Orphan Train Escape

by Rachel Wesson

  “Oh?”

  “I would like to bring Kathleen, and Maura if she will come, out here to Riverside Springs. I have to ask Lily to find a wife for Brian. I promised him I would. Maybe in time, we could have our home here too.” Bridget turned to look around at the small town that had captured her heart. “Can you imagine how many of the ladies from the sanctuary could find new lives out here? Not necessarily in this town, not until it grows at least, but in this state. It could be a chance to start over.”

  “Something tells me that life with you will never be boring,” he said.

  “Is that a yes?” she asked, her heart thumping madly as she waited for him to answer. He would agree, wouldn’t he? If he said no, she would have to choose between a life with him or helping the children. The seconds seemed to tick by slower than ever. She glanced up and he was staring at her.

  “Carl?” she prompted.

  “How could I say no?”

  Bridget smiled as he took her in his arms and swung her around in a circle before pulling her closer to steal another kiss.

  “Let’s go find Reverend Franklin and see if he can marry us before we head back to New York,” Carl said. “I don’t want to spend another moment in your company as single man.”

  Epilogue

  As it turned out, Carl had to wait a few days to marry his bride. Reverend Franklin insisted on giving Bridget time to adjust to the change in her circumstances. He didn’t think it appropriate for her to get married a day after placing her siblings up for adoption. So, Carl stayed with Brian Curran during that time as it wasn’t appropriate for him to stay in the same place as his bride. Bridget wanted to stay in town with Mrs. Grayson to give the Reeses time to come together as a family. She also wanted to see how much interest she could generate for Kathleen’s new venture.

  The wedding took place on the Sunday after Carl arrived in Riverside Springs. Bridget wore a dress she had sewn herself from fabric given to her by Carolyn Rees. She and Carolyn made a dress for Annie who looked pretty as a picture. Liam walked Bridget up the aisle, a look of pride on his face although he kept looking to his new Pa as if to check he was doing things the right way.

  At the party afterwards, Carl couldn’t bear to let Bridget out of his sight but her new friends had different ideas. They all gathered for a meal at the Reeses’ ranch.

  “Do you believe your sister will want to travel out here, Bridget?” Shannon Williams asked.

  “Kathleen will, she is very much a family person. Maura, she’s a different case. She mentioned joining a religious order once, but I suspect she was speaking from grief. Not that there is anything wrong with having a calling,” Bridget corrected herself as Reverend Franklin shot her a look of mock incredulity.

  Carl looked around the small gathering. What an example this town could provide to other areas. The residents were working together to see what, if anything, Riverdale Springs could do to help the orphans from New York.

  “I hope they both decide to come out as I shall miss you, Bridget. We all will. Carl, you must bring her to see us soon,” Shannon said.

  “I’m not sure I have much choice in the matter,” Carl answered. “My wife is very strong-willed.”

  Bridget flushed as he looked at her, still not quite believing his luck. Her agreement to marry him had led to him opening up to her about his past. She had encouraged him to talk to Brian, Mitch, and Shannon about their experiences, feeling it was better he know that some adults didn’t regret being placed on the orphan trains.

  “Actually, I was wondering if someone would volunteer to vet the families here for us, should any of them decide they wanted to take in a child.” Carl asked. “We need people in each city to try to ensure only those who will treat the children kindly are approved.”

  “That’s a job for Mrs. Grayson,” Shannon said. “She knows everything about everyone.”

  “I heard that,” Mrs. Grayson replied.

  “I meant you to. You know we all love you despite your eccentric ways.”

  “Me? I’m as normal as they come aren’t I, Carl?”

  Carl pretended not to hear her. While he liked her more and understood her need to protect Bridget, he still hadn’t quite gotten over their first encounter. Still, no better woman could be appointed to look after the children’s interests.

  “If we had more women come out, then we might get more people looking to foster children. I know single men like Brian wouldn’t come forward. I am guessing the Society would prefer married couples to adopt,” Shannon added.

  “Well, it seems my wife has some ideas on that front too,” Carl said. “Tell them, Bridget.”

  He thought her plan was an excellent one but wasn’t sure if everyone would agree.

  “When I ran away from my attacker, Mr. Oaks, I fled to a place called Carmel’s Mission. Lily Doherty set up this sanctuary as a safe place for those women and children who desperately needed help. There are so many who need Lily’s help, but she can only house a certain amount. I thought, given the shortage of women out here in towns just like Riverside Springs, we could encourage the ladies to leave New York behind and make a fresh start here.”

  “That’s a wonderful idea,” Shannon said, her eyes lit up with excitement.

  “Who will pay their train fares?” Mrs. Grayson, ever practical, asked.

  “Lily has some wealthy contacts. She will be able to help with that and some of the ladies will have some savings. If the single men of the town were willing to marry, then perhaps they could chip in for the rail fare.”

  “Bridget Collins—I mean Watson, you never cease to amaze me with your wonderful ideas. So, when will you put your plans into place?” Mrs Grayson asked.

  “Carl and I wish to visit the children we placed during our trip out here. Then we will return to New York. It will take some time, but I imagine we would return in approximately six months’ time.”

  Carl nodded his head in agreement. He was excited to see what they would be able to achieve working together. One thing he was certain of, no child they met would ever be placed in a home like that endured by Mitch or himself.

  “Bridget, Mitch would like to ask you and Carl a favor. Go on darling, ask.”

