Orleans County Louisiana Archives News.....Italian Immigrants in New Orleans 1898 - Article 4 of 9 October 26, 1898 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Stephanie Lynn slynn@plexusweb.com August 17, 2023, 12:32 pm The Times Democrat October 26, 1898 The Times Democrat - October 26, 1898 ITALIAN IMMIGRANTS Bolivia Reaches Port With 1369 Sicilians They Stood a Splendid Physical Examination Yesterday. -- About 500 Inspected and 75 Percent Passed -- The work Will Be Completed as Rapidly as Possible -- Immigration Inspectors from Four Ports - Board of Inquiry Meet Today -- Their ways are not the ways of Americans, and the 1369 Sicilians who reach this port yesterday morning from Palermo were not class according to the laws of fashion which govern this continent, but they were sturdy, straight-limbed lot of men, women and children, and the welcome their received from their friends and relatives at the Northeastern Railroad fruit wharf was a rouser. Not only did the Bolivia bring over the largest body of immigrants ever landed in New Orleans, but, according to the statement of inspectors in the service, the big ship established a record for crossing the seas with the best looking, healthiest and altogether the most desirable lot of Italians that ever reached this side of the water at one time. It will be several days before all of the recent arrivals will be disposed of by the inspectors. Of the 1369 souls aboard ship who left their native land to win United States’ dollars, about 500 were inspected yesterday. Of this number 75 percent were permitted to leave the ship and 25 percent were detained until their claims for admission into this country shall have been passed upon by the Board of Inquiry, which will meet today. Work will be commenced on the remaining 869 at 9 o’clock this morning, and it is hoped to finish the inspection before nightfall. It will be a close call, though, and the doubtful cases will hardly be wound up before Thursday night, for the scrutiny and inspection to which immigrants are put before the Board of Inquiry is much more severe than is the preliminary inspection. The inspector who passes first on the immigrant notes whether he is healthy and able to earn a living. He ascertains whether her or she has relatives or friends who would help in case of adversity, finds out, by questioning through the Interpreter, if the applicant before him comes under the head of contract labor. If his suspicions are aroused he hands the immigrant what is known as a detention card. This card keeps him prisoner until his case has been passed up by the Board of Inquiry. If, on the other hand, he is satisfied that the Immigrant is telling a straight story and that he or she has a right to enter the United States under the laws of the country, he “O. K’s” the inspection card and the Immigrant is free to leave the ship. In other words, the Inspector is to the Board of Inquiry what the recorder is to the Criminal District Court. Before the immigrant reaches the inspector at all he is examined by physicians detailed by the Marine Hospital Service as to his physical condition. If he is singled out by them as being an undesirable addition to the citizenship of this country by reason of any infirmity, deformity or disease, his inspection card is so marked and his chance of admission into the country is very small. The inspector does his work after the doctors finish. This, at least, is a description of the way matters worked yesterday. NEW YORK PROMINENT New York played a prominent role in the inspection of the Bolivia’s human freight yesterday. Inspector E.B. Holan of New York was in charge, and Inspector N. J. Arbeely, who speaks thirteen languages, was the official who conducted most of the examinations. Inspector S.J. Eppier, also of New York, was very busy during the day, and Interpreter Joseph Dr Micell, who met and wrestled with the Sicilians on their own linguistic camping grounds, has been on duty at Castle Garden for several years. Inspector L.H. Robinson of Baltimore, Inspector B. W. Baker of New Orleans and Inspector Samuel A Montgomery of New Orleans rounded out the official personnel of the party. The inspectors from other ports were detailed for the work from Washington. It was meant that they should give New Orleans a sample of their system, and if the percentage of rejections be sustained by the Board of Inquiry it would seem to indicate that they are more thorough. At any rate, they take longer to do the work. Immigrant Inspector Montgomery of this port, who has examined twice as many immigrants in a day, all unassisted, as the whole bunch of inspectors got through with yesterday, was much impressed with what he saw. He intends to make the work of the New York Inspectors the basis for trying to secure addition facilities here. Mr. Holman will preside at the meeting of the Board of Inquiry tomorrow. In addition to passing upon the immigrants presented with detention cards by the inspectors yesterday, the board will reconsider the cases of the seventy Italians who came over on the Britannia, who rejected in Pensacola and succeeded in having their cases reopened. These seventy Italians are in New Orleans. They arrived Saturday, and are about the most dejected lot of people within the confines of the United States. The Italians who were given a slap to the face yesterday were sick last night too. Indeed it is a small wonder. They severed every tie at home, invested their savings in passage to the United States and to be turned back at the very threshold of of the promised land is a severe blow to them. It is the aim of the immigrant inspector to prevent the landing of any foreigner who, in his opinion, is or is apt to become an undesirable character or a charge upon the State in which he seeks to locate. Of the hundred odd immigrants to who detention cards were given yesterday, the chances are that a large number was responsible for the disfavor with which ome of them were met and sickness and povery played its part. EXAMINING THE IMMIGRANTS The examination of the Immigrants was caried on at the upper end of the North eastern fruit wharf, whither the Bolivia was towed by the tug Corsair yesterday morning. As fast as inspection cards were approved, the freed Italians took their baggage into the freight building and joined those who were waiting for them outside, where a large crowd of interested ones were in waiting. The welcomes accorded the newcomers were boisterously hearty. There was pathos and humor on every hand. There were tears and laughter. The Bolivia reached the