The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-09

Surf avenue and the Bowery taking in the
sights. They stop to look at Il show and
for the moment forget nll about the child.
It's gone when the mother looks for it:
then OF course. she's wild.
"A good many are lost at the merry-go-
rounds The horses hardly ever stop where
they started. you know, and the mother
goes in one direction for the child while
It is going In another direction TO find her.
with the result that III two seconds II IL
swallowed up in the crowd.
The noise and excitement OF Coney
Island bewlder great many women.
They first lose their heads and then they
lose their children. This is especially true
Of those from country places. You. would
be surprised at the number OF lost children
who live in New Jersey.
I'VE had a little fellow from Connecticut
with us a few days ago. He and his grand
mother had come down OH boat excursion
to see Coney Island, and the first thing they
did was to become separated.
His grandmother came here all in a
trenlble, but We had seen nothing, OF the
boy at that time 40 she had TO go back TO
Connecticut without him, after leaving full
directions as to where he was to he shipped
when found. Well, he wasn't brought in
till late tina. night; he was discovered sleep
ing on the sand as peacefully as you please.
He had been carrying the lunch box
when he strayed away, 20 he wasn' hungry.
and from his own account he had enjoyed
himself much more than II he had been with
his grandmother. He didn't want TO. go
back 10 Connecticut the next morning,
but We put him in charge Of an officer on
one Of the Iron steamboats,, and at the New
York pier he turned him over to police,
man, who took him up TO the Grand Central
Station and gave him into the keeping OF
the conductor on the train. That was
how this particular boy got home from
Coney Island.
But whole families of children. are now
and then lost down here, we had tour
brothers and sisters, ranging from 10 10 3,
here one day last week
Their mother had sent them down to
Corey With married sister with the under
standing that this sister. who had q crank
Of husband, az she told us afterward.
was to leave the children IN certain place
TO get her husbands supper. Tho mother,
when she had finished her work, was 10
com, down. fnd the children and take
them home,
This was nice, happy go-lucky scheme,
wasn't r.? But the point vas that one OF
the children was sick ard they wanted 10
keen him down on the beach as long as
possible Well. the sister went home and
the mother came down, but she didn't lind
They we're on the beach beneath one Of
the piera, and here they waited until it grew
dark They began to cry, all except the
eldest, q bright birl OF tsn
She had the responsibility OF looking
out for the others. and particularly the sick
baby. on her shoulders and she tired TO
decide what to do. She decided on JUST
the right thing, for she brought her little
family here 10 the police station -,
Meanwhile the mother, having missed
the children, concluded tha' her SISTER nad
given them carsare TO 50 back with. and
s1e returned home. When we telephoned
10 a drug store near where she lived wa wens
told thar she wak on her way back mere;
One of the policeman went out and got "A
little spread for the children, and they
very quickly forgot their troubles, but their
mother was milf fainting when she came into
this room with her sister There was quite
a ir,lching little family reunion.
"But all mothers arc by no means 20
COLLECTIONS II may surprise you TO know
that some loee their children for the day on
puTpose; .n, r,s
"a conle 20 Corey Islard to have a good
time. At horne there, r. no one WITH whom
shc can leave Der children. so she must
frinp them along. Bur 1re can rave the
sort Of good unr shc has in mind with young
ones tagging after her, Therefor" she
adopta The very simple plan OF leaving
them somewhere Yor the poii{r 20 n i;
II have had children Of mot hers IKE thle
in INV room here from morning until late
AZ nigrt, but the women usually have 70 get
home 10 prepare their husbands evening
meal, They think that this early claiming
OF tho children relieves them OF snsplcion'
But can usually tell r child That has been
aha ndoncd in this way Just as soon az i
/. brought inside the door. The poor little
thing bna . rrsigNeL and patient loos;; lr
raraIv cries. Il seems 10 haTe but rf'e ~
the tpirit nj childhood left. $3.50,
w" .IJare you eycr been lost lcfo'eE,
=" 'ye.'m. comes tn" answer,
We've had one case this season OF a
woman who ran away from her husband
WITH hcr four childrep and brought them
down here. She didn't have enough money
n, take them to q hotel ar boarding house,
and so ior four days she wandered about