The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-12-04

buildings that cover almost an entire
block stands cosy little old-fashioned
cradle OF w(':ker-work, with snow white
| coVerIet and plump little pillows, that
I would bring peacefulness and rest to
une most puSnacious, sleep-defying
! youngster.
1t is the famous crib of the New York
Founding asylum, in which every hap
less infant brought there must be
placed by its unhappy mother, or some
! other person, as q. formal act of aban-
donment before the institution will as
sumo the responsibility of it's future
care and welfare.
1t is now rather shaky and feeble.
from old age and constant use and it
would have been consigned lonsNago TO
/ the lumber room of an ordinary house
mold But 1t has record that makes it
not only a notable object of interest,
but endears it as well to the hearts Of
the self-sacrificing women, whose lives
nave been devoted to the helpless
babes for whom this quaint little bas-
ket Of wicker-work has stood silent
sponsor through so many years.
From the opening of the asylum on
| Oct. IL, 1859, up to Nov. 10, this year,
every one of the 1,O29 infants received
and cared for during that period has
, been temporarily an occupant of the
| same Identical crib. 1t has been patcheR
and repaired and reprinted to conceaA
the traces Of time, and still does duty
at the same old stand. seemingly as
clipper and cheerful as when it first
started in business.
The appearance of this crib marked
an era in the charitable work of the
great metropolis. A peculiarly heartless
phase of mans inhumanity to man.
ceased when good Sister Irene the
foundress of the asylum, stretched the
broad mantle of Christian charity until
1t also covered these luckless tnnocents.
The first home of the foundIfngs was
IN very limited quarters at No. II East
Twelfth street, and the opening day
was signalized by the installation of
the now famous crib. 1t was a gift.
from Mrs. Paul L. -Thebaud. a truly
charitable woman Of wealth and social
position, who has ever since been a
staunch friend of the institution. The
crib was brand new then. of the latest
fashionable design, and would not have
been out Of place in the most aristo-
cratic nursery on Fifth avenue But cir
cumstanceS- and Sister Irene wflled
otherwise. Instead of an easy exist
ence as a resting place for youngsters
clad in purple and fine linen. this cost
ly crib, daintily furnished as it was,
stood for many years just outside the
front door of the asylum, ready to well
come in its warm embrace the little
castaways silently deposited there by
unknown hands.
This was a trying period in the ca
reer of this erstwnile mOdish crib pos
ing as the official receptacle of deserted
mites of humanity. The summers sun
and winters storms played havoc with
its classic contour. 1t became weather.
beaten and began to age rapidly, when,
fortunately, the asylum authorineks
deemed it advisable, for certain rekA,
sons, to surround the abandOnmefsc5sf
infants with more formality The crib
was brought within doors, thus COM
pelling the person who wished to sur
render a child to summon an attend
ant, who was always in waiting to re-
ceive it. One benefit of the change was
that many a desperate mother whose
self-destructiOn might otherwise have
quickly followed the abandonment of
her unfortunate infant, has been gently
detained, kindly reasoned with, and,
finding q sympathetic listener TO her
sad story, has allowed herself to be
helped back to a life of quiet resigna-
ton, if not happiness.
1t seems strange how cheerful the Old
cradle looks after listening, through SO
many years, to countless tales Of
woman's woe; and the snowy coverlet
and the plump little pillows show no
signs of the myriad tears of anguish
dropped upon them from the eyes OF
heart-broken mothers as they pressed
passionate Kisses of farewell UPON the
innocent faces of the ill-starred little
ones from whom they were about to
part forever.
1t is interesting to note that the
founding crib" of today had it's proto-
type as far back as 1898. when the
great hospital of Santo SpiritO in Rome
was rebuilt. At that time a. turning box
was fixed in an opening of the wall in
a retired part of the building in which
the abandoned child could be placed
secretly at night. a bell was rung at
the same time, and a waterman on
duty within the building turned the
box and took out the infant, which was
cared for and educated, and afterwards
apprenticed to some trade or profess
sion. "