350 



IMMIGRATION. 



York. The Board now holds in trust a prop- 

 erty on Ward's Island, valued at not less 

 than two million dollars, and is constantly en- 

 larging and improving the facilities for the 

 effectual care and support of unfortunate im- 

 migrants. One of the most useful features of 

 the system adopted by the commissioners is 

 the "Labor Exchange," recently established for 

 the purpose of procuring, free of charge, speedy 

 employment for immigrants, and of supply- 

 ing the demand for all kinds of labor in any 

 of the States. The results of the labors of this 

 Bureau, for the years 1868 and 1869, are 

 here given. They indicate the points to 

 which immigrants were sent in response to 

 applications for their labor through the Labor 

 Exchange; and it will be seen that the 

 demands for labor from the States of New 

 York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Penn- 

 sylvania, were greater than from all the other 

 States : 



There is also an immigration on the Pacific 

 coast which it may not be out of place here to 

 mention. This consists of the Chinese who 

 have arrived at San Francisco from Asia. The 

 large mass of them are located chiefly in Cali- 

 fornia ; but many have found their way to the 

 mining regions of Nevada and of some of the 

 Territories. In California they are occupied 

 chiefly in mining pursuits, and have generally 

 been extremely successful. They cannot, per- 

 haps, be strictly regarded as permanent in- 

 habitants, as the intention to return to China 

 with their accumulations is almost univer- 

 sal. They are males mostly, and come for 

 the purpose of gain. In 1856 the number 

 arrived at San Francisco was 4,733 ; in 1860 

 it was 5,467; in 1865 it was 2,942, and 

 in 1869 it was 12,874. The total number 

 of arrivals of Chinese since 1855 has been 

 78,817. 



New York is the principal port of entry for 

 the vast numbers of immigrants to this coun- 

 try, where more than five-sevenths of all those 



arriving are landed. Of the total number of 

 arrivals during* the year ending December 31, 

 1869, 254,837 entered at the port of JSTew York. 

 The nationalities and destinations of these, 

 compared with the same statistics of last year, 

 are given in the following statements, which 

 also show the States receiving the largest num- 

 ber of immigrants : 



Since the year 1847 no less than 4.038,991 