Point early yesterday morning and anchored in midstream. At 9 o’clocl the immigrant inspectors met in the office of Special Deputy Collector of Customs A. N. Howells Beside the inspectors there were in the party: Nat L Marks, acting deputy collector, F.N. Wicker, Chinese Inspector JOhn Y Snyder, representing naval office Thomas J Scholars, Antonio Bonari, local Italian Interpreter, W.H. Robinson, deputy surveyor of the port, and local customs inspectors Chris Madden, Paul Morgan, P.H. Adam, P.R. Colquhun, Robert Joyner, L.V. Landry and T.J. Wallace. James McEnery, special agent of the Treasury Department; Guy J Saxton and representatives of the press came along as the guests of Special Deputy Howells. Who acted as host. Surgeon H. C. Kallock and Jassed Assistant Surgeeon J.B Stoner of the Marine Hospital Service, who were to conduct the physical end of the inspection, completed the party, which left Mr. Howells’ office at 9:30 o’clock and proceeded to the tug Cosair, which was in waiting at the head of Gravier Street to carry the representatives of the government to the Bolivia. There were refreshments on the tug, which steamed down the river to the Northeastern fruit wharf, and tied up there, while Mr. Howells went ashore and made arrangements for using the what for the disembarkation of the immigrants. It did not take long to do this and soon the speedy little boat was in midstream again and headed for the Bolivia. As the big black ship was neared swarms of skiffs were to be seen hanging around her hull. These skiffs contained New Orleans Italians, who had put out from shore to shout greetings to the newcomers, tell them the price of bananas, and post them on hand organ business. The skiffs made way for the tug, which tied up alongside and discharged the officials on the deck of the ship. Once on the Bolivia, the officials were in the midst of a veritable babel. The immigrants seemed intoxicated with the idea of getting ashore. They were all talking and gesticulating at once. Mr. Howells and his party, were welcomed by Capt. Craig, who for twenty-five years has been bringing recruits to America from foreign lands. The British commander knows his business if ever master of ship did. He reported that all on board were in good health; that there had been but one death during the trip from Palermo (the Bolivia was nineteen days out from Gibralter) and that death from pneumonia. ARRANGEMENTS WERE PERFECT Capt Craig had the forward part of the deck roped off, and behind this were the immigrants, who had all been classified according to their inspection cards. Each of them had his or her card pinned to the hat or coat. In the centre of the deck was another large roped space. An aisle led from the forward partition aft, and on one side of the aisle was a table for the inspector pens, ink and all in readiness. If the inspectors could have had the ordering of the details of the arrangements could not have been better. The doctors took their stand in the centre of the improvised aisle, and Interpreter de Miceli mounted a coil of rope and told the immigrants to come by, one at a time. As each immigrant passed he or she was given a close scrutiny. Men were thumped and sounded as if they were applying for admission into the army, and women were subjected to the closest scrutiny. In spite of the thoroughness of the examination but three Immigrants were turned down, one for a cancerous formation on the nose and two for general debility. The surgeons said that in all their experience they had never seen a healthier lot. While the examination was being carried on the corsair was towing the Bolivia to her moorings. There the inspectors got to work. The immigrants were again in the forward part of the vessel, and thanks to the excellent management aboard ship, again classified. This lightened the load of the inspector conducting the work considerably. The immigrants came one by one, except in the case of families, when husband, wife and children came together. As fast as the inspector finished his work they were told to move on, those whose cards had been approved going onshore and into the freight shed, where their baggage was stored, subject to inspection today, and those who had been “boarded,” as a New Orleans policeman would say, being sent to the stern of the ship. Inspectors were stationed at the gang plank to see that everybody who went ashore has an “O. K.’d” inspection card. There was some crowding on the ship in the different shiftings of the Immigrants from one end of the ship to the other, but considering everything, the work went forwawrd with great rapidity, and when the inspectors closed their labors for the day over one-third of the newcomers had been examined. About 5 o’clock the inspectors left the boat, and she was towed midstream where she anchored for the night. Customs officials were left on board to see that none of the Italians escaped under the cover of darkness. MOST OF THE LOTS PEASANTS Nearly all the immigrants aboard the Bolivia are peasants, and eventually will drift into the neighboring country, where they will engage in truck gardening and kindred pursuits. Some will drift into the parishes, where they will find work on the sugar plantations. They were not as many children in the lot as one would have expected. There were wives rejoining husbands who had come to America to make money enough to send for them, sweethearts coming over to marry the lover that had left them at home, while they sought fortune in this country, parents whose children had sent for them, and vice versa. It was an interesting shipload. Decked in their gaudy waists and flaring ribbons, the women seemed crazy with the smell of land in their nostrils, and the sight of the city where so many of them will make their homes before their eyes. The men looked much as do the Italians one sees every day on the streets of New Orleans. As a general rule, they were big, brawny and browned. Once in a while, however, groups of more than ordinary refinement could be seen. One in particular, three women, a mother and her two daughters evidently, bore every evidence of gentle breeding. They kep aloof from the other immigrants. How they stood their trip could not be learned, but it must have been hard on them. All of the inspectors will be on hand again this morning, when the Bolivia will again be moored alongside the fruit wharf and work will be resumed. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/la/orleans/newspapers/italiani813gnw.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/lafiles/ File size: 13.2 Kb