The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1889-06-07
LITTLE ONES TRAVEL ALONE.
ChilSren Entrusted to the Care of Rail
road Men for Long Journeys.

ChilsSren Entrusted to the Care Of Rail-
road Men for Long Journeys.
"No children shipped without pa
rents" This is the rule that the rail-
road companies are thinking of adopt
ing to put stop to the apparently in
creasing practice of consigning chill
dren to the mercies of train conductors
to be carried perhaps half way across
the continent and turned over to
friends at the destination.
Once the conditions of railroad travel
were such that to send child in this
fashion by rail was to lose the child in
nine cases out of ten. But railroad
methods have developed, and with this
development parents and friends have
thought it safe to put tag on their
little ones and send them off upon
their lonely travels. On railroad and
by steamship these travellers go. Three
tots arrived at Castle Garden waybilled
to Texas, but with not a soul that knew
them to offer protecting arm.
1.-The Pennsylvania railroad dis
courages this practice" said Assistant
Passenger Agent Pile 1.-THE care and
responsibilities are too great. But not
withstanding the obstacles thrown in
the way, consignmentsO of children still
| come to us, and, of course, we do our
| best to look out for them. 1t is not
uncommon for poor people to come to
us with children that they want de-
livered in the far west along our lines
or on line with which we connect.
Sometimes they are old enough to be
intrusted with tickets and such money
as they may need on the way, but this
is not always the case.
when the youngsters are very
small the practice is for friends to pay
down to us the entire expense con-
nected with carrying their precious
freight. We then start the child on
his way and telegraph to our agents
along the line to pay over such and
such an amount to the child wanderer,
as it may be needed The conductor
| looks out for the travellers meals, and
so the journey is made comfortably
and safely. But as l say, this is a
1 tedious business and we don't like to
undertake it. 1t was once q popular
practice to turn over children bound
on long journeys to the Pullman Pal
ace Car company, but now 1t also
fights shy of the business.
Said an old official connected with
the passenger department of the Phil
adelphia and Reading railroad: Our
conductors are quite frequently asked
to look after children that travel with
out parents or friends. But it is gen.
orally only q short trip. circumstances
in which we turn over these minors
to q connecting line are very rare in
deed"
The most notable cases Of long Jour
neys for friendless little ones are met
with in the immigrant homes. Pow
erty will drive parents to run great
risks, and they will send over from the
old country their children to travel
across water and land to friends in the
new country of the west. Perhaps for
months they will not hear of the haps
and mishaps of the journey, trusting
to the interest of strangers and the
faithfulness of railroad officials to
speed the trip. Only a tag fastened
about the neck or to the buttonhole
shows the destination.
Stranger, be kind to this ere pup,
And always keep him right side up.
These were the epigrammatic direc-
tons that carried poor cur to the end
of his journey not long ago. But
when similar tactics are tried with hui
man freight, the railroads are inclined
to resist and rebel against fulfilling
the Office OF q travelling nurse.-Phila-
delphia Record.