The Savannah morning news., 1901-10-29

ness to look after the welfare of
youngster, but they did it, and were
praised accordingly. or course the pas
sengers were interested also, and, all
in all, the experiment was so success
full that others tried it. Why go to the
expense and bother of taking child
from one place to another when all the
worry and work might safely be put
upon the trainmen? Clearly it was
waste of time and money. Then, too.
the other passengers needed something
to occupy their thoughts and drive
away that feeling of ennui. Why not
give them child to look after and
amuse?
No doubt in the beginning it was
matter of necessity when children were
shipped in this fashion. Poverty made
it impossible that an older person
should make the trip for the purpose of
locking after the youngster. But that is
not always the case now. The practice
grew in favor. and children have been
sent all the way from New York to
San Francisco, dependent upon the
kind heartedness of the railroad men
and other strangers. They have been
sent across the ocean. too, but that is
not so bad as sending them across the
continent, for the same people are with
them throughout and there is no chang
ing cars. Sometimes there have been
complications when port was reached.
due to the fact that relatives were not
on hand and had to be hunted up but
long railroad journey is far the more
serious matter.
OF course it naturally occurs to one
that no loving and thoughtful parent
or guardian would trust to chance and
the kindness of strangers in this way
except in the direst extremity and this
is true. But all parents are not loving
and thoughtful. Some of them are low
ing and thoughtless and some of them
are thoughtful but not loving. A great
many people have the gambling in
stinct strongly developed. They will
take all sorts of chances and trust to
luck. They do this int their home life
when they lock child in the house or
the fat while they run over to call on
a neighbor, which isa more dangerous
than trusting it alonef on a railroad
train. Then, too, relatives who have
wearied of the care of a child that Is
not their own find this an advantage
Gus way to ship. it to other relatives
who have just as little direct interest
in the little ones welfare. 1t is prac-
tically impossible to refuse to receive
it when it comes this way.
All this may seem heartless as well
as thoughtless, and, in some instances,
criminally neglectful, but there are
whole lot of heartless and thoughtless
people in this world-not to mention
those who are so utterly lacking in
just ordinary sense that one some
times wonders why an all-wise Provi-
dence ever permits them to have chill
dren. But they have them, and fire.
quently they would take more chances
with them than they would with pug
dog. Thus it happens that this branch
of the railroad business has been in
creasing at such a rapid rate that it is
deemed necessary to take steps to stop
it.
"You would be surprised" said a rail-
read official in discussing the subject,
ito know how general this practice has
become and how much trouble it occa-
sicns. Why, children are actually ship
ped through Chicago, which necessi-
tates change of cars. Now that
means that someone has got to
look after them while they are
here. Sometimes they can be trans
ferred from one train to another in
the depot, but there are occasions
when they have to be taken from one
depot TO another, and some railroad
man usually has to see to it. That is
an imposition upon him and on the
road. but the child is helpless, and
what are you going to do? The child
is not to blame. You can't help being
sorry for the youngster, but it would
go hard, with the parent or guardian
if we could get hold of him Cor herr
when this thing happens. Even when
there is no question of changing cars
it is an imposition on the trainmen 10
ask them to look out for a child. OF
course, arrangements are made for it's
uvn tho trim G ca LONG oG 20
require anything of this sort, but some
one must see that it gets them. and
it requires constant watchfulness.
tell you it speaks well for the character
of the men we employ that this not
only can be done, but is done all the
time, and so far as know every child
has reached it's destination. The other
passengers do a great deal, and they
sometimes see to transferring the
youngster. to opening its lunch basket
or taking 1t into the dining car or the
railway restaurant, but the respon-
sibility rests upon the trainmen. OF
course, il is not a legal responsibility
and no blame could attach to them If
the youngster was hurt or lost, but
there is a moral responsibility that
they should not be forced to assume.
1t cannot fail to worry them, and IL
takes time and attention from their
other duties. You must look out for
a child; you can't say: oh, II has no
business to be here and let it go at
that. That may be the truth, but It
would not ease the conscience of any
man with half heart IL anything hap
pened to It.
80 the thing must be stopped en-
tirely in the interests OF the men who
have responsibility thrust upon them
and in the interests OF the roads, which
are entitled TO the whole time and
thought OF the men while they are on
duty. Doubtless there are times when
actual necessity makes IL excusable 70
senc a child this way but In nine out
Of ten cases II is not necessary, and the
only thing 20 DO Is 70 stop II alto
gcther. We must refuse 20 accept
without a guardian any and every child
that Is not fully capable OF looking out