Story. 
 
 2 See The Tone Masters. By Chas. Ballard. 
 
 3 See "Imported Americans." By B. Brandenburg. 
 '* See Perry Pictures "Distinguished People" Series. 
 
 53 
 
Suggested Program, Chapter II. 
 
 Singing: "Hail, Stars and Stripes."^ 
 
 Bible Study: The Law of the Stranger. Based upon Deut. 
 
 10:17-19; 24:14-22. 
 Prayer. 
 
 Singing: "O Blessed Saviour, Lord of Love." ^ (Babcock.) 
 Subject: Christmas Day. 1. How it is kept. 
 
 a. In Denmark. Two-minute paper. 
 
 b. In Germany. Three-minute talk. (Illust ated.) 
 Singing: (A German Christmas Carol.) 
 
 c. In Russia. Three-minute illustrated description. 
 
 d. In Italy and France. Three -minute paper. 
 Singing: "Holy Night." 
 
 2. Christmas for the Strangers. 
 
 3. Practical Plans for Next Christmas. 
 Singing: (Some favorite Christmas Carol.) 
 
 In the Mini/I ff Regions 
 
 Questions. Chapter II. 
 
 1. Why do the doctors at Ellis Island mark people T or F or 
 
 some other letter ? 
 
 2. What does T stand for? 
 
 3. What does S. I. mean? 
 
 4. What kind of immigrants are "deported?" 
 
 5. How many missionaries arc there at Ellis Island ? 
 
 6. In how many languages is the Bible printed for giving out at 
 
 EUis Island? 
 
 1 From Hymns for Home Mission Meetings. The American Baptist Home 
 Missionary Society. 
 
 2 From the School Hymnal. Westminster Press, Philadelphia. 
 
 54 
 
Suggested Program. 
 
 Chapter III. 
 
 Singing: "Lord, While for All Mankind We Pray." 
 
 Bible Reading: The Law of the Sabbath. (Foundation texts: 
 
 Ex. 20:10; Lev. 18:26; Isa. 58:13, 14.) 
 Prayer. 
 
 Singing: "America for Christ."^ 
 
 Subject: Dangers from Immigration. 
 
 1. The Loss of the Sabbath; What it would mean for America. 
 
 (Presented by five members, in one -minute papers.) 
 
 2. Disregard for the Bible. Is the Bible taught in Public 
 
 Schools? (Answers from all members.) 
 
 3. How may Boys and Girls help to save the country from 
 
 these dangers? (Discussion.) 
 Prayer and Offering. 
 Singing: "America." 
 
 In Six Weeks They Can Speak English 
 
 Questions. Chapter III. 
 
 1. How many "Gates" to America? 
 
 2. About how many immigrants come through Ellis Island Gate 
 
 in a year ? 
 
 3. Name nine steps that led to the coming of immigrants to America. 
 
 4. Why have gates been placed on the Canadian and Mexican 
 
 borders ? 
 
 5. What kind of people are not allowed to come into America? 
 
 6. How do the immigrant officers prevent their landing ? 
 
 ^ From "Hymns for Home Mission Meetings."' 
 
 55 
 
Suggested Program. Chapter IV. 
 
 vSinging: "We Bring no Glistening Treasures." German melody. 
 Bible Reading: The Law of the Children. (Foundation text: 
 
 Suffer the little children to come unto Me.) 
 Prayer. 
 
 Singing: "I Think When I Read that Sweet Story of Old." 
 
 The Shoemaker Song 
 
 Subject: Christ Blessing Little Children. 
 
 1. New Testament Children, as illustrated by Plockhorst.* 
 
 2. More of Our Debt to Germany. Hoffman's pictures.^ 
 
 3. Christmas Day.^ Illustrated by German artists. 
 Singing: "The Little Lord Jesus." 
 
 Questions. Chapter IV. 
 
 L How many immigrants enter New York every winter? 
 
 2. After landing, to what parts of the city do the various nation 
 
 alities go? 
 
 3. Why do so many stay in New York? And in other large 
 
 cities ? 
 
 4. What is one of the worst things about the Jewish Ghetto? 
 
 5. What is one of the best things? 
 
 6. How many "quarters" can you count in New York? 
 ^ The Perry Pictures — Section: "German Art." 
 
 56 
 
Suggested Program. 
 
 Chapter V 
 
 Singing: (Select, if possible, Italian composers.) 
 
 Bible Reading: The Law of Life. Psalm 15; Romans 12:1-21 
 
 Prayer. 
 
