Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1907-07-18
FORTY WEE ORPHANS ARE
TAKEN TO THE SEASH0RE
PIERCE FINDS SECRET OF REAL
HAPPINESS
Big Hearted Balloon Route Man Glad
dens Lives of TWO Score Little
Ones Who Have Heav-
emily Time

What is it worth to man to make
baby smile?
with the delighted gurgling of forty
little orphans ringing in his ears, c. NJ.
Pierce, the manager of the Balloon Route
excursion, is probably the happiest man
in Los Angeles.
Two score little ones whom fate had
deprived of one or both parents were
yesterday the guests of the big, jolly
manager at his stronghold, Playa del
Rey.
Grownups would have passed resolu-
lions thanking their host. The babies
did not know anything about whence
their good time came. They only ac-
cepted it and laughed and cooed con-
tentedly
Mr.. Pierce has declared that not an
orphan in Los Angeles under Is shall
miss seeing old ocean this summer-no,
not if it takes all the Balloon Route
cars to carry them down.
Eight years was the age limit on the
| children taken yesterday. There were
forty of them, thirty from the Los An
geles Orphans home, Yale and Alpine
streets and ten from the Truelove home.
1t was no regular Del Rey car that
took the little folks down to the water.
Oh, no, real parlor car, with q circle
of electric lights in front and a chair for
each child there.
The children ranged in age from to
less than years. Most of the little girls
were dressed in pink. The boys wore
blue, or dark clothing.
Wee Ones Are Delighted
No pen-or typewriter-could tell of the
delights of the water Forty little tots
Wading or bathing in the ocean; a solid
line of forty slowing away peanuts,
popcorn, lemonade, candy and other
goodies, the same omnipresent forty
boating on the lagoon, and then luncheon
on the beach.
1t was a stirring sight and the de-
lighted expressions of the little folk were
music that surpassed even the wonder
full band in the dancing pavilion.
When the parlor car came back to Los
Angeles the little folks were tired, but
none of them was out of humor.
"Tibbie,' clothed in a short pink
dress, was one of the more voluble. 81
waded in the water and a big, naughty
wave frowed me over, an I'm all wet"
and she coyly drew down her dress to
hide the fact.
Jerome" sat beside her. Between
mouthfuls of peanuts he told how he,
too, had waded, and of the popcorn aud
peanuts, part of which still remained.
Boy Has Two Real Names
Wealth seems to beget selfshness.
Most of the children had but one name
and gave that freely. Beside Gust
sat a little fellow who refused to give
his name. "An he's got two Names
cried some of his companions. The little
| fellow hung his head but refused to
part with even one name. Gust was
not so reticent and told his seat mate S
name, Willie Leon.
Catherine brown-eyed and cheeks
rosy with the sun, was contentedly put
ting away a bag of peanuts. She, too
had gone, wading in the water, and had
felt the little wavelets purling between
her toes.
Not all the children who came into
the Los Angeles-Pacific station at 5
o'clock last night were quite so clear
/ as when they started out six or sever
hours earlier There We're marks OF
candy besmeared across many little
faces; there were dirt and CRIME ant
peanut shells, and the car was Uttered
with debris of various kinds common tc
a picnic.
Forty pairs of little eyes CLEANED
more brightly and forty little heart!
forgot that there was no mamma OF
papa to bounce them on playful knee.
There was just one wee glimpse of
wonderland of popcorn and wading, anC
J, peanuts, and boating, and candy, anC
) long rides in big car-the strange lane
called heaven on earth.