The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-08-19
CRUELTY 70 CHILDREN.
What Becomes OF the Unfortunate Infants
of the Metropolis

For some time TIM business of baby
farming has been increasing in this city,
until at the present moment it extends
from the most squalid East Side localities
to the magnificent and luxurions man.
sions on the ultra fashionable avenues.
In this city every gear an average Of
about 300 unfortunate infants are picked
up in ash barrels, in hall ways, on the
streets, and frequently in the river.
These are nearly all the children Of poor
and iudiscreet young women. who in an
evil hour gave heed to the voice Of the
tempter.
Many Of these children find their way
into regular institutions which are incor-
porated for business Of that description,
such as the Founding asylum. and a
number Of religious concerns where pro-
vision is made for the little waits. But
by far the great majority are "farmed
out 20 women who for consideration
care for the children or help to end their
miserable lives, as the exigency Of the
case or the pecuniary interest involved
NAV require.
The mother in most cases is drawn
from the humber walks in life and can
afford TO pay but small sum for the
maintenance of her child. She accord
ingv seeks out one Of the baby farmers,
who thrive in every part of the tenement
districts os ;Le city, and there arranges
for the reception and care Of her little
one. A fixed sum per week IS decided
upon. ranging according 10 location from
81 10 s.. and the transaction Is con-
cluded Perhaps the unfortunate mother
Is sometimes lucky enough TO have as
partner in her guilt one vino will pay the
weekly stipend. He furnishes the money
for three or five or ten weeks, bnt with
each succeeding payTcHt he grows tired
Of the Job. and finally he drops Olf'alto-
gether.
The baby farmer gets impatient. She
threatens the mother of the child and
perhaps succeeds in having her make
some personal sacrifice TO help for its
maintenance. but the struggle proves too
much and the next chapter in the story
is the announcement TO the erriDg
mother some day that the baby Is dead.
Of course. if the child has died while en-
during some of the thousand ills that
bahvhood Is heir TO permit for IFS
burial is easily procurable, and that is
the last Of the drama. But in nearly all
cases il j. very hard for even a skilled
physician to properly account for the lit
tie ones dcpartur. from this unfriendly
world, ana no more Is heard Of the case
But there are other baby farms many
of them in the gilded neighborhoOd where
Ward McAllister's 900 society Orna-
ments hutter. and there the procedure
charges and arrangements differ, but in
the long run the result is invariably the
same The prices charged for therecep5ion
Of infants in some If these places ran as
high as $40 week. bat in the majority
OF cases the bai gam II made by the pay
ment of a lump sum which will cover
the cost Of keeping the baby until it is
old enough 10 be received in an orphan
ASYLUM or disposed of IN some other way.
Generally the children OF such people are
offered for adoption and in this way
nearly SO per cent. of the baby farm
children of the better class are disposed
of. because the mothers do rot wish 10
have them sent to asylumS, whore then
"blue blood may be furnished 10y com
mingling with waits of thu common herd.
As the matter is at present conducted
in this city all applications from persons
Ito keep and maintain infants" are turn
ed over TO the Society for the Prevention
of Cruelty to Children by the board of
health. The society investigates the
moral surroundings of the applicant, and
the board of health looks after the sani-
tary arrangements. When everything is
found all right permit is issued. The
establishment at that point is lost sight
Of. and the board of health or the Chill
dren's society may know no more about
the place OF the number Of babies kept
there or the way they are treated than the
emperor of Morocco. Safety for the lives
of these unfortunate waits can only be
relied upon IN the regular institutions.
where the utmost care that tendernurses,
aided by the most approved scientific ap-
planes. can give. Is administered.
The utmost efforts Of the police auihori-
ties or the Children $ society to prevent
abuses IN the system mus lar nave ialleu
because Of the numerous obstacles thrown
in the way of reform. The viiiaiuous
women who. for a consideration, squeeze
the young lives out of 50 many little
waits year by year, adopt many and
clever rlIses to escape detection IN their
foul work. and they generally succeed.
These people give such an unenyiabie
reputation to places constructed and run
on a purely legitimate basis that the un-
fortunate mothers are more frequently
tempted 10 throw their helpless offspring
into the depths of the North or East
rivers than consign them TO a fate that IS
worse than death itself. New York
Journal
Cooling Eject ci Ice.