 Singing: The Italian Hymn. 
 OUR DEBT TO ITALY; through: 
 
 1. Fra Angelico. Three-minute talk, with illustrations.' 
 
 2. Michael Angelo Buonarotti. Three-minute paper, il- 
 
 lustrated.' 
 
 3. Raphael Santi. Rapid sketch, illustrated very fully.' 
 Singing: Select hymn suggested by some picture shown. As 
 
 Italians have been, so they may be. 
 
 Thursday They Garden 
 
 Questions. Chapter V. 
 
 1. Who fill the factories and mills in New England? 
 
 2. Where in New England do we find Italians and Jews? 
 
 3. Mention a fine Itahan Colony in New York State. 
 
 4. What immigrants helped to open up our Northwest country ? 
 
 5. How many Italians are there in California ? 
 
 6. What great thing has been largely brought about by those 
 
 immigrants labeled R. R. ? 
 
 1 Procure "Perry" or other pictures, under Section Italian Art. For soke 
 of a clear impression, only three artists are named. An enthusiastic leader will, 
 however, have enthusiastic followers, and it will not be difficult to make a full 
 collection of those pictures by Italian artists which have most influenced religious 
 thought. 
 
 57 
 
Suggested Program Chapter VI. 
 Singing: "America for Christ."^ 
 
 Bible Reading: The Law of a Just Balance (Foundation text, 
 Prov. II :i.) 
 
 Prayer. 
 
 Singing: "Our Native Land." 
 
 Subject: One Foreign-Born American. 
 
 1. Sketch of Jacob A. Riis, with portrait. 
 
 2. Life in the Tenements. Story selected from "The Battle 
 
 with the Slums. " (Illustrations may be found in 
 magazines.) 
 
 3. Some Achievements. 
 
 a. The Flower Mission. Illustrated story. 
 
 b. Parks and Playgrounds. Paper. 
 
 c. The Jacob A. Riis House. Description. 
 
 Singing: O Blessed Saviour, Lord of Love. 
 
 Evening Art Class 
 
 Questions. Chapter Vt. 
 
 1. Why is the kindergarten the first step toward citizenship? 
 
 2. Where is New York most crowded? 
 
 3. How many ' ' Makers of Americans " are named in this chapter ? 
 
 4. Name six helps to good citizenship mentioned. 
 
 5. In what ways are these foreign-born children better ofT in 
 
 the country than in the city? 
 
 6. In what ways can you help these citizens-to-be ? 
 
 ^ See "Hymns for Home Missions Meetings." 
 
 58 
 
Suggested Program. Chapter VII 
 
 Singing: "America for Christ." 
 
 Bible Study: The Law of the Patriot. (Foundation Texts. Deut. 
 4:5-9; Lev. 24:22.) 
 
 Prayer. 
 
 Singing: "O, the Blessed Word of God 
 Subject: Helps to Good Citizenship. 
 
 1. Boys' Clubs. 
 
 a. St. Mark's Club. Story. CNote present membership.) 
 
 b. Group Clubs. Description of organization. 
 
 2. Boys' Department, Y. M. C. A. 
 
 a. Does it help foreign-born boys? 
 
 b. Does it help street 
 
 boys? 
 
 3. Neighborhood Settle- 
 
 ments. 
 Description of classes 
 and work. 
 
 4. Bible Classes for Boys 
 
 and Girls. 
 
 a. In Summer Camps. 
 
 b. In Cities. 
 
 5. The Sunday School for 
 
 Italians. 
 
 a. New York. 
 
 b. Philadelphia. 
 
 Singing: "America." Little Ilcmsikeepers 
 
 Questions. Chapter VII. 
 
 1. What has been one great difference between this country and 
 
 the countries of Europe ? 
 
 2. What has helped to make our truly "great" Americans? 
 
 3. In a few years you boys and girls — native-born and foreign- 
 
 born — will be making America — what kind of nation 
 do you mean to make it ? 
 
 4. How are Christian citizens for America being made ? 
 
 5. In what ways can you show your love of country ? 
 
 6. What is the best rule for making citizens? 
 
 1 From "Tried and True." U. B. Publishing Co., Dayton, Ohio. 
 
 59 
 
HELPS FOR LEADERS 
 
 BOOKS FOR GENERAL STUDY 
 
 Aliens or Americans ? Howard B. Grose. The text-book for 
 
 Home Mission Study. 1906-07. 
 Immigration. Prescott F. Hall. 
 Imported Americans. B. Brandenburg. 
 
 On the Trail of the Immigrant. Edward A. Steiner (Revell). 
 The Making of an American. Jacob A. Riis. 
 The Italian in America. Pub., Benj. F. Buck, New York. 
 The Russian Jew in the United States. Pub., Benj. F Buck, 
 New York. 
 
