The sun., 1919-08-25

FOUNDING, NOW 80,
SEEKS HIS PARENTS
Frank Nichols Was Abandoned
Here When Two Weeks
Old.
BLINDED, HE PROSPERED
Adopted by Michigan Farmer,
He Married and Built
Cigar Business.
BLINDED, HE PROsPERED

Thirty years ago baby was taken
into the New York Founding Home,
175 East sixty-eighth street. Just who
took him to the home or from whence
he came neither the records nor the
memories of the sisters at the home
divulge. He was about weeks old
and there was nothing about him to
denote that he was anything more i'm
portant than another of the thousand
and one youngsters who annually be-
come the wards of charity.
Maybe he was left upon the steps OF
a prosperous looking house and police
man took him up or maybe MS mother
deposited him in the arms of one OF
the sisters. You can make your own
guess Whatever that guess may be
will fetch no contradiction from the
man who was that baby.
1t is possible that there was note
pinned to the babys dress. They do
that, you know. But IL there was
note 1t bore nothing but the statement
| that the boys name was Frank Nichols.
| So far as any information from records
| is concerned 1t is possible that there
was no note at all and that the sisters
| named the baby after the policeman
or the jantor. or the milkman or the
| night Waterman.
Adopted by Farmer.
When the boy was years old the
home became overcrowded and there
was issued an appeal to folks out In
| the middle West amt the Northwest to
| adopt a few of the foundlings To the
wife OF a farmer near Menominee.
| Mich, went Frank Nichols The lad
was happy He attended the county
! schools and went to High School in
| Menominee. He went back to the farm
| and there he stayed to the utter salts
faction of all concerned until he was
| 20 years old.
The wanderlust possessed him and
he started out to see what the rest
| of the world looked like. He got as
far as Pittsburg and there he met a
| girl who effectively cured him of his
nomadc ailment. Deciding that there
| was no more world worth seeing Nichols
| married the girl and set up cigar
| store.
| Less than a year after he married, a
premature gun discharge blinded him.
The doctors told him he would never
| see again but he was made OF pretty
stanch stuff and he kept on at the
cigar business just as hopefully as
\ though he had two perfectly good eyes
and that blindness was nothing to Worry
4 a man.
He was just courageous enough not
| only to win out over an affiiction that
would bowl over men of less grit but to
win a job as travelling salesman for
the United Cigar Stores Company. He
hasn't become wealthy yet by any man.
per of means. but he has reached a point
where he can afford to spend little
time and a little money in an effort to
solve the mystery of his origin.
!, Yesterday there appeared In the
newspapers the following notice:
Prank Nichols, born May Z. 1889
was left at n. Y. Founding Home for
Babies, IFS East Sixty-e eighth street
New York City, when two weeks old
, Wants to know if parents or nearest
! relatives are still living. Small reward
foe correct answer. Call Sunday. Broad
/ way Central Hotel"
Longs to Know origin.
!, A reporter OF THE SUN found Nichols
! in his room.
'I haven't any absurd ideas abou
myself" he said. 1T Is probable tina
was born under the most humble cir
' curnstances. but whether II is a com
4 mon longing of all persons in my posi-
Y ton or not, the fact is that I'm yer!
anxious to find out VINO / am ana wh'
, my mother was. I suppose there ar
h many others in my plight. but you VIII
: know your families and are bothere'
k by no mystery concerning yourselves can
o not appreciate what II means to wonde
NSat ciSHluasta noes surrounded XQnr- be
a ing left nat when only two weeks old
= may have brothers and sisters.
: may have a mother and a father alive
r I'd like to know.
y ION Thursday I went to the home
They told me they knew nothing abou
a my origin. They said that there wa
II nothing to show how ! got there. ma
= named Ransom called me on the tele
II phone and told me to make inquiry a
y the Department OF Charities. Someho'
l hate to do 1t but there Is somethin
IL compelling me to search for informatio
about myself"
y Nichols lives at $40 East street. Pitts
burg"