The Lambertville record., 1897-04-14

Few men hINC been blessed with
sueh a mother | owe all have and
an ID her" She died i few yeals aga
Il lhr age of ninety four years.
MaAor Strong has accumulated II
large fortune. lie is Interested linan-
rially in many Institutions. and at the
timp Of his election 10 the Mayoralty
he MIS- the president of the Central
National Bank lie has always been
ii Republican. and is talked Of as Il
candidate OF the Greater New York
notwithstanding his OWL assurances
10 tie contrary.
y male baby, about four weeks old
WIS found last night near the Fifth
avenue entrance 10 Central Park by "A
mounted policeman. WHO look the in
fant 10 bellevue Hospital There was
nothing found on the clothing that
would give any clew 10 the identity of
the baby. and he was sent To he In
lants Home. on Randalls Island.
Such items as The above are fire.
JWcntlN sccn in the columns of the
newspapers, and the question natural
~ suggests itself What becomes of
these foundlngs. deserted and cast
ldrift ON the world? The answer is
simple This great city becomes
sponsor, pr1vidcr and parent. Each
year three thousand children under two
wears old are cared for 10y New York
.ity aud its various charities. Accord
ing Ia the records an average of one
hundred and twenty of them are found
each year by the police where they
nave been abandoned. They are found
m doorstcps, in Railways, In ash cans,
IN starWays. in the parks. in ears and
in all sorts of places where they can
he deposited without immediate OBJ
serNation. These are the Ypritable
toundlingS infants from few hours
10 Il few days old. actually abandoned
10 their fate. and who must he found
soon after their abandonment. If life
is kept in their little bodies.
Besides these. there are about two
thousand infants Of very tender age
abandoned every year by their par
4nls IL the mercy Of the city and the
various charitable societies organized
10 care for them. who are often taken
~ the mother. and frequently by other
persons Interested. 10 The various
founding institutions. aud there left
N their hclplcSSncss Ia be provided for
ny charity.
This little army of f0undlings appears
10 he on the increase from year TO
year and the number of instances of
HE crime of infantieide Is at the same
lime apparently decreasing. Charitable
provision Tor the care al lin baby
eften saves the unnatural mother of
lie crime of murder.
When Il policeman on his rounds
Iinds bit of humanity, with linger-
NJ spark of life in its body. hidden in
some out Of the way corner he nj once
ends 10 Bellevue Hospital and notifies
he Department Of Charities That
department, If no one claims the babe.
gives it name which Is written on
.ard, together with its sex. presumed
- and facts in relation to its finding
With this card about It's neck or fast
ined 10 its arm, the little charge /,
cnt 10 Randall'S Island, and becomes
an inmate Of the Infants Hospital,
where il is expected to stay until two
fcarS old
The great work of the care and dis
iribution Of these little unfortunateS is
lone by the founding hospitals From
ihem the children usually when about
hree years old are sent. through
agreement Of adoption, all over the
and, many reaching the farms of the
Far West.
The result is frequently learned from
he children themselves, who write TO
their alma mater and state the posi-
lions they have reached in business
and social standing. | saw number
5f such letters from farmers, lawyers.
fact. from members Of
almost all honorable vocations many
accompanied by photographs that
showed character and intelligence.
The greatest OF these institutions in
this city Is in the New York Found.
ling Hospital, at Sixty-eIghth street
and Third avenue Roman Catholic
organization, which, however, does not
discriminate. CYRUS THoRP.