 Undistinguished y^mericans. Hamilton Holt. 
 
 Sewi/ig School 
 
 TOPICS FOR FURTHER STUDY 
 
 1. "Where Our Immigrants Settle." See "Aliens or Americans.'' 
 
 also "Our People of Foreign Speech," page 105, and following 
 charts. 
 
 2. Scandinavians — What Our Country Owes to Them. 
 
 3. Germans — Their Share in Developing America. 
 
 4. The Old Testament Festivals — As Seen in the Jewish Ghettos. 
 
 5. Debate — Resolved, That Immigration Should be Restricted. 
 
 6. Italians as Artists and Professional Men. 
 
 7. Who are the Slavs? Subject entrusted to five members. 
 
 8. Immigration — Studied from the Daily Papers — Items for One 
 
 Month Reviewed and Illustrated. 
 
 60 
 
PUBLICATIONS OF THE CONGREGATIONAL HOME 
 MISSIONARY SOCIETY, 
 87 Fourth Avenue, New York 
 
 Ellis Island Views. The Home Missionary. Dec, 1905. 
 
 Why Despise the Immigrant? The Home Missionary. Dec, 1905. 
 
 The Tragedy of the Excluded. The Home Missionary. April, 1905. 
 
 The Child Immigrant. The Home Missionary. March, 1906. 
 
 Italian Connecticut; Heroines of Slavic Work; Christianize Amer- 
 ica! W^e Can. We Should; The Debt Young People Owe 
 Their Country; each 3c.; Far-Reaching Effects, 2c.; Our 
 Duty to the Stranger; Jesus' Work for His Own Country; 
 Foreign Missions at Home (Programs), 15c per doz. 
 
 PUBLICATIONS OF THE BAPTIST HOME MISSION 
 SOCIETY, 
 312 Fourth Avenue, New York City 
 
 The Slav Invasion. Rev. H. B. Grose. 5c. 
 
 Our Italian Field. E. E. Chivers, D.D. 5c. 
 
 The Italians in America. Rev. H. B. Grose. 5c. 
 
 America's Newcomers. Rev. H. B. Grose. 5c. 
 
 The Foreigner in America. Samuel McBride, D.D. 2c 
 
 The Chinese in America. Rev. H. B. Grose. 5c. 
 
 The French Canadians. H. L. Morehouse, D.D. 3c 
 
 The Great Migration. H. L. Morehouse, D.D. 2c. 
 
 Two Instances of Heroic Giving. E. P. Farnham, D.D. 2c 
 
 An Italian's Confession of Faith. H. M. King, D.D. 2c. 
 
 PUBLICATIONS OF THE PRESBYTERIAN BOARD OF 
 HOME MISSIONS, 
 156 Fifth Avenue, New York City 
 
 Our People of Foreign Speech. Paper, 20c. per copy. Cloth. 
 
 50c per copy. 
 Souvenir Post Cards. 15c. per set of 8. 
 
 PUBLICATIONS OF THE HOME MISSIONARY SOCIETY 
 OF THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, 
 150 Fifth Avenue, New York City 
 
 The New W^orld's Welcome. Price, loc. 
 
 61 
 
ACKNOWLEDGMENT 
 
 The writer has pleasure in acknowledging the kind 
 courtesy and interest of officers of the Bureau of Im- 
 migration; of the New York Board of Education; of the 
 Boards of Home Missions; and the kindness of friends, in 
 placing at her disposal photographs for the illustration 
 of this story of immigration. Acknowledgment is also 
 made to the Home Missionary for photographs from which 
 have been made the series of chapter initials, and for 
 other illustrations. Photographs for the cover-picture and 
 for illustrations on pages 13, 14, 16, 17. 20, were taken 
 at Ellis Island, by permission, expressly for this book. 
 
 East Orange, N. J., May ist, 1906. 
 
 62 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER PAGE 
 
 I. The Beginning of It 3 
 
 I'. Uncle Sam Takes Hold 11 
 
 III. Gates or No Gates 23 
 
 IV. New York Arithmetic 31 
 
 V. "R. R.'s" 41 
 
 VI. Makers of Americans 45 
 
 VII. "Children of To-day, the Nation of To- 
 morrow 49 
 
 Suggested Programs. Questions on the Text.. 53-59 
 
 Helps for Leaders... 60-61 
 
 63 
 
Princeton Theological Seminary Libraries 
 
 lllflliill 
 
 1 1012 01235 1427 
 
I 
 
 I