  “I hope this isn’t an inconvenience, Bridget, but I wondered if you might be able to check the records in New York to see if you could find my sister. Annie was only three when we were put on the train. I have written but nobody seems to know what happened to her.”

  “I will do what I can, Mitch,” Bridget assured him. “If you could write out the details you remember, I will certainly try.”

  “Thank you, Bridget. And you too, Carl.” Mitch raised his glass “To fresh starts and new friendships.”

  Everyone raised their glass knowing this was only the beginning.

  To all my wonderful readers, I hope you enjoyed this book as much as I loved writing it. It made me cry as well but I feel the stories of these children need to be made public. It was a sad time in history and not just confined to the USA. The stories of how orphans were treated in my own country, Ireland are horrifying, all the more so as they continued until the 1970’s and in some cases the 1980’s. I have now completed book two of this series. In book two, we find out what happened to Bridget’s brothers and also we learn more about Bella and her adventures. I have included a sneak peak.

  Orphan Train Trials

  Chapter One

  Kathleen Collins read the letter from her sister Bridget quickly, greedily consuming all her news.

  “Has Bridget listened to our advice to stay away from New York?”

  Kathleen looked up at Lily’s question. She hated upsetting this kind woman who had done so much to help her family. She shook her head. “She says they will be here in about two weeks. First, they are going to visit Doctor Powell and his wife, the people who adopted Sally.”

  “I wonder if they were able to help Sally’s limp. She was such a lovely happy child with her beautiful smile.” Lily sighed causing Kathlee
n to look up in concern.

  “Kathleen, I admit to being torn. I am looking forward to seeing your sister again and congratulating her on her marriage, but I don’t want to place her in danger.”

  “Lily, it’s been almost a year since we left the factory. Surely, Mr. Oaks will have forgotten about Bridget now. He should have other things on his mind with the financial crash.”

  Lily smiled sadly. “You would think so, especially with over sixteen thousand businesses folding. Charlie said one in six men are now out of work. But, somehow, Mr. Oaks and his ilk tend to survive, perhaps thrive in difficult times like these. I heard from Inspector Pascal Griffin. Oaks is a man who never forgets, especially someone like Bridget.”

  Kathleen exchanged a glance with her friend, Bella. They knew how difficult life was in New York with the increased unemployment meaning more visitors to the sanctuary. Still, she hoped Inspector Griffin was wrong, although he wouldn’t have got to such a senior level in the police force if he wasn’t usually correct in these matters.

  She was dying to see Bridget, she missed her and Annie and Liam. She also wanted to get to know her new brother-in-law better. Having only met him briefly when Annie and Liam joined the orphan train, she couldn’t help but wonder what her vivacious older sister saw in such a stern, sad man. Yet Bridget was happy, more than happy. Her letters flowed with joy over her new role as an outplacement agent. Even when she wrote of the things that annoyed her, her tone was one of someone who believed in the work they were doing. She continually praised her husband Carl.

  “Bridget won’t be staying in New York for long, so she should be fine,” Lily said, bending to reach the knitting by her chair. They were in her private sitting room taking advantage of some quiet time. Charlie was away with work and Lily had to wait for Mini Mike or Tommy to collect her to escort her home. Charlie had left strict instructions on the care his wife was to receive. Lily joked Charlie must think she was the first woman to have a child, but everyone knew he was just being careful. They had been married a long time, almost five years.

  “How is Inspector Griffin?” Kathleen asked in a bid to change the conversation away from Oaks and danger. “The papers are full of stories about how the New York police department needs to be cleaned up.”

  “I think there are more criminals in the force than outside it,” Bella said, not looking up from the sketch she was working on. Kathleen looked over her shoulder, trying to see the dress. Bella had a wonderful eye for detail. They used to take walks down to Fifth Avenue to view the dresses in the store windows. When they got back, Bella would take out her sketch pad and draw similar designs to those she had seen in the stores. She really was very clever.

  “Bella, that’s not true,” Lily reprimanded gently.

  Bella put her pencil down and looked Lily straight in the face. “Yes, it is, Lily. Every woman who comes here has a similar story about paying the police bribes, either in cash or favors.” Bella’s face turned various shades of pink, partly from anger at the injustices the women faced, and partly from embarrassment Kathleen surmised.

  “Those men are supposed to protect everyone, but they don’t care about the children in the tenements. They just lock them up.”

  “Bella, I know you are upset about young Dillon and Sammy being arrested, but they were caught in the act,” Kathleen said gently. “You can’t blame the police for picking them up.”

  “Can’t I? Those kids had to do it, the gangs told them to. What would happen to them if they refused? The police are afraid of the Eastmans and the Five Pointers.”

  The gangs ruled New York, that much was true, although there were police officers trying to fight back. But corruption was rife, and many law enforcers looked the other way depending on which gang was involved. There were rumors the government was going to do something to sort out the corruption but, as yet, nothing much had happened. But there were still some police who wore their uniform with pride and served their community as best they could.

  “Bella, that’s unfair. Inspector Griffin was talking about that very thing when he called to check on us over the weekend. He said there are moves being made to get the gang situation under control but, in the meantime, we have to be patient,” Lily said, her tired tone making Kathleen wish Mini Mike or Tommy would come back to take Lily home.

  “I’m sorry, Lily.” Bella looked contrite, “I just can’t bear the sight of those kids in the cells. I know they act all tough but putting children in with real criminals is just wrong.” Bella pursed her lips together as