The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-05-16

BY F0NDLING SOCIETY


any crowd Of similar size that has landed
in this city for a long time The little
group was made up OF c. w Swayne and
two nurses and ten children The children
were orphan waits found on the streets
Of New York City and taken in charge
by the New York Founding and Orphan
asylum. They were brought to this city
TO be distributed to people over this sec
ton Of the state. Twice each year. some
member of the organization comes to
Kansas with Il little group Of these chii-
dreH and homes are found for them They
eslabilsh some point on d main line of
railroad, and here people who are to
take care Of the children come, and they
are turned over TO them.
Wichita was made the distributing
point this year, and people came for a
distance Of $50 miles to take the little
waits hsme with thena The work is
carried on something Ike the work Of
the Kansas Childrens Home society An
agent is notified that some person wants
child and he Immediately looks up the
reputation of the people and the proba-
bliity Of giving the child a good home,
and then when the seni-annual distribu-
ton takes place the people are notified To
come 10 some central point and get the
babe. The society looks after the chill
oren until they reach their majority, and
are able to take care Of themselves
The children were taken to the Carey
hotel Immediately on Their arrival and
here a reporter found them. The ten
youngsters We're sitting on chairs OF roll
ing around on the floor. and ali but two
or three were as happy as that many
kittens When the reporter entered the
room every one of them turned and look
ed at him with wide open eyes. but not
one breathed a word. one little fellow
that had been yelling at the top of his
voice suddenly stopped when he saw the
man and the attention OF the children
was momentarily turned TO the new OBJ
1ect on the floor The stiffness was like
death when the reporter asked the first
question of the nurse in charge. She in
formed him that the children had seen
but very few men, and such creatures
were sort Of q curiosity to them They
had always been near women. There were |
two boys, one six and the other seven |
years Of age. They sat on chairs and |
never opened their mouths. The reporter |
asked them where they were from. Both l
looked at the nurse and one replied: |
New YORK" That is all the reporter 1
could get out Of thera except that they |
were gong 10 papa and mama. The other !
eight children were less tirn four years /
Of age. most OF them were but little /
past two. Each had a little tag pasted I
on their clothes and on that label was Il /
name, just one name, like Minnie or i
Bessie. Not one OF the children knew 1
their surname. and when the reporter !
asked about this the agent explained that /
streets of the great cities where they had /
been abandoned They We're taken to /
the home and there nursed by the Sisters /
of Charity. They We're told about papa 4
and mama and were given names, and /
when taken 10 their future homes the I
dren are taught that they are going 10 +
papa and mama when they leave the /
home. and chat impression is never taken /
from them
When the reporter arrived the children /
had just been given their dinner and had /
been washed 10y the nurses and dressed, /
and then they were allowed 10 amUse 4
themselves. add an but "A few were hay
ing the best kind OF q time. They rolled ,
around on the carpet and pulled at each |
others clothes and laughed elccfully /
and every little while the nurse would /
stick her finger Out and tickle one foot, /
and then there was a great hubbub. I
They would hunt for the ticker for few
moments and go az their play again.
One little blue-eyed. red-hairCd girl sat /
in the middle of the room and played /
with her feet an the time She rubbed I
them ana p1ttod them. and the nurse
said that She was In love with her feet
ana that was BOW all sne would DO one
little girl sat against the wall and looked /
cross. and wheoc"cr the reporter or the
nurse looked that way she would put her
thumb in her mouth She was nor three
years old hut had a temper that out
classed many older people. Her eyes
were as black rs coal and they would
fash like diamonds. She was mad clear
through, ard she wanted everyone TO
know Ct. One Of the nurses went 20 her
.-rr
mon. she yelled and scratched Tor an
she was worth. and ola not want the
nurse 20 do anything with her. She was
mad at something. and she wanted 10 I
show her displaasure. She cried as loud
as she could and a the FIRST whimper /
the others ceased their playing and not
one made movement until the other
was Quieted.
There was one little blue-eyed girl just
old enough u crawl around good and
have q chance 10 invest gate evcrything
her eyes could pick out she crawled
over every inch of the room before she
haG been there ten minutes Under the
beds and between chair less. and If an-
other child came in her path over ii she
went She encountered the reporter s leg
and stopped 90 investigate, aud before
abe was through she had united both
shoesuings
Six % the eight children were girls
AL HAA ANf were Na..f-t t-l ana al-4lN
haired. and the agent informed the repor-
Ter that there was q 3esrth ~ blond ba-
bies I'm New York. owing GO the demands
for blondes when people wanted 10 adont
them. A few. be ssid. wanted black-eve5
ones and nearly two-thlrds wanted girls
Two weeks ago this aCent and five sis
tiers ana nurses started from view York
City with ffty-thrce chHdrcn the oldest
seven wears ard the youngest twenty
two months. Part Of these went south
from s.. Louis ard the others came here
Some Here Jeff st other points and this
IS the erd Of the Journey. The nurses
VIII return to New York and in cew
weeks they viii again make trip west
or north. sometimes going farther west /
but seldom west of the Rocky mountains
The New York Founding and Orphan
Asylum fnds in the neichborhcod az LOO
children each year within the limits ~
the city Of Greater New York. Some or
these are hut q few hours ola when ta-
ken e the home. while others are year
or more Of age. abandoned bv some heart
less or fallen woman ThS children are
cared for until they are ahNut TIVE years
OF age. The home sends ont about 1eo
children caca year. ana th7 agent inform
e the reporter that there were 400 chill q
drn en- fhe hons "a present When the .
babies are brought q the home they are z
labeled and all OF their clothing has a =
mark or Il. The agent showed a picture Z
OF the home on the, Hudson. with the !