The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-01-01
AMERICA A LAND
or OPPORTUNITY
John G. Brady, Who Became Governor of
Alaska, Was Taken from an Aims
house and Placed on Road to
Fame and Fortune.

New York. Jan, America as a land
of opportunity even for street waits, or
phans and foundlings was recalled by the
recent death in Sitka, Alaska, of John
G. Brady, former governor of that ter
ritory, and the fact that when child
young Brady had been taken from an
almshouse and placed in the custody Of
the Childrens Aid society Of New York,
which educated him and placed him on
the road to fame and fortune.
Hundreds of other cases similar to ex-
Governor Brady's, it is said could be
cited by the organization which for more
than half a century has been taking
homeless boys and girls off city streets
and sending them to farms in the West,
where they grew up to be self -reliant,
trustworthy and honored citizens. A
certain delicacy surrounds the pubica.
ton of the names of the more noted of
these former waits, but the report Of
the Childrens Aid society for 1918
shows the following harvest Of careers
up to date
One governor of a state, one governor
of a territory John G. Brady Of Alas
ka), two members of Congress, two dis
trict attorneys, two sheriffs, two mayors,
a justice of the supreme court, a federal
judge, four states judges, two college
professors, seven high school principals,
two school superintendent, an auditor
general of a state, nine members of
state legislatures, "a clergymen, one
cashier of a life insurance company, two
artists, Senate clerk, six railroad Off
cials, eighteen journalists, "a bankers, 10
physicians, IS lawyers, IL postmasters,
3 contractors, 81 teachers, civil engi-
neers "and vast number of other bust
ness and professional men, clerks, me
ehanics, farmers and their wives and
others who have acquired property and
filled positions of honor and trust"
Among the American forces sent over
seas, it is pointed out in the report, are
twelve commissioned officers and about
1000 soldiers and sailors who were once
wards Of the Ghildren's Aid society. All
were rescued from the streets or from
asylums and corrective institutions.
The society, since its foundation on
January ., 1855, has placed 32,03I or.
phaus and deserted children in good
homes in the country where many Of
them were later adopted In addition
.sl,472 older boys and girls have been
sent to farms in the West, where they
have been put on their feet, and, be-
coming owners ct ranches, have shown
their appreciation in later years by
taking orphans into their homes.
It has been estimated that the cost
OF salyaging child from the streets, ac-
cording to the plan OF the society, is $50
when not only defrdys the cost Of rlac-
ing the yo,ngstei in comfortable coun-
try home hut ErcN ide4 tor supervision
so long as it is necessary. The sosie y
keeps in touch with the boys or girls
thus sent out and has on file thousands
Of grateful letters written by them aft
Ter they have grown to manhood and
wcrmr hood
An instance Of this gratitude was af-
forded in the report for 1918 Of Edwin
10. Merrill, treasurer of the society, who
acknowledged a bequest Of 5000 from
the estate OF DR. Michael A. Jordan, d
physician and educator Of Logansport,
Ind DIR. Jordan many years ago was
a friendless orphan in New York City
and was befriended by the Childran's
Aid society Many similar legacies from
former wards have been left to the or
ganization in the past,