Omaha daily bee., 1912-05-17
WAITS FIND GOOD HOMES
Fifty.Six Little Folks Are Adopted
by Nebraska People.
CONE FROM NEW YORK CITY
Nine Are Taken Off the Train az the
omass Station to Remain Here
Number. On Children Is All
that Identities Them.

Yesterday was the day when they gave
babies away at the Union station. oc-
cupy1ns a special car. fifty-six little
folks. ranging from ! to : years Of age
arrived over the Illinois Central. coming
direct from the Founding Institute Of
New York. and in charge Of Travelling
Agent d. o'Hara and corps of trained
nurses. In the consignment were babies
OF both sex, blondes ana hrunettes and
In looks they averaged up pretty well
with that number OF babies at an or
binary show. Some Of them were pretty
little things. while others were about as
honeiy as could be found anywhere
In Omaha nine OF the babies were left
with parties who had made application
and had adopted them insight and un-
seen. The others went west on Union
Pacific No. ). the first delivery being
made at Columbus and the last at Grand
Island. All OF the youngsters had been
spoken Tor in advance.
The New York Founding Institute is q
Catholic institution that has for IT'S pur-
pose the gathering Of waits and children
whose parents are unable to care for
them. The Nebraska and Kansas work
OF distribution is in charge of Supsrin-
tendent MeFeely OF Omaha His duties
consist In finding homes for some Of
these children In Catholic homes In the
two states. That he succeeds is ap-
parent for each year he places close TO
Soc OF the little New Workers..
Method OF FInding Homes.
The method Of finding homes for the
New York children, while unique. Is
business proposition. A family wants to
adopt a child. Application lie made 10
Superintendent McFeely, The application
states the sex of the child desired, the
age blonde or brunette, color Of hair ana
eyes. Upon the receipt Of this application,
Superintendent Merely begins an in
vestlgstion Of the applicants. He ascer-
tains their ability to care for and edu-
cate a child, their moral and social stand
ing, their habits. the condition OF their
home life and everything connected with
them for at least two generations back.
II the Investigation IL satisfactory, the
application is recommended and sent on
to New York headquarters. There II re-
mains until baby that fills the bill Is
received at the institute. When this baby
arrives. II is given q number that cor
responds with the number given the ap-
pllcation and then, SO to speak, the baby
10 laid away on the shelf until enough
for q consignment is ready TO start west.
All Are Numbered.
Al the time Of making the application,
the applicant Is given a number, which
with the number Of the ap.
plicatIon and the number given the baby.
Then prior 10 the babies being sent out
from New York, all applicants are notI-
fled TO be at a certain station on q GER
tain day and there meet certain train
and claim the baby picked for them.
That's why nine women and their hus-
bands were at the Union station, each
presenting their numbers when they
boarded the car. The work Of distribu-
ton occupied but a few minutes. for the
little things that were to be disposed Of
In Omaha were dressed in white, splck
and clean, hooded and cloaked and ready
TO 80 as soon as called for on the dress
OF each was sewed It's number-bls black
f.gures-and as their foster parents took
them away that was all they know about
them. Their past was a sealed book and
will remain so for all time to come, as
no one on earth knows from whence tie
children came except the head OF me in
stitution, the receiving nurses and pos
sibly some Of the natural parents.
At the station twice az many children
could have been gwen away. but there
were no extras. for all Of those who went
west had been adopted and were ready
for Introduction into their new homes.