Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-10-16
FoUNDLINGS
THE FoUNDLING HOSPITAL AT SAN
FRANCISCO
SAx Fp.sc1soo octol,er Il. lsso.

San FRANCISCO, October Is, 1850.
happened one night years ago INTO
theater, since deceased, and the plsy was
'.The Founding OF Rue Francois" A
woman came upon the stage, carrying
babe, and approached the gateway painted
upon the scene She put the child in the
basket, then in another moment the wheel
turned and the baby was gone. Such
vail of agony as issued from her lips
"Oh my baby, my little one p 1t was
| blood-curdlins, and all the women in the
audience cried Somehow this came back
to me as l pressed the latch of the
gate No. 9i3 Tyler street. Directly before
me in large letters wss'the sign: " Found
ling asylum and lying-in hospital" Very
well, would investigate. There was ever
romance connected with foundhngs.
Into how many plots have they entered;
how many plays have been played about
them how many stories written Here
| were to be found children abandoned of
| father and mother
CAsrAwAYS,
Waits, the uuwelcome bits and strays of
humanity-the driftwood of life cast up on
the shore for whoever VIII to gather And
yet the little creatures have veins through
which runs human blood they have speak
ing tongues and laughing lips, and eyes for
tears to how-can you imagine 1t when
parents turn them away and never see the
children more? Think of it, you who love
your children who toll for them and
bear with them, and live for them,
and hold them to your hearts as the
dearest gifts of heaven. There are hun
dreds of children in this land of Chris
tianity whose parents desert them through
shame, poverty or indifference. Our
Founding Asylum was established in
1868, its moving energy being DIR. Hardy,
an old Quaker, whose venerable face Is
well known to San Francisco A hundred
arguments were urged against it by those
from whom aid was asked, the principal
one being that it would be an encourage
ment to illegitimacy. This argument was
silenced, however, when the public was
made to see that sin is impulse, and lays no
plans for its future that the woman who
is compelled by society to bear the blame
for both sexes should be allowed an invio
liable retreat through her worst trial, again
to return to the sphere from which she has
fallen, if she can, unhounded by scorn and
sneers that at any rate the little child is
not TO blame, and should have an asylum
from which it may go out to adoption and
honorable life. It is the effort of the Chris
tan people who have charge of the various
asylums for children to make the respecta-
bic future OF their little charges certain.
Homes are sought for them,
DECENT AVENUES OF LABOR,
Lawful adoption where possible. If you
apply to the orphan asylums for girl to
assist you with your homework your char
acter is inquired into before you are in
trusted with her, and the kindergarten
managers have just now pan to tram
such girls as Froebel nurses, that their
services may be sought as benefit. So
at the Founding Asylum no one may take
child for adoption without furnishing
! evidence OF ability to care for it properly,
and they are always required IN writing to
promise that such child shall be reared as
their own, in case of their death it shall be
their heir or share equally in all property
if there be other children. Hundreds of
little unfortunates have thus been taken
in ignorance of their birth. They give and
receive happiness comforts and Injuries
surround them; education and culture
will be theirs, and our State has thus
raised up to it men and women who must
otherwise inevitably have been the dregs
of humanity, shame to themselves and to
society. Applications for children to
adopt, for bright, healthy, well-formed
children, are so numerous here that they
cannot all be met. But many of them are
afflicted with disease, and the unfortunate
little creatures not adopted at two years
of age are transferred TO the Protestant
Orphan Asylum and remain the wards of
charity. As one enters the gate
LARGE GILT HAND
Points under the stairway, and sign
reads: Receptacle for Infants. Persons
leaving infants will see that they are
warmly clad. Ring the bell, and repeat if
necessary; retire to the walk and remain
until the child is taken within" A car
rage stands under the stairs, and the baby
is placed there. The night nurse hears the
bell, opens the door in a moment or two,
and from the instant the baby is in her
arms it belongs to charity. A warm bath
is Immediately administered and proper
clothing put on Sometimes the new
born infant is yet unwashed sometimes
it is carelessly wrapped in rags. or
an old shawl is thrown over it, and
in very few cases it is decently clothed.
Little dead babies have been left there with
a note requesting that burial which the
parents are too poor to furnish. Any one
may thus leave a baby you might leave
yours, might leave mine-though heaven
knows | cannot imagine the poverty or
the disgrace which could bring that about
and no soul would know it was yours or
mine, since no questions are ever asked,
and the babies get truly mixed at once,
Probably if you should leave your baby
and go there month after to visit the
asylum, hungry for sight of it, you
would not be able to tell it from the rest.
Since the opening OF the institution it has
received l ,060 babies.
WHAT NUMBER
Each receives number, which is put on
its little bed. A child had been left the
night before-he was I,o60. AS many as
four in a night have been lett. One was
deposited IN the carriage, and it was very
sick It was washed and watched and
attended, and the next morning woman
came to the door. g How long did that
child live that was left last night +" she
asked. On being told it was yet alive she
answered nonchalantly, 81 didn't suppose
it would live an hour, and left. What
mercy could helpless infant expect at
such hands? went upstairs to see the
babies, the prettiest and brightest of which
are always culled by adoption. The nurses
sat with babe on each kree, trotting and
hushing. ! cannot tell you what pity
I felt az looked upon the children. Good
care attends them, but not loving care, not
mother care. A pair of pretty twin girls
cried Justify at my appearance, although
often seeing strangers. A little fellow,