4.5 per cent of the total number for whom information was secured. In this group the Bohemians and Moravians, English, Irish, and Swedes show a higher percentage of females than of males.

EMPLOYEES FOR WHOM INFORMATION WAS SECURED.

Detailed data were also secured for 3,924 members of the foundry and machine shop products manufacturing establishments of the community. The following table shows, by sex, the number and per cent of employees of each race for whom information was secured: TABLE 158.-Employees for whom information was secured, by sex and general nativity and race.

CHAPTER II.

RACIAL DISPLACEMENTS.

History of immigration-Estimated population at the present time (1909)-Period of residence in the United States of foreign-born employees and members of their households-Racial classification of employees at the present time.-[Text Tables 159 to 165 and General Table 133].

HISTORY OF IMMIGRATION.

For seventy years the immigrant has been coming to Community C. Up to the late eighteen hundred and thirties the town was composed of a purely American population. The first of the immigrants were the Irish. The construction of the steam railroad, which was opened to traffic in 1839, brought numbers of Irish laborers into the vicinity. Upon the completion of the railroad, some of them drifted into an adjacent valley and found work upon farms near the city. From that time onward the Irish population has increased, being most rapid in its augmentation during the twenty years from 1850 to 1870.

At about the time that the Irish population began to increase most rapidly (1850), the first Germans came. Unlike the Irish, they did not come by chance, but in answer to a demand for skilled factory labor. New methods in hardware manufacture had produced a demand for more skilled labor than the local market could supply; effort was made to get machinists and lock makers; and in answer about 30 young unmarried Germans came in the year 1850. Their reports of well-paid work brought about 100 more to the community in the next three years, some coming from Germany, some from other parts of the United States. From that time on the influx of Germans was gradual until about 1870-1872, when many German families emigrated from Germany to Community C, numbers of them to escape conscription and the war in Europe. During the next twelve years (1872-1884) the arrival of Germans was considerable; but of late the stream of German immigration has been slight.

The number of Scotch in the city is so inconsiderable (only about 400) that their part in local history is not important. It is worthy of note, however, that they were among the early immigrants. They began to arrive about 1860, and during the next twenty years continued to come, a few at a time. Since 1880, however, Scotch immigrants to the community have been rare.

Next to establish himself in the community was the Hebrew. About the year 1868 the first Hebrew arrivals appeared. The period of their greatest influx, however, did not begin until some fourteen years later; the period from 1882 to 1890 saw the most rapid increase in the Hebrew population. While the first Hebrew came to open a store, most of the early, as well as the later, arrivals came because of the opportunity to work in the hardware and other factories.

The humble beginning of Swedish immigration was not indicative of the great influx which was to follow and of the great material prosperity which has attended the Swedish element of the population. The first immigrant was a servant girl, who was sent for by a family in 1874 to replace an Irish servant. Other Swedish girls followed during the next few years, then men, and a little later whole families. Most of the girls became domestic servants, although a few went into the factory of a knitting company. The men, for the most part, found employment in the hardware factories and iron foundries. So well liked were the Swedes in factory and home that a demand for Swedish help developed, and the stream of Swedish immigration continued. The decade from 1880 to 1890 is said to have been the period of greatest Swedish influx, but with the exception of the times of business depression, in the early nineties and again in 1907-8, there has been a steady stream of Swedish immigration during the past thirty years.

While the first Polish immigrants were only a few years behind the Swedes, coming in 1878, the real movement of Polish immigration can hardly be said to have begun much before 1890, and it was during the decade from 1895 to 1905 that the majority of the Poles came. It was the need of the factories for more unskilled labor which brought most of the Poles, and to-day the Pole will probably be found in greater numbers in the factories than will any other

race.

Four Italians volunteered in the Union Army of 1861 from Community C; but the number which had come to the city prior to the civil war was so small that their arrival has little significance in the history of Italian immigration. Not until the seventies was there a significant Italian movement; even then the stream of immigration was inconsiderable. In 1902, however, a noticeable increase in the number of Italian immigrants occurred, and during the next four years Italian arrivals were numerous.

Many of the Italians doubtless came because of the favorable reports of their friends already here regarding the opportunities for employment in the factories. It is very probable that the great need of the hardware factories for unskilled labor during the years 1902-1906 explains the noticeable influx of Italians at that time. It is said that one large hardware corporation had an employee whose business it was to go to New York on the arrival of a steamer conveying Italian immigrants and select the desirable arrivals for shipment to Community C.

