St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-03-25
EXPERIMENT ABANDONED.
A Childless Couple Will Trust For.
tune and AdoDt No Child.

One of the best known business men
in the city. resident on Summit ave.
nue., tells the story OF recent expert
ence in a rather interesting manner.
Though he has been married about ten
years. he is SO far childlesS. This fact
has been source of regret to both hus-
band and wife. and it was the same that
prompted the insertion in the SUNDAY
GLOBE of a few weeks ago Of the fol-
lowing advertisements:
w ANTED-To adopt, a healthy boy, from
w SIX to ten years of age and of respect
able parentage; references given and re-
qulred. Address -, NO. - Summit ay.
The advertisement appeared but once,
yet its effect was truly extraordinary.
Il had supposed, says the advertiser. that
very few mothers or fathers would wish to
part with their children, but l was never SO
mistaken. Every mail for a week brought
me about half a bushel of letters from rich
and poor. from the educated and the igno-
rant Some with true pathos and some with
!!l-dlsguised eagerness told their pitiful tales.
III show you few samples on condition
that you Withhold names aud addresses Here
is one:
Sir: Not having seen your advertisement
until this evening, take my earliest oppor-
tunIty OF answering ii. L have son aged
eleven years. whose father was killed when
he was three months. and l have married
again this past three years. And. getting a
young family round me. see no prospect of
doing anything for the future benefit of my
son, as my husband is only on the railway:
the boy is fair. slight, tall for his age, and
tidy scholar
This was a little vague, as to whether
the father was killed when he was
three MONTHS" or whether the son or
the father. or the writer married again;
so the first note remained unconSidered.
The next reads:
Sir: Seeing your advertisement for little
boy to adopt of Respectable parentage have
One he VIII be six years old the II of March
next he is a bright good looking little fellow
of good References, should you think it
Worth your Motive will kindly let me know
Then comes one from a man who in
PRODUCES his candidate for adoption in
the following pompouS style:
Sir: l write as a father, and while it might
| be thought that natural affection, even recog-
nlzed by the statutes as sufficient consd-
Grafton in commercial transactions, would
| initiate against the severance of natural
ties, these sanitary maxims are to be disre-
| garded when Providence has dealt with US
| plentifully and bountifully, and as the father
| of fifteen sons L am entitled to speak
from this point of view. If you seek
| a lad below twelve years of age, you may
! come here and take your choice. My boys
are well disciplined and do not expect the
| luxuries of life. lam firm believer in the
| scriptural adjunct spare the rod and spoil
| the Child | feel pretty sure you would lind
| no trouble with them, and il there was any
| correcting to be done, could step in and do
| il, providing you live somewhere near Seven
| corners. l should be glad if you could com
| municate with me this week, as am about to
| ship four of them tc California to a wheat
| farm.
| Z. S.-You can have couple of old suits
with the lad if you want them.
The next epistle was indited by q
| lady who evidently had an eye on the
MAIN chance, and worked the boy racket
| as a side issue:
| Sir: have read your letter, and though a
| loving mother, 1 have felt that heaven di-
| rected me to read the paper. My little lad
! sits beside me as | write this, and he says in
| his sweet way: Mamma. we shall see each
other sometimes, shant we?' [Fauntleroy.
| And say. "Of course, dear, the good gentle
| man will allow it," He is Il fine boy, as others
say who do not see him with a mothers
eyes; and l could send you by re-
turn some of his golden hair which
| father died. 1t would be terrible wrench
| to part with him. but l cannot think you
| would part US altogether. l am considered q
| lovable woman. and know how TO make q
| man comfortable. If you would let me come
and stay with my darling for a few weeks
now and then. who knows what our destinies
might be? l should be very much obliged if
| you would write back at once. Harry talks
| already of his new papa, and says he feels
| sure he will love him.
These are only samples of dozens OF
| letters, humorous. pathetic, crafty and
designing. One man hoped the adj
| vertiser had no sympathy with ritual
| lists; another would draw the line al
evangelists; one offered his son pro,
vided a public school education was
| guaranteed, while another said that
| legal blood (Sic) ran in the veins of his
for,1 hat nIxyn rl,+
do worse than make him lawyer. Be
sides all this about thirty good mothers
and doting fathers called at the Summit
avenue home and exhibited their can
didates for adoption. The upshot OF
the matter is that the childless couple
on the hill have sworn to wait until
their luck changes. There will be nc
boys in the family unless they arrive by
| the regular route.