Waterbury Democrat., 1902-05-02
A WATERBURY NEED.
Home Where Destitute Children Could
 Be Cared For.


 Be Cared For.
 Waterbury needs many things which it will be apt to go without for some time. Among these probably nothing could be mentioned that would be of more benefit than home for destitute children, not incorrlgl- oles, but little ones who become charges upon the town and who have to be sent to the county home because there is no suitable place to care for them here. The presence of bright boys and girls about the lobby of City hall in charge of people who want to turn them over to the authorities is so common that people whose business calls them there every day in the week take little or no notice of them. Once in a while, however, an unus- ually cheerful boy or girl arrests the attention of the City hall habitues and some of them stop to ask his or her name and inquire into yne cause that left the child without a home. In most cases of this kind the cause can be traced to dissipation on the part of the father or mother, sometimes both, but this is not so in all instances. Frequently children are brought in to the authorities whose parents are dead and now and then attention is called to the condition of children who are living with people who lack the means to care for them properly, but do not like to part with them. This often happens where the parents have been sick for a long time and the grandparents or other relatives are trying to help out, but are not in a position to do much. It is pity that the city is not in position to main tain such children at home instead of sending them to the state institutions. No doubt they receive proper attention in these institutions, but once chill dren are separated from their par entS they rarely ever come together again and in the end the town is obliged to support the old folks while if the children had been kept in touch with them they might in time realize sense of their duty to their parents and in addition to bearing the expense of caring for them also turn out to be very desirable citizens. Judge Cole once said in the cisy court that he should prefer to leave children in charge of their mother, even though she was not the best kind of woman, than send them away to places where they would never see her. He thought that a bad mother can make a better hand of her off | spring than any other agency that could be employed to take her place over her children. People may differ as to whether or not Judge Cole was right, but it is safe to state that there are few who would say that it is not extremely difficuld to find anyone who 1 is competent to fill a mothers place in government and care of her own chil- dren. And the fact that mothers whom some people term bad raise so many good children is pretty good evi- dence that Judge Cole was not very wide of the mark.
 The trouble with the authorities and others who are called upon to take l charge of abandoned or destitute chil- | dren seems to begin when they look around for suitable persons to look af- ter them, so that probably under exist | ing conditions in Waterbury if l is out of the question to do any thing better than send them to the state institution and then l turn them over to the best class of people they can find willing to give them homes It is matter of history that this does not always prove satis | factory, but so far nothing better has been provided and until the system is improved upon, the children will have to go the old way no matter what be
 comes of them. This matter was dis
 cussed to-day by a few citizens wher
 Superintendent Moran appeared in the city hall building accompanied by
 Johnny Lyons, handsome five veal old boy, who has been committed to tho county home, not because there was
 anything the matter with him, but simply on account of the fact that i
 was considered the best disposition that could have been made of the child
 Some day, perhaps, when one of oul
 millionaires dies and his will is read il
 the probate court, the public will b'
 surprised and pleased to learn that h. has left sum for charity sufficient t,
 enable Waterbury to build home
 where the offspring of people who neg
 lect or are not able to provide fo
 their children can be properly care fol
 without sending them out of town.