Los Angeles herald., 1906-05-27
MOTHER
DESERTS
HER BABE
Leaves Child With
Russians and
Departs
Little One Eventually
Finds a Good Home
With Strangers
Foster Mother Says She Has Grown
to Love the Tiny Tot and VIII
Never Give Her Up
to Any One

out ON the Jefferson avenue line,
where the big red cars clang their bells
and rattle across the shiny tracks to
the outskirts of the city; far out, where
the cows chew the long, fresh grass
and the meadow lark calls it's CHEEKY
good morning, little baby girl raises
her tiny fists to catch the stray beams
of light and COOS necessarily for the
father she has never seen and the little
mother she will never know. But the
baby is too young to appreciate her
condition, and the great blue eyeB smile
their contented welcome to those who
come and go, and the tiny baby lips
are always ready for any kiss that
might stray her way. The story of the
youngsters short existence is one of
the most peculiar in the history of the
Humane society,"
Just one month ago, Mrs. j. d.
Spottsford, whose husband is a paint
er, and who owns two cottages at 1442
West Jefferson street, noticed a man
approaching her house. 1t was nearly
dusk and he seemed to be searching
for something. one of the Spottsford
cottages occupies the front of the lot
while the other, in which the Spotts-
fords live, is on the back of the lot.
Asks Amount of Rental
The stranger paused when he saw
the for rent" sign on the Spottsford
residence, and then he inquired the
oaid Ian toll 10
house. He gave the name Of c. T.
Gibbs and said his two daughters
would live with him. ''They will be
satisfied with the house, all right" he
remarked when the landlady inquired
about the women.
He went away and did not return
until that evening"" said Mrs. Spotts-
ford to an officer yesterday, in telling
of the babys strange history. When
he returned it was dark and he had
two girls with him, the Oldest being
about nineteen years of age and the
other about seventeen. Both were
pretty girls of the brunette type and
both wore short dresses.
Il did not see the girls the next day
and that evening there was a commo-
tion in the house and a physician was
summoned. The next morning the
father came to me and told me that a
baby girl had been born to his young
est daughter during the night. He ex-
plained to me then that his youngest
daughter was married and that her
name was Mrs Clarke.
Actions Are Peculiar
well after that their actions became
peculiar. For many hours at a time
they would leave the poor little baby
in room without paying the slightest
attention to it. The mother and the
grandfather seemed to care nothing
for the child, but the eldest girl would
often try to keep the youngster
warm. On many occasions l tried to
get the man to buy the little one
shawl, but he always refused.
''When l asked why the father did
not come TO see the baby, Gibbs said
his daughter was separated from her
husband because the man was drunk
ard He said they had lived most of
the time around mining camps and had
spent the greater part of their lives
near Silver City, New Mexico.
"They had not lived there a month
when Gibbs gave me notice he was go
ing to move to Main street. He said
he had lived on Normandie avenue for
a month before moving to my place
Late that night an expressman drove
up and got the trunks and took them
to the depot
II watched closely the next morning,
and the father and eldest daughter
left the place i inquired about the
mother and baby. but the man said she
had taken the baby away and would
meet him later.
Russians Get Baby
"Then he left. and the next day I
received word that a family Of Rus
slams living on West Thirty-eighth
street had the baby. l went to them,
and through an interpreter learned
they had agreed to take care of the
youngster for $50 a month. They told
me the man had told them his name
was Nelson and that ne had paid the
first months charges on the youngster
The place was not the proper home for
a white child and l took IL away and
have cared for IL since.
II do not know whether the parents
of the baby will ever be found, and
do not care much, because / have
grown to love this little girl.
"She is such a pretty little thing, and
every time one of her little fists forces
it's way from under the covers and
grasps at nothing II seems TO appeal
TO me for help. ! may keep the baby,
as ! have none OF my own"
Fatherless motherless, and with but
one friend In the world, the poor little
youngster takes a regular afternoon
airing on the Spottsford porch and yes
terday afternoon celebrated the thir-
tieth day OF her existence.