Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1912-08-17
CHILDREN ON BLOCK
HIGHEST BIDDER GETS THEM IN
A sAvARlAN MARKET.
Farmers Lease offspring Of Poor Peas
ants for Hard Work on Farm
During the Summer
Months.

serlin.-The annual child market"
in Friederichshaven In Bavaria, has
inst been held. Boys and girls--little
white slaves they are-were leased
on, Tor the summer. The scenes
around the market place resembled
page from Uncle Toms Cabin,
I'm give $50 marks for himT
81 bid 1851"
200 bidl"
"210 bidl"
1925 bid!"
The competition was keen, for the
boy was a sturdy-looking lad. Despite
his poverty-stricken appearance, he
seemed to be stronger and healthier
than many of the other children.
Around him swarmed score of peas
ant farmers scanning the child as
they would the points of horse
There was little sentiment in their de-
meanor. 1t was business" They
were buying him, to be exact, Teas
ing the boy. They expected to make
a profit" on their investment, hence
they did not want boy who possibly
would be Ill and could not work hard.
He was Knocked down" at 24O marks,
or $50. The next boy was younger;
he lacked the robustness of the 9TH
er lad; he was pale, thin and did not
look as If he ever had full meal.
He went at $50.
The Austrian steamer Maria The
resa had brought 1876 boys and thirty
girls, ranging in ages from eleven to
sixteen years, across the Boden sea.
They were CHARTERED at the Golden
Wheel hotel, an appropriate place for
this children's lottery. Orphans, half
orphans and children of poor peasants
In the Austrian Tyrol region, who
thereby profit little. are turned over
to the Tyrolean Children's society,
which in turn leases them out for the
summer months.
More than 500 peasant farmers
from Wurtemburg, Baden, Hohenzol-
lern and the Bavarian region along
the Boden sea, were on hand to bid
for these youthful wage slaves. Com
petition was keen. The demand this
year was greater than the supply, and
prices considerably higher than last
spring were offered for the labor OF
the children for the summer. the
children had nothing to say about
their fate, whether they liked the
looks of the lessee" or not. The
market" was held under the auspices
of Rev. Mr.. Balm of the Tyrolean
Children's society, who had charge OF
them for the society.
From daylight to dark and after the
children labor. which In South Ger
many means about IT or IL hour
daily. It Is only natural that thu
''lessees'" chief interest Is to get al
| much out of them as possible. -Wha
the fate of some of the children is, Il
indicated by the Tyrolean Grenz
boten, a paper which has started al
agitation against this child market.
1t says:
THE children return to thei
parents and homes October %, If the
do not fall a victim to the heavy Ia
Dor, long hours, intense longing 10
father. mother and brothers and 81:
tiers in the summer, and are burie
in the regions where they wer
leased
I'VE ask, In what land or countr
would the authorities permit such
slave trade to exist? That many
these children have hard time Of
, under the strangers to whom the
have been leased is evident from th
fact that the Children's society has
number of farmers on its blacklist
whom they refuse to lease childre
; again. But what good does that
the little ones whom they have RUNE
physically and morally?"
The Morgenpost of Berlin also ma
wells that the authorities of Bavari
: Wurtemburg and Baden would tole
; ate dealing in little slaves"
...>-~ anl 0IlIn10 Doll r