San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-08-23
SELLING BABIES.
GLIMPSE AT THE DARK SIDE OF
ADVANCED CIVILIZATION"

The Common Practice of Unmotherly Wet
Nurses-Farming Out Their Own Chill
dren and Renting Themselves to Wealthy
FoIk-A Source Of Disease.
The fact that hundreds of foundlings are
annually cared for at the expense of the city
and by our numerous private charitable in
situations is very generally taken as at least
a suggestion Of the prevalence OF gross i'm
morality in New York. Because the census
of the child asylums and nurseries is con-
stantly increasing the deduction is likewise
made that the metropolitan morale is not OF
so high standard as in years past. How
much truth there may be in the latter as
sumption is a question that must be deter
mined from other data. In short the gen.
eral belief that the tiny wards that every
year become public charges are, as rule,
the offspring Of unfortunate or immoral
mothers is not correct. On the authority OF
those whose position gives them the best
chance for investigation it is stated that
very large proportion of the waits picked up
on the streets or discovered in out Of the
way places are the children of women who
abandon them solely for the purpose of max
ing money by nurturing other peoples ba-
bies
WHAT THE OFFICIALS SAY.
"There is no question but that women neg
lect their young babes for the sake Of the
wages they can earn in nursing the children
Of Others" said the superintendent Of the in
fants' asylum ON Randalrs Island, where
over 1000 foundlings are cared for at the
city's expense in the course of year. ut
has been found by investigation that the
majority of abandonments are made
from sordid motives. OF course there are
cases where mothers are obliged to abandon
their babes through poverty or fear the
shame of their maternity should become
known. But large proportion of the in
mates of the institution are dependent on the
city's charity because of their mothers greed
for money. At one time in the hospitals
history wet nurses were hired, but the en-
ployment agencies in the city, where the
number of maternities is so high per week,
gave the management much trouble by send
ing scouts here to the island to entice them
away We cannot afford to pay the prices
private families will give"
At the headquarters of the department Of
charities and correction Mr.. Blake, who has
held the position Of superintendent Of out
door poor, and is one of the best posted men
in the city on the subject, said:
'Many of the children two or more months
old have been abandoned twice before they
are brought here to be cared for by the city.
woman with child only few days old
finds some one with whom she can board it.
Sometimes a months board is paid in ad-
vance, which insures good care for it. But the
poor women who expect to add So or IS to
their meager monthly income seldom see the
mother of the child after the first month.
Finally, after waiting while, the nurses
abandon them"
There are certain institutions in New York
where premium is practically put on this
heartless abandonment of babies by MERGE
nary mothers. Certain restrictions are i'm
posed as to the admission of patients in the
maternity wards, but there are, notwith-
standing this, loopholes by which such women
are permitted to leave their young to the
tender mercies Of these institutions. The GUS