Whether they traveled first-class or crossed the Atlantic in steerage, all new immigrants to the Port of New York were required to go through Customs at Ellis Island.
Well, I was compelled to take a steerage passage, good enough for me.
It was only the third class or "steerage" passengers who were ferried to Ellis Island for health and legal interviews.
In many of these crops, good weed control could be achieved using steerage hoes without the need for hand labor.
My recollection of meeting these boats was that they where always going like a bat out of hell to maintain steerage.