EUJ3 ISLAND.
JJJCLE SAM'S GATEWAY FOR TftB
ADMISSION OF IMMIGRANTS.
Lively Scnnos When the Living
Freight of Several Ocean Steam
cr li Landed A Lightning
Money Chnner.
7C LTHOUGH great improve-
ment on the nightmare ar
, jCJL. Movements that need to ex
(t iat for the reception of immi
grants who landed at Cartle Garden,
Ellis Island, says the New York En-sorrier,
Ik far from being a gateway that
would prepossess arrival from Europe
in favor of their adopted country.
The island is tied around from dock
to dock with milos of red tape. It is
fearfully tedions matter to land in
America and a most unnecessary
amount of Irxt and feathers seems to
acoompany the entrance of a new ar
rival into the land of freedom.
A visit to Ellia Island, when the liv
ing freight of two or three ocean
ateamers is being sifted through the
various avenues loading to the boat
that trasports it to the Battery, pre
sents ro many phases that it is well
worth braving the trip in an immi
grant ferryboat from the Barge OfQoe
to see the sight. Around the big room
in the centre of the principal build
ing on Ellia Island where the sifting
THE DETENTION PEN.
process goes on runs a gallery, and
from this a view of the whole interior
can be obtained.
The first stage throngh which the
now arrivals pass is the scrutiny of
the medical officers and the Ellis Isl
and matrons. Having proven that
they are free from physical dofeots
the immigrants are driven into fenoed
in passages leading to the registration
cffioials.
i'hrongh these fenced avenues the
unfortunate steerage passengers,
wearing every variety of eooentrio
and ttn-Amerioan head-gear, and car
tying as muoh portable baggage as
they can stagger under, edge their
way along foot by foot in the direc
tion of the gate of hope through
whioh alone they can get to liberty.
The procession slouches forward at
the rate of about a foot in ten min
utes, the delay being caused by the
laborious attempts of the uniformed
official to extract the neoessary infor
mation regarding the inoomer's birth
and parentago, eta
Fortunately the offioial speaks an
almost infinite variety of languages or
the task he has in hand itould be a
well sigh hopeless one. As it is, ow
ing to the nervous oondition of the
immigrant, it usually takes an almost
interminably long time to ..drag ont.
n answer to the simplest question.
Everything has to be repeated several
times and explained in the minutest
detail and then occasionally the ques
tioner has to give it up and turn the
obtuse foreigner over to an assistant.
Bnt somehow or other the line
moves on. Eaoh man and woman
IMMIGRANTS AT THE
hitches the family belongings along
as the space between them .and the
man in the brass buttons decreases,
and the hope that springs eternal in
human breast buoys them np to be
lieve that some time they will be able
to pass the ofllaial who so jealously
guards the entrance o the open spaos
beyond. In their hands the immi
grants clutch the documents banded
to them on board ship, for all this
questioning and registration at Ellis
Island follows a preliminary cross-examination
before the steerage passen
gers are allowed to leave the ship.
The immigrants are tioketed, too a
very necessary precaution, for there
are several steamship lines, all landing
passengers in a promiscuous mass, and
without that tioket it would be Her
culean task to separate one lot from
' the other. Bo, ticketed and registered
and served with documents and oroas
examined and pushed tad pitied into
plaoe ia the Use, the hopeful ratafee
from monarchy-ridden Enrope travels
slowly into the promised land.
When the Immigrant has passed suc
cessfully through the ordeal of an
swering the sharp cateohism of the
official at the top of the lane, he is
handed to the mercies of the orowd on
the outside and thenceforth becomes
common property at the mercy of
hotel and boarding house runners, rail
road agents, well meaning but offi
cious missionaries, restaurant keepers,
and if be be luoky enough to have
them, relatives and friends.
He is a luckless wight during this
period of his transition tocitizenhood.
First of all, he must change his
money. This can be done at the
island, where a firm of money brokers
has purchased the sole right to money
changing. The immigrants' savings
are brought from all sorts of extraor
dinary hiding places, sometimes from
the depths of stockings, from the in
side of waists, where nothing short of
knife or a pair of scissors can secure
its release, from shoes and belts, and
even from the mouth.
To watch Money Changer Scully at
work is one of the most interesting
sights on the island. The rapidity
with which he changes into current
coin of the republio Russian roubles,
Italian lire, German marks, French
franc;, English sovereigns and Aus
trian l'orins is marvelous. Only one
glanoo seems neoessary, and the hand
goes down into one of the well-filled
cash drawers. Two or three seconds
' -
later and the amount of exohango lies
before the immigrant with a paper
showing how muoh has been exohangod,
and the bewildered foreigner is told
to stand back to make room for the
next applicant. He might as well
take it for granted that the amount is
correot (as, of course, it is) for, if lie
looked at it with that air of stunned
stupidity for an hour, he would not
know anything more about the strsnge
money than before. Occasionally one
bolder than the rest will make an at
tempt to challenge - the accuracy of
tho amount given him, upon whioh an
attache ot the money changer's offioe
will take the coins from the immi
grant's hand and explain the value of
caoh as he drops it back again. It is
wasted time, however, as the owner of
the money is left in as bad condition
of dense ignoranoe as ever.
