Page:Immigration and the Commissioners of Emigration of the state of New York.djvu/141

Rh to the Castle Garden Railroad Agency, and its employees; to the Superintendent of Ward's Island, and physicians, employees, and emigrant inmates of Ward's Island; and to recently arrived or expected emigrants at Castle Garden.

The total number of letters received during the year 1869, including express packages containing remittances for emigrants, was 23,917.

All letters and express packages addressed to the Commissioners of Emigration, to the Treasurer, or to emigrants not in the institution on Ward's Island, are opened and read or distributed, as may be necessary. Those containing money or other remittances for emigrants are retained in the 'Forwarding Office,' a branch of the Treasurer's Department. A daily record is made of all receipts under appropriate heads, as follows: Number of remittance; date; amount; from whom received; for whom; name of vessel; nature of remittance; destination, etc.

Many remittances are received for emigrants after they have landed and left Castle Garden. Such remittances in due time are applied for by the sender, and returned immediately on application. Emigrants very often neglect to apply for remittances on hand, although duly notified that such are awaiting their call. Such remittances are also returned on application to the senders, either by mail or express, or to the parties in person who have made deposits with this department.

Its correspondence is large. In addition to that incidental to the return of uncalled-for remittances, replies are made to impatient senders of remittances for emigrants, who either have not arrived or have found employment from the Labor Exchange in Castle Garden, or perhaps are in hospital at Ward's Island. The parties so employed and for whom remittances have been received are duly notified to call at Castle Garden for the purpose of being forwarded to destination. The sender is also notified of the whereabouts of his or her relative or friend, and of the time when it is probable he or she will proceed to destination. From August 27, 1860 (the date on which the business connected with this subject was transferred to the Treasurer's Department), to December 31, 1869, the total number of remittances received for emigrants was 35,227, of an aggregate