The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-02-01
A UNIQUE ASYLUM.
How Foundlings are Provided
for at Peru.
CATHOLIC PERU is In THE LEAD.
The Black ROBBED Priests and the RIue- G2ownod
Sisters of Charity, and the Good
Work They do.

AREQUIPA, Peru, Jan. 1, 1S9l.-TSpecial
correspondence of The HERALD. lin the
certre of this old city, nearly opposite the
ruins of what was once the woman's hos
pltal, which was shaken down by the great
earthquake of twenty years ago-is very
anclent-looking structure, struggling over
an entire square, whose closed doors and
small, heavily barred windows give no hint
OF what may be going On within. NV at
tentlon was first attracted by its appear
ance OF antiquity, the utter silence that
broods over the locality, and the numbers
OF black-gowned priests and
BLUE-GowNED SISTERS OF CHARITY
who are constantly gliding in and out its
worm-eaten portal. One day, having ex-
tended my walk to the farther side of the
enormous building where it faces an nm
trequented thoroughfare, observed some,
thing which aroused my curiosity to the
highest pitch-merely kind of wooden
cage or turnstile set in the walls, shaped
like circular box with two compartments
which CHANGED to be slowly revolving as 7
passed. What could it be-another ssmvs-
terry of the monkery," or relic of Inouisi-
ton days! While looked, the box SLOWLY
turned again and presented its blank side
to the street, so like the surrounding walls
that one might pass thousand times and
never notice it. but little groove re-
manned, into which the fingers might be
fitted; and of course the spirit of Mother
Eve impelled me to try it. Pulled one wav.
1t refused to move; pulled the other the
cage swung around with rheumatic creal,
and turned its empty compartment to the
view. Journalistic enterprise demanded a
solution OF the riddle, and forthwith | he
came walking interrogation point until
the bottom facts were attained
THE ANCIENT EDIFICE.
which is now nearly three hundred wars
old and for more than two centuries served
as convent for the nuns of Santa Gaia
rlna-ls one of the several founding 1nsti-
buttons which have long f1ourished in Perm
and the swinging box, like those we read
of in France and Italy, is set everv NIGHT
with it's hollow side outward, for the recsn0
ton of any infants that may be placed in it
by unknown hands-a perpetually omen
door for the shelter of those uuWelcnme
waits who are immeaSurably worse than
orphanted, and whose Acknowledgement
brings ruin upon the er1ng parents. The
mother or her emissary. stealing along that
deserted street in the darkness has or,lv tn
put the newborn citizen into the box. give
it the slightest impetus, and around it
turns, affording immediate protection to the
tiny occupant, while no eye inside the
building can see who placed it there. A
Sister of Charity is stationed on the inner
side of the wall, whose sole business II ia
to watch for new arrivals at all hours of
the night, to receive and care for them.
NEWSPAPER COLUMN
is not the place for discussing those social
questions that have perplexed the wisest; |
heads and noblest hearts ever since this
sinful world was young-those saddest
problems that seem to thwart the plans of |
the Almighty and almost make one donbt
His over ruling care; am only TO relate
what exists in Arequipa, as in many other