The first group of French Canadians arrived in 1880. There were but few of them, however, and even now, after nearly thirty years, there are only about 300 French Canadians in the community. Slovaks began to come to the community in 1884. They have not increased rapidly, however, and there are only some 400 of them in the city at the present time.

The year 1885 saw the beginning of Lithuanian immigration to the community. But during the ten years that followed, they did not arrive in very great numbers. The decade from 1895 to 1905 brought the majority of them.

The Ruthenians, Armenians, Persians, and Russians entered the community at about the same time; the Ruthenians began to come in 1889, the Armenians in 1890, and the Persians and Russians in

1894. The latest arrivals of the 16 principal races were the Greeks, who began to come in 1900. The Greek element in the population is so small, numbering only some 40 persons, that it is of little importance in the study of the different races in the community.

The following statements show the beginning of immigration and the periods of greatest influx of immigrants, by races.

An insight into the racial movements to the several industries in Community C may also be had from a brief account of the history of immigration to a number of representative manufacturing establishments, each of which is arbitrarily designated by a number. Plant No. 1 is owned by a corporation which is engaged in the manufacture of hardware. When the plant was established the working force was composed of Americans, but later on, as the business expanded and a demand was created for a larger working force, immigrants were employed from time to time. The order in which the different races have entered the employ of the company is as follows: Americans, Irish, Germans, Swedes, Poles, and Italians. Immigrants of other races are employed in the factory, but only in small numbers. No employees of any particular race have been displaced and the introduction of the different immigrant races has been due to the growth of the establishment and the large supply of immigrant labor available.

The same

The company which operates plant No. 2 is engaged in the manufacture of spring beds. The plant was established in 1898 and employees were taken into the factory regardless of race. system of securing labor has obtained ever since the business was started and the present working force consists of the same races. employed when the plant first went into operation. The immigrant employees of this company consist of Hebrews, Swedes, Germans, Irish, Poles, Russians, North Italians, Slovenians, French, and Lithuanians. No particular race predominates and no employees of any one race have been displaced since the factory was established.

The company operating plant No. 3 is engaged in the manufacture of machine tools. The factory went into operation in 1887. No effort was made on the part of the company to secure labor of any particular race and the present force is of about the same racial composition as that first employed. Owing to the expansion of the business, the force now employed is much larger than that of several years ago. In hiring men the skill of the individual alone is considered, so that various races are represented in the different departments of the plant. The present force consists of Hebrews, Swedes, Germans, Poles, and North Italians.

Plant No. 4 was established in 1888 by a company composed of immigrants from Germany. This company is engaged in the manufacture of suspender and garter trimmings and buckles. When the factory went into operation in 1888 Irish and Poles made up the working force, but since that time other races have been taken into the factory. This has been due to the large amount of immigrant labor in the vicinity, and as no particular race is preferred, the working force is made up of various nationalities. The present force consists of Irish, Poles, Slovaks, Lithuanians, Ruthenians, Hebrews, and Italians. No race has ever been displaced, and the employment of additional immigrant labor has been due to the expansion of the industry.

The company operating plant No. 5 is engaged in the manufacture of iron castings. The factory was established in 1863 and the working force at that time consisted of Americans and Irish, the Americans predominating. The Americans gradually dropped out, going into higher-paid occupations, until in 1870 the majority of employees were Irish. About 1875-76 the company began to employ Swedes, as the Irish were passing into more skilled occupations and fewer were applying for work. Until 1890 the Swedish influx was noticeable, and for the ten years previous to 1890 the Swedes formed the bulk of the working force of the company. From 1890 to 1895 the Swedes began leaving the factory, going into plants where more skill was required and better wages were paid. Their places were filled with Poles, Lithuanians, and Italians, which races now constitute the working force of plant No. 5. From time to time Germans, Scotch, Hebrews, and Russians have been employed in the factory, but only in small numbers, and there has been no decided tendency on the part of these races to enter the industry. In every instance the races leaving the employment of this company have entered more skilled and higher-paid occupations.

Plant No. 6 went into operation in 1850. The company owning this plant is engaged in general hardware manufacture and the first working force employed was composed of Americans and Irish. Owing to the expansion of the business, the force of employees was greatly increased in 1860, and at that time a number of Germans were employed. The above races formed the bulk of the working force until about 1875, when Swedes began to enter the industry. The business continued to expand, and in 1890, as the force of Americans, Irish, Germans, and Swedes was not large enough to operate the plant, a number of Poles were employed. In the last fifteen years the influx of Poles has been so great that they now form the bulk of the working force. From 1890 to 1909 Slovaks, Ruthenians, Italians, and FrenchCanadians have been employed and are taking the places of Ameri