San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-04-15
THE FoUNpLINGs OF FRANCE.
LEGITIMACY Made Easy-The Last
of the TOURIST. Vincent de
Paul's Great Work-The
Story of Rousseau.

aut " OTk-Ine
Story of Rousseau.
Especial Correspondence Of the Globe.
Democrat.
WASHINGTON, DC, April s.-There
were $4,000 abandoned children in
France last year, Consul Knowles, at
Bordeaux, writes to the state depart
ment. The cost of maintaining the
founding asylums of the republic
was about 81 500, 900. This represented
the support of 81, 900 children. France
leads all of the countri of Europe in
orphan asylums.
Facing the busy quay that traverses
the western portion of the city of Bor-
deaux, and overlooking the fertile
banks of the Garonne river on toe
opposite side, is low, somber three
STORED building of Munich gray gran.
lite. The structure possesses neither
magnificence nor attraction, and q few
tall poplar trees throwing their shad.
ows across the portico, scarcely lend
charm to the picture, There is moth
ing particularly noticeable to the
pas serby In this conventional pile of
stone and mortar, with the exception,
perhaps, Of q curious looking double
reversible armchair fixed into the
wall at the right of the entrance about
four feet above the ground and turn-
ing on q pivot, go that if one side be
directed toward the exterior Of the
building aud facing the observer the
other must necessarily be directed
inward.
The chair is 1.-the tour" which at
times has been q national issue in
France. Discussion over it has been
violent. One faction has held that
1.-THE tour is never-failing incentive
to illict love. On the other hand, it
ma, been just as strongly urged that
the adjustment of "the tour" would
promote Infanticide. The effect of
legislation has been tried. In 1911 a
decree was issued under which 235 of
these "tours" or wheels" were estab.
lished in France. Thirty-fve years
later the wheels were partially sup
pres esd. When "the wheel" at the
asylum of Draguignan was stopped,
the number of foundliDgs received fell
from 103 to IA, By the stoppage of
the tourn at Antwerp, the number of
infants left surreptitiously at the
asylum, fell Off 25.per cent.
Today, when q mother wishes to
leave her child at an asylum, she is
juterrogated infinitely by the clerk.
Her name, age, occupation, residence,
are all recorded. If she desires to
claim her child at some future time a
eolored ivory necklace il hung about
its neck-blue If a male, and red il @
female. If she wishes to entirely
abandon her infant, q string of white
beads replaces either of the others. A
silver medal. with the figure of st.
Vincent de Paul on the front and a
NUN Der on the reverse side, is attach.
ed tu each necklace, and both remain
upon the child until itatJains the age
Of II years.
The wheel" is no longer in use.
That seen in the front of the asylum
al Bordeaux is relic OF the old time.
This asylum was founded in 1919 by
benevolent maiden lady. Over the
door is the French for MY father and
mother have abandoned me, bat the
saviour has taken me to his care"
Any one wishing to be rid of an in
FAINT had but to place the little one on
1.-The tour" or chair and give it turn.
AS if by magic the baby disappeared
within and another chair was ready.
awaiting the next conner. In the
United States an imitation of 1.-THE
tour" was tried for a time. When a
foundling hospital was established in
New York twenty years ago, a crib
was put out in the vestibule at night
TO hold the offspring of the unknown.
In one year the asylum received 1000
infants.
IlIegi macy has been one of
Frances hardest problems. There
was time when public opinion justi.
fed abandonment of offspring. In
fanticide was legal. 4 hundred
years ago the Dantins, the Marats
and Miraheaus and other self styled
TeiormeIs were 50 eager for new lite
and blood that they put a premium
on the birth of i!legitimate children.
One of the saints who holds an excep-
tionally exalted rank in the French
calendar, is Vincent de Paul. This
man who had been slave, came
10 the south of France early in the
seventeenth century. and, with the
cooperation of five other Lazarists of
mis- cloth, founded a society known as
the Congregation of the Order of the
Mission, the object of the same
being to reclaim the ungodly inhabi-
tants of the province of Chatillon. sur
Chalaronne. Afterward, in 1882, st.
Vincent de Paul obtained the papal
bull to reorganize the society, with
himself at the head, and to establish
q permanent mission In the City of
d Paris. The chief object or end of this
society was to offer an asylum to ille-
Ultimate children, whose parents
found this way of ridding themselves
of them more agreeable than infanti-
eide. They kept together for centu-
~ and half, until the leaders of the
revolution thought proper to disperse