Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-15
NEW YORK MANS SUCCESS
First Year He Finds Homes for
Three Hundred Children.
WORK READS LIKE FAIRY TALE
Homeless Boys and Girls Of Big
City Find Good Foster Parents
and Education.
special Correspondence Of The Star.


NEW YORK March IA. 1908.
Three hundred and twenty-five ideal
homes have been found in the south and
the west for child waits of this city by a
hard-headed business man who believes
that the law of child-supply and child
demand can be. and should be-, adjusted
like that of commercial commodities. 1t
has cost this man just $4,000 to establish
his somewhat unusual theory. He re-
CARDS 1t as money well spent, however. as
1t has taken 800 children from habitations
where they were unwelcome and placed
them in homes where people appreciate
the privilege of caring for little folks.
Perhaps the most unusual feature of
this mans self-imposed adjustment of the
law of supply and demand, as it relates
to children. is that neither sentiment nor
romance prompted him to take up the
work AS he explained to the officials of
the Children's Aid Society, which acted
as his agent in placing the children. 1t
was merely q cold, practical business
proposition
II have $1,000 he said. (which l am
willing to spend in finding real homes for
children who need them. / am not offer
ing this money as memorial to any
dead child. All my children are alive and
we'll Neither Is there any romance or
sentiment in my proposition. know,
however, that there are hundreds OF chill
dren in this city who are either roaming
the streets or staying in homes where
they are not welcome. / know also that
there are thousands of homes where
child is wanted. especially in the SOUTH
ern and western states. | believe II is
possible to bring these unloved children
and child-lovers together. and l am VIA.
ing to wager $4,000 that it can be DONE
Thirty Dollars for Each Child.
The donors only stipulations were that
his name be withheld, and that for every
$50 paid out at least one unfortunate
child should secure real home.
The $50 was to be spent in locating
foster parents and for the child's trans
portation. There was no need of spending
money to find children who needed homes,
or to pay people to welcome them. 1 he
roster of the Children's Aid Society. which
is the saddest Juvenile roll In this coun-
try, always contains the names OF nun
dreds of unhappy little ones who would
be benefited by change of environment.
The society, however. volunteered 10
have its agents visit the children bene-
flied by this special fund. and report on
their cases in the same manner as me
cases of the other 1000 children placed
during the last decade. Today 322 chill
dren who were merely existing in squaild
surroundings at the time the $lo.oOo 90
nation was offered are now really living.
or course there was no sentiment or
romance in the donation which has given
these children their rightful heritage.
But the workers who have carried out
the donors plans and who have seen the
results achieved. say that even the coolest
business proposition cannot help but de-
velop some sentiment where children are
concerned. They argue that when Il lit
tie bow whose mother is dead finds the
desolate SPOT in another womans heart
and creeps in there and takes away the
ache of loneliness. even the cold com
mercfal dollar which has enabled him tt
find that desolate heart acquires some
sentiment. And the reports which they
have of the 80 children who have been
given a new view of life by the business
Transformation of Waits.
Data for many a novel are contained In
these reports. The stories of the tiny
human derelicts who. like Sarah Crewe
have been whisked from the tenements
into luxurious homes. where every ad-
vantage is given them read like fairy
tales but have the added charm of being
true.
Here is the true fairy story of little
Johnnie Smith. (Smith is not his real
name 1t wouldn't be fair to give that.)
Johnnie never had any parents that he
can remember. An agent of the Chill
dren's Aid picked him out of "newsies' "
brawl In the streets one day. and induced
him to go temporarily to the societys
farm school. The regular life at the
farm palled somewhat on this little
product of the streets. but. at the same
time, he didn't want altogether to go back
to 1.-The old game" as he characterized his
former precarious existence
I'D like a chanel to get some schoolin'."
he said to the society's secretary. who
visited him one dav at the farm school,
but l don't want to go to home where
there's wimmen. ! never had no mudder
an l don't want no Wimmen fussln' over
me. l want to live wit a man"
The society at that time was buying
the first consignment of homes" from
the $4,000 fund. Secretary Brace de-
"newsie" Providence guided the agent of
the society to the home of wealthy but
lonely bachelor of Delaware. The bach
elor became interested when he heard of
the little street gamin's plea to live wit
man." and sent for the boy. He took
an immediate liking to him and decided to
give him the "chanct' for which he
yearned. The boy made good.'' and is
today preparing for college. He has
saddle horse and all the luxuries of a son
eler foster ia Their is so pleased with the
boy that he is taking steps to adopt him
legally.
Typical Cases.
A typical girls case is that of sunny
haired five-year-old Oracle.
Oracle was one of three unfortunate
children whose mother had deserted them
and whose father was unable to provide
for them. The society sent her out to
Nebraska, where she was taken into the
home Of wealthy doctor and his wife.
There are two reports on this little girl.
The first Of these reports. made in De-
cember, 1905 reads as follows:
Grace -, five years old. Was placed
with DR.. - at -, Neb Our agent
reports: There are no children in this
home. DIR. and Mrs. are quite wealthy
and have a beautiful home. If they be-
to be doing che will have not only the
comforts of life. but the luxuries we'll
Some weeks ago one of our local COM
mitteemen reporting on the children said:
Grace - is getting along very nicely.
and money coud not buy her from DR..
and Mrs. -. 1t has made a wonderful
change in their home. -
In January, 1908. later report was
made on this same little girl. 1t reads:
Grace =. eight years old. continues
we'll and happy with DR.. and Mrs Of
-. Neb. Visits of February -. 1907,
and December 8, same year. very satisfac-
tory. Grace is nicely clothed as any
child in town. She is a well-mannered
little girl. and goes regularly to school.
church and Sunday school. Money could
not buy her from DR.. and Mrs. - The
doctor says If Grace lives she shall go to
Vassar College. During the past year
they took Grace on visits to friends In
nra