Ellis Island is a small island in the harbor of New York not far from the Statue of Liberty. Here are brought all immigrants who come into America through the port of New York. In order to understand the workings of the government machinery about a port, imagine yourself an immigrant on board a large in-coming ship. The vessel first puts into its pier where American citizens and others whose landing is not to be questioned, gets off. All immigrants are kept on board, you among them. A ferry pulls alongside the ship and you are taken aboard it. This boat takes you to Ellis Island. Perhaps it is your ferry that you see drawn alongside the Ellis Island pier. You will note the immigrants stepping, for the first time on American soil. Before you are free to go to your friends, you must undergo a government inspection. With many others you pass into narrow aisles formed by iron railings. At the end of each of these aisles, in a booth, stands a government inspector. When you finally reach him you undergo a careful examination. You give your name, your age, your occupation, tell who your friends are, where they live, and what they do. You must have a certain amount of money on your person in order that the Government may be assured that it will not have to support you when you land. You are also given an examination by special doctors. If you fail to satisfy the authorities on any of these items, you will not be admitted. More immigrants come through the port of New York than any other port in America. In 1914 there were received at Ellis Island, 1,218, 480 immigrants, 33,041 of whom were debarred. What does "immigrant" mean? Keystone ID: 16752 Note: All titles, descriptions, and location coordinates are from the original Keystone Slide documentation as supplied by the Keystone View Company. No text has been edited or changed.