Dear Bookclub,
At Sue's February Bookclub meeting, a remarkable feat: 8 members attended and all had read the book, "The Sandcastle Girls"! Pats on the back abound. Sue recommended three titles for her upcoming selection: "Invention of Wings" by Sue Monk Kidd, "Still Life with Bread Crumbs" by Anna Quindlen, and "Stella Bain" by Anita Shreve. Kidd's book was chosen.
Next week, we will discuss Christina Baker Kline's novel, "Orphan Train". Based on the Orphan Train Movement, a supervised welfare program that
transported orphaned and homeless children from crowded Eastern cities
of the United States to foster homes located largely in rural areas of
the Midwest, Kline's read is memorable and fascinating.
The orphan trains truly operated between 1853 and 1929, relocating about 250,000 orphaned, abandoned, or homeless children. Below the photo are two pieces from the archives at the National Orphan Train Complex in Concordia, Kansas. Note the distinction in payment between girls and boys in the first article and the conductor's sentiments in the second article.
ASYLUM CHILDREN
A company of children, mostly boys, from the New York Juvenile
Asylum, will arrive in Rockford, at the Hotel Holland, Thursday morning,
Sept. 6 1888, remaining until the evening. They are from 7 to 15 years
of age.
Homes are wanted for those children with farmers, where they will
receive kind treatment and enjoy fair advantages. They have been in the
asylum from one to two years, and have received instruction and
training, preparatory to a term of apprenticeship, and being mostly of
respectable parentage, they are desirable children and worthy of good
homes.
They may be taken at first upon trial for four weeks, and afterwards,
if all parties are satisfied, under indenture – girls until 18 and boys
until 21 years of age.
The indenture provides for four months schooling each year, until the
child has advanced through comp… interest, and at the expiration of the
term of apprenticeship, two new suits of clothes, and the payment to
the girls of fifty, and to the boys of one hundred and fifty dollars.
All expenses for transportation will be assumed by the Asylum and the
children will be placed on trial and indentured free of charge.
Those who desire to take children on trial are requested to meet them at the hotel at the time above specified.
E. Wright, Agent
A CARLOAD OF BABIES
Sixty-Seven Little Ones Shipped West from New York
OCTOBER 15, 1908 — A dispatch from Milwaukee says there were 67 of
them and 67 different varieties. There were babies from two years up to
five, all colors, shapes, sizes and previous conditions of servitude.
Little waifs they were the discard of New York, out in search of a
home far from the center of sorrows and woes that they were born into.
On the way to St. Paul from New York a special car with these babies
passed through Milwaukee. With the children there were several Sisters
of Charity and two trained nurses.
The Home Finding society of New York is sending them west to deal them out into good homes among the farmers near St. Paul.
When the conductor came out of the car there was a suspicion of moisture in his eyes.
“I won’t go through there again,” he said. ”"They’re happy, and all
that, but it’s too pitiful. They all wanted to shake hands with me and
caught hold of my hand and looked up at me and smiled as I passed. I
supposed they are taught to do it.”
“There are all kinds, and they are just as sweet as most babies are.
It is a shame that they will never know a real mother and father.”
The Sisters made the babies beds by placing boards across from seat
to seat, for the special car was nto a sleeping car. Several babies
were piled into one “bed.” The car accommodated the 67, besides the
nurses and Sisters.
Long pieces of sheeting were stretched across the tops of the seats to cover the “beds” and to keep out the cinders and dust.
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At our meeting, Julie plans to share about her great-grandmother Mable Lee, who was sent on an orphan train. Looking forward to that - so amazing!
Please RSVP to Lynne H. and hope to see you there.
Read on!
LK
