The morning times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1897, 1896-07-19
BABIES ARE HELD CHEAP
Women Who Offer to Care for Help
less Little Ones.
TIMES REPORTERS QUEST
She Went to See a Number Who Ans
wered an AdvertiSement-"FarmS"
in Washington.
Did you ever hear CT baby farming:

keulGE Tlu OF lDCse ilttie buuulcS VI lfcSsi-
bilities, these embryo artists, statesmen,
scientists, Presidents, or perhaps laborers,
who knows?
A baby farm as il has Eeen explained TO
me is place where uuwantcd infants may
DC disposed OF TO dealer III human flesh
who will undertake that the helpless child
shall trouble its unnatural parent no more
Perhaps you have never heard Of s:ich an
industry as this before.
Where no tine babies go that are born
unwanted? What do distracted and shame
stricken mothers do with their offspring?
Ii there are baby farms let them come to
light. Is the natural, irritated response to
such assertions in a healthy listeners
mind.
As a bait for such fish, if there be any,
the writer carefully worded an advertise
ment and placed it in a daily paper with
the purpose of calling some of the
creatures who follow this business. The
personal notice read as follows:
A young woman will pay for the care
of her baby by some experienced person,
who has other chilJrcn in charge. Address
confideutially Estelle b., this office"
The clause, who has other children In
Charge wasmeant TO lure the professional
and the word ''cOnfidentially,'' was meant
to throw shadow around the transac-
ton. But it was not anticipated that
such an overwhelming number of answers
would come pouring in.
Two or three days were allowed TO eiapse
before the result of the notice was asked
for, and then nearly one hundred letters
were turned over to the Investigator 1t
was startling, almost appalling, 10 think
of going through that amount of CORE
spondence. l carried the letters home,
however, and early one morning started in
Oh the formidable stack of responses.
THE STYLE OF ANSWERS.
Here was a most interesting fled of
study. The task did not seem formidable
when once gotten hold OF, for those letters
were extremely interesting They were
mostly all written in most remarkable style
ana penmanehip, showing that the would
he nurses were all from the iowliest walks
of life.
Then the reasons offered by the various
applicants for taking this mythical child
were good. Some of them had baby
carriages and cribs just waiting TO be
filled. Some were lonely old women, who
had raised large families of their own
ana wanted to experiment on new little
ones. few were from young girls, who
had good homes and nothing to do, and
just loved babies, anyhow. Almost all
Of them declared they loved babies, and
would give the one in question the best OF
care.
IL IS needless to say l put all of the
tenderest anu most curpest letters On one
side ana tried TO ScieCt OnIy the most
suspicious Ones for u second peruSai. l
thus wveded the collection down to about
dozen anu then rcconsidered these. Those
that L had laid aside mostly bore the
addenda that ali business would be strictly
confidential. l fancIed this fact looked
like Willingness TO enter into u con
splracy, and so was a clue worth follow
ing up. L noted that the writing and
expression of almost all these was un-
usually illiterate i'll style.
l wrote the addresses on n slip of paper
with u descriptive phrase or two TO guide
ME, and then put the letters all away ana
prepared TO spend the afternoon calling.
Clothed ali in black, and wearing Il black
veil, l started out, thinking / looked suffi-
aentiy mysterious TO msicad the most
wary.
The first place / called at was in a most
desirable nelghborhood in the northwest
The numbers were all on good residences
and l felt Il tremor around my knees as
the right number was neared. But as so
frequently happier Ms in this jumbled up city,
i discovered Il few little frame houses set
almost on the street in the shadow OF the
better residences, and here was my place.
As l Knocked at the door Il cclored child
scurried around the house and almost i'm
mediatcly Il colored woman put her head
out the window above me and announced
that there was no one at home.
Doesn't Mrs. - live here?" asked.
'Oh, yes; I'll be hight down." and the
bead was drawn in and the speaker a
moment later threw open the front door,
admitting me directly to Il dark sitting
room.
SHE WANTED MONEY.
The woman gave me a chair and did
not offer to raise the blind, so 1t was
some moments before l could AXE out
the appearance OF the apartment. 1t was
Saudily-furnished room, with cheap and
soiIed luxurIes all about. The door leading
10 the heXt room was curlained with lace
draperies, Topped back with dirty ribbons
The atmosphere OF the place was op-
pressive.
Finding my tongue, l inquired if this
woman had replied 10 the advertisement,
and She said She had.
How much money do you expect for
taking care of the cbiId?''
'Er, well, 1 can't say; I'd rather you'd
make an offer. How old is it?''
Six weeks" 1 replied, after reflec-
ton. "A GIRL
We'll, I've had five children of NV
own and raised a good many others, and
i certainly know what 10 do with 'um.
i like 'um, TOO; the poor little things
They don't ask to come here, and one
ought to treat 'um right
OF course; no one wants you TO be cruel
to the child. The point is l don't want to
be bothered with it and l want it taken
completely off my bands. Couldn't YOU
make me an ofrerto do that?"
Adopt it, you mean?''
ANY thing, / don't care what. Only
! don't want to have it on my mind"
No, of course you don't. l understand
exactly. Well, then you don't want to be
paying for it by tie month. ! saw the
ad and | says to myself, might take that
child for Il little while and get money enough
to go back West. l come from Springfield
and / want to get back there
How much money would take you
back?"
well, / reckon SIS would
Surprising gave you $50 and brought
the child here. Would you take il and ask
me no questions and take all responsibility
for it on yoursclf?''
The woman gave start and said ca gerly.
"why, yes, ma'am. I could do that l Ger.
tainly could do that"
You understand. / don't want any
questions asked about my name or where
abouts. l don't want anyone tagging me
up. / don't want to ever hear from You
I'm any way again. 1 will bring you the
money and the baby, and that's all I've
got 10 do with it,
Yes, ma'am: that's all you've got to
do about IL. You could go out that door
and / would never see You again.
But what would you do with the child?''
''Oh. I'd get il a home or maybe keep IL
myself. l wouldn't let it starve. 1t would
come up all right"
Very good said. rising and moving
toward the door.
when shall hear from your" asked the
woman, folio wing me up.
Il can't say exactly; but very soon I