THE year 1907 brought the greatest immigra-
tion to the United States that is recorded,
viz.--1,285,349.

That is a staggering number when vitalized!
Glimpse the cataclysm if you can. Men and
women arrayed in an endless variety of unfamiliar
costumes, and most of them wretchedly helpless.
Some are excitable, voluble of tongue, and extrava-
gant of gestures. Others are dumb with a sort of
terror and are handled like freight. The fortu-
nate ones are met by relatives or agents for the
racial banking houses which have undertaken to
receive and deliver these human parcels. The
great mass are herded like cattle, lined up by
steamship and railway officials, ticketed individ-
ually or in groups, and hurried to some smoky
destination. There is color here--hope--play
for imagination--power and romance! There is
also sickness--wretchedness--and dismal poverty!
Over the most of them tower the huge erections
that metropolitan architects are experimenting

-232-