Money will buy things on Ellis
Island and the proprietors of the
lunch counters, where bologna and
bread appear to be the staple artioles
of food, are at liberty now to obarge
on the mob made hungry by the long
wait in the lines. The scouts for
these lnnoh counters are indefatiga
ble workers and certainly earn their
money. The wonder is, from the way
in whioh the immigrants are almost
dragged to the bologna counters, that
some one does not get hurt in the
scrimmage. . If the greenhorn gets
throngh the experience all right and
survives the bologna, lot him braoe up
to resist the onslaught of the railroad
agents, who will bear him oft" bodily if
he does not keep a sharp look out.
In this neutral ground at Ellis
LUNCH COUNTER.
Island the scene on busy day is be
wildering and distracting. The offi
cials do their best to keep the mixed
mass of humanity in something like
order, but with so many nationalities,
with excited men and women rushing
around looking for their baggage and
for eaoh other, children orying and
relatives and friends all chorusing a
welcome together in various lan
guages, it ia no wonder that the scene
looks like a pocket edition of pande
monium. As fast as possible the immigrants
are hustled iuto the ferry boats and
transported to the Battery, And grad
ually the island is deserted by all aave
the tired officials and the detained im
migrants. sorry-looking orowd la this hut.
From the detention pen they watch
the fortunate one who pass the bar
rier with envious eyes, looking eager
ly el every stranger who approaches
thsm lo see It there fa sot hm hop
coming from somewhere. Ia all the
driven an J badgered orowd that passes
to the boats there Is none whioh ia not
light-hearted, for tho red tape ordeal
in over. The prisoners in the deten
tion pen have nothing to buoy them
np. After coming all this way to reaoh
this land of promise, they get only a
glimpse and are sent back to the wil
derness again.
One of the queerest personages on
the inland is the barber. It is hardly
correot to call his place a shop, for it
is merely a corner of the big room
where the barber has placed a chair
and hong np a mirror and a towel or
two. Judging from the oondition of
the majority of tne immigrants, the
barber is an institution sadly needed
at Ellis Inland, bnt few seem to utilize
his servioes, advertised at the prices
of twenty cents for a hair ont and ten
oents for a shave.
The crematory at Ellis Island ia an
other very neoessary accessory. It is
not intended for the oremation of hu
man bodies, bnt merely to sive the
clothing of suspicions arrivals a thor
ough ohance to shake off any disagree
able associations with infeotious dis
ease or obnoxious insects.
Fairly good arrangements appear to
have been made for the housing of
immigrants who are compelled to stay
on the island over night, the old pow
der magazines having been converted
into comfortable sleeping rooms,
One of the worst sources of annoy
ance to the offioials are the crowd of
relations that flock to Ellis Island to
meet incoming passengers. They are
always in the most intense state of ex
citement and it is all that the gate
keepers oan do to prevent them break
ing down the barriers in the msd rush
to get inside of the enclosure.
There being no police on the island
it ia necessary for the officials to take
the law into their own hands and
maintain order by force. It would
be a decided improvement it some ot
the strongest and most reliable men
on the island were sworn in to aot as
special polioemen.
An old landmark of the island is
gradually yielding to the inflrmitses
of age. This is the historical tree on
whioh the pirates, Hicks, Wormsley
and Gibbs, were hanged when the
place was known as Ellia Island. The
tree was damaged during tne storms
of last winter, and has reoently been
broken off short by the wind. All that
ia left of the tree now is about seven
THK BARHSB'b CHAIB.
feet of bare trunk, and this the Eliis
Island gardener is making every effort
to preierve.
A Good Turk.
It is said the Sultan of Turkey is
impressed with the idea that to him
have been confided by Allah the keys
of Europe, and his nervous tempera
ment leads him to feel most acutely
the responsibility of the charge. No
man works harder than he. He rises
with the dawn, takes but a few hours'
sleep, sometimes, with pen in hand,
writing the whole night. He studies
every question, knows all about every
thing, reads everything which con
cerns his business, and ever since the
affairs of the Turkish Provinces have
occupied the foreground be signs
every dooument presented to him,
from the appointment of a Governor
to the nomination of the lowest offioe
of the polioe. New Orleans Pioayune.
Faithful to His Trust.
"E. J. Tinkhan, of the Second Na
tional Bank," said a "burnt outer,"
"had an odd experience during the
big fire in Chioago. When it became
evident that the bank was doomed he
went to the safe, packed $600,000 in a
gripsaok, and, failing a passing col
ored man, told him that he would give
him $1000 if bo would get the satchel
to the Milwaukee station. They be
came separated, and Mr, Tinkhom
reaohed the station by means of a tug
boat, tie found the colored man
waiting for him, paid him the $1000
and a few hours later bad the money
deposited lu a bank in Milwaukee,"
Chioago Tribune.
A Reminder,
Mrs. Missing Link "Now. dear.
I'll lust tie this knot to remind 70a to
bring home half a doxea of those
trait eoooenuU.' New fork World.
sjplji J i 'n'
NEW FASHIONS,
THEY ARE RAPID, FANTASTIC
AND CHARMING.
Skirts Are Immensely Wide Sleeves
as Voluminous as Ever
Styles In Caffs and
Collars.
f""V ALIENT alterations In shapes
Vl'N and outlines do not take place
v J in the middle of a season, and
at present ohannes are chiefly
seen in matters of detail. People of
good taste who wish to be nioely
dressed and exeroise a little economy
would do well to ocoupy their time in
renovating their dresses of last year
to make them smart enongh for every
day wear at home, or out of doors in
the morning.
Evening toilets, says tne Heason,
should also pass review, and may bo
freshened up in the most charming
styles, now that fashions are so rapid
and fantastic.
Sleeves appear as voluminous as
ever, and are still set out with horse
LADIES'
hair and other stiff stuff), yet do not
answer the skirt or even the bodice of
the dress, but are made of another
stuff and oolor. The sleeve is sewn to
an nnderblouse of a perfeotly differ
ent hue, or blouse shape draped in
various ways, or a round or flohu col
lar is put on. The latter form will
probably take a prominent plaoe in
the fashions for winter, either as a
oape with long scarf ends, widening
the shoulders considerably or fitting
alose to the same, ao that the puff of
the sleeve is slipped nearer to the el
bow in the Marie Antoinette style.
A new style ot bodice has appearod
for the evening. This is a sloshed
blouse worn over another blouse of a
light thin material and in a different
color. Some of these elegant blouses
are trimmed round the slashings with
tiny buttons, beaded bordoring, or
passomoterie, and tho ohiffon, lawn or
face of the underblouse puffs out
through the openings.
Dork woolen dresses are made up in
the same way, only that the founda
tion bodice must be of light colored
silk, and the slashes trimmed with
black or dark braid sot on plain, as
also in a small fanoy design ; indeed,
the idea is exoelbnt for romodoling
corsages of all kinds to be worn with
plain skirts.
Eton jackets have made way for the
half-wide-open jacket with amall
pookets, and olose-fltting backs fin
ished off with a very ahort oiroular
basque, the top of the shoulder being
out out in a long or rather epaulet
point
A dainty model of this kind has the
bsck and epaulets made entirely of
one pieoe atretohed across.
Another plainer jacket is embroid-
MISSES'
ered except the sleeves with cord ot a
dark color sewn on in close rows on
one side, and the hem of the skirt or
namented to answer with a border a la
Greoque. '
The fashionable skirts whioh are
out so immensely wide are beginning
to lose their plain appearanoe, the
hem is stitched out two or three times
with silk in a contrasting color, or a
border answering thi trimming on
the bodloe i worked in ohain and
fanoy stitches half way up to the knee.
The skirts ot handsome walking
costumes are alio trimmed tomatoh
the broad pointed epanlets and toWCr
tight-fitting part of the sleeve. A
pretty costume for yonug married
ladies to be worn in the country is
made of dark cloth, and has the skirt
and loose, double-breasted jacket
ornamented with appliques ot light
cloth of tho same color.
Young girls may adopt the same
style by choosing a tight-fitting jacket
with sailor collar instead of tho (aequo
coat.
FAsmotrs r cuffs and cellar.
. Among the many things so small and
yet so significant whioh help to mnVe)
a plain toilet a very attractive one
are the white collars and cuffs which
at present are in snob, high favor.
They are worn all the year round
Sometimes there is only the narrow
edge of the cuff showing from under
the sleeve, but the wide ones turned
back over the sleeve are worn the
most They are made of the plain
white linen or the yollow, and some
are edged with different colors, and
others are in stripes or figured.
Daintier ones are of linen and edged
with embroidery and rows of insertion;
and others are of the finest cam brio
BLEEVEH.
and the most costly lace. With all of
these they have oollars to match, and
all of them are turnod ovor. We have
not yet oome to the plain little stand
up collar, whioh shows just the edge
above the neok of the dress. No,
they are wide and deep. The sailor
collars are very popular and are made
in a dozen different ways. There are
square ones in the bock and front,
square ones in tho back and pointed
in the front, and those that reach;
clear to the belt, and some forming
wide revers, and then some out in
points all aronud and out square ia
the book and front, and with points
on the shoulders and extending over
the sleeves. Some of them have ruf
fles around the edge and some have
laoe and embroidery and insertion,
and some are scalloped and button
hole stitohod. Then there are others
whioh are entirely of laoe, varying
from very.pretty bnt quite cheap ones
to those ot Irish point and Duohesse
laoe, oosting a fabulous amount and
only to bo looked at by the little wo
man with an nnlimited amount of pin
money.
