Daily Republican., 1881-01-18
800 L0sl CHILDREN.
How wiinfnseon's Bi,i Pessss
Cared for Them


"Fhere's the total Of my family Just
ct present. Only two OF them, you
see." SO remarked George JACK son,
the Wilmington bill poster and city
beilmsn. The "two'' referred to were
little white girl not more than years
of age, with re6nsd countenance and
An attire which was at once pretty and
expensive, and not over cleanly look
ing black boy about year older, ell.
bows out Of Jacket, knees out Of pants
and toes peeping from between the up
pers and soles Of his shoes. Both Of
the youngsters were blubbering as
though their little hearts would lreak.
Wants me mamma" the ebony child
would articulate, while the other ohm.
ed In by way Of chorus "Take me
'ome to Aunty Clara" Then the pair
would unite in loud "boo hoo, I" while
the burning tears flowed copiously
down their cheeks.
"But," said the scribe, balf.hesita-
tingly, as he looked at the woolly-
headed piokaninny and then a. the
smiling white face Of the bill poster.
"But-"
"Oh," interrupted Jackson, "they're
not my youngsters, don't mean that
"Ah," replied the scribe in reliev-
ed tone.
George Jackson's little house, on
Shipiey street, Is known to every ons;of
Wilmington's forty and odd thousand
inhabitants as the "Home for Lost
Children" IT. police officer or civil
ian finds youngster in the streets
which has lost Its bearings and don't
know where home is, he takes the
shortest cut to Jackson's domicile.
When the parent misses young lamb,
instead Of hunting wildly through the
streets, and stopping every other Pc
destrian to PROFOUND frantic inquiries,
he or she hurries to the bill posters,
and there awaits until the lost one
puts In an appearance. Since July Of
the centennial year $40 children have
found temporary shelter beneath this
roof, 28S Of whom were boys and 226
girls. During the year just closed 1856
little ones were similarly cared for.
"Tell you how it came about" said
Mr.. Jackson. "Formerly, whena child
was lost, the parents came here and
engaged me 10 60 about the streets with
q bell and announce the fact. In that
way became known as q seeker after
the lost, and presently people began
bringing in the kids before had time
to 60 ont and hunt them. By and by
it grew into q regular custom, and now
there is no necessity for my going out
side Of the door when q child is miss
ing. Here is q book in which keep
all the names and those Of the par
ents. Sometimes l get ten q week,
oftener about four, always one
or two. There's generally q rush ps1
the day of parade or public dem h
stration. The ages Of the chtdren
generally run from 2 to years. Every
one I have taken in has been claimed,
generally on the same day. The long
est time child remainef, here was two
days. That was sweet little girl who
went to visit her grandmother. Going
home in the evening she lost her way.
The mother didn't worry because she
thought the grandmother kept her over
night, while the old lady naturally
thought that the child had reached
home all right. When they met next
day both women were frantic until
they got here. No, l don't receive any
thing for the service; don't want It.
refuse when it's offered. lido it lust
for the love Of the thing. Are they a
nuisancef Well, now, / can't say
that they are. The little things eat
but little and that they're welcome to,
and"
"And," intsrpolated Mrs. Jackson,
poking in her head through the half
,losed door, "they squall all the time.
Lord, but it's work to quiet them
iown sometimes" And with this the .
wo philanthropist proceed to the task
# pacifying the pair in the adjoining
'partmen:.-Phils. Record.