Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-05-30
CHILDREN TRAVEL ALONE.
Entrusted to the Care of Railroad
Men for Long Journeys.

"No children shipped without pa
rents. This is the rule that the rail.
road companies are thinking of adopting
to put stop to the apparently increas-
ing practice of consigning children to
the tender 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 a
tag upon their little ones and send them
off upon their lonely travels. On rail
road and by steamship these travellers
go, and it was only the other day that
three tots arrived at Castle Garden way
billed to Texas, but with not soul that
knew them to offer protecting arm.
"The Pennsylvania Railroad discour-
ages this practice" said Assistant Pas
senger Agent Pile recently.y. 1.-THE
care and responsibilities are too great.
But Notwithstanding the obstacles
thrown in the way, consignments 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
delivered in the far west along our lines
or on a line with which we connect.
Sometimes they are old enough to be
intlusted 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 connected with
carrying their precious freight. We
then start the child ON its way and tele-
graph 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 travel
ers meals, and so the journey is made
comfortably and safely. But, as say,
this is a tedious business and we don't
like to undertake it. 1t was once a pop
ular practice to turn over children bound
on long journeys to the Pullman Palace
Car Company, but now it also fights
shy of the business"
Said an old official connected with the
llhorcnktA VI tlit Il
phia and Reading "Or con
ductors are quite frequently asked to
look after children that travel without
parents or friends. But it is generally
only a short trip. The instances in
which we turn over these minors to
connecting lines are very rare indeed. "
The most notable cases of long jour-
neys for friendless little ones are met
with in the immigrant homes. Poverty
will drive parents to run great risks,
and they viii 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 faith
fulnoss of railroad officials to speed the
trip. Only n 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-
tions that carried poor cur to the end