BAT3 Or FELT on VELVET.
Hats of felt or velvet are to be al
most exclusively wotn this winter.
Tho shapes are large or else quite
small toques. Pioture hats of black
velvet are profusely trimmed with os
trioh feathers- Blaok cooks' plumes
are very fashionable. They are pret
ty, too, with their shimmering gleams
of dark green, besides being suitable
in all weathers.
A charming blaok velvet hat tor the
an tumn is raised at one aide with a
bandeau ot steel studded With emer-
WAIST.
aid oabochons, while knots ot blaok
satin ribbon rest upon the hair.
NEW CAPES.
A new oape is made in three sections,
has an extremely high collar, extend
ing, in foot, almost to the top of the
ears. This turns back from a plain
inner oollar that fits around the
throat. This oape is made of cloth,
and the three aeotlona are out in
soallops and bound with wide braid
stitohed oa end pressed flat J the lin
ing et ot tartan silk end ia bound ia
with the outside material.
'
MISTING IH A BIG CMXRET.
Thousands of Swallows Choose a
Queer Lodging House.
Myriads of chimney swallows at
tract considerable attention every
night in Kansas City when they are
retting ready to retire for the night.
They make their home in a tall, un-
trb had wnnrti op tss swallows.
used chimney, and the prooess of get
ting into the plaoe is both interesting
and impressive. At a quarterjto 7 the
swallows begin to gather. As the min
utes pass birds oome from all direc
tions, until the sky is blaok with'them.
They skim about in an aimless way
until about 7 o'olook ; then, with no
apparent leadership, they form and .
begin to circle about in the air in a
large oval dtreotly above the chimney
at the northeast corner of the Vine
yard Building. Other birds, coming
np, join the cirole, until thousands of
them are in the mad whirl. At 7.16,
with no apparent signal, they begin
to pour into tho .chimney like water
from a pitoher. " Down they tumble,
thousands of them, until one wonders '
it there is an underground outlet to
the chimney, whioh hardly seems large
enough to hold them all. In a few
minutes they are out of sight.
After all are in, come a few strag
glers who attempt to enter the chim
ney also. Theie are driven away by
the birds inside. Then the stragglers
fly up until they reaoh the spot where
the general whirl oommenoed, and
they, too, fly around the circle several
times and then dive into the ohimney.
There are always a number of curi
ous people in front of the building '
watching the birds. One old colored
man is there every evening. He says
he has watohed the birds for several
?ears in this great act ot ohimney fili
ng. They always ohoose a dead ohim
ney somewhere about the city for
their lodging house. Last year they
occupied a large ' brick chimney oa
Main street.
The Toutblul King ot Spain.
Alfonso XIII., King of Spain, was
born in Madrid, and proclaimed King
on May 17, 1880, about six months
alter the death ot his father. Alfonso
XIL, who died at El Pordo, a royal
domain in the vicinity of Madrid, oa
November 25, 188S. The young Kinf
ALFONSO Xin., KINO OF SPAIN.
whose portrait is here given, is well
grown for his age, and in good health.
He is fond ot outdoor sports, rides and
rows well, is an expert bicyclist, and
a good gymnast.
While at Madrid, during the winter
months, he takes long walks and drivrs
around the hills of El Pardo and its
picturesque avenues. The summer ia
passed with his mother at Miramar,
whioh is finely situated in the beauti
ful bay of San Sebastian, where he en
joys bathing in the sea and the invig
orating breezes. During a recent trip
taken by the Royal family of Spain,
in the orniaer lsU de Luzon, on the
coast, near Biarritz, the boy King
fired off his first cannon with a sang
, froid and decision whiol.' will no doubt
make him the idol of he army and
navy, for both of whioh professions he
manifests great enthusiasm. -
High Blount aln Observatory,
A considerable sum ot money is an
nually expended ia maintaining high
mountain observatories. A meteoro
graph has reoently been constructed
for the summit of Mount Blano, at a
cost of $1000, the olookwork of whioh
will remain in aotion without any at
tention for eight months. The high
est of the observatories is at the top
ot the Misti, near Arequipa, Peru,
whioh is 19,300 feet above sea level.
The observatory oa Mount Washing
ton is C288 feet above sea level, the
one on Pike's Peak 14,18a and the one
oa Mount Blano 15,780 teot,Hw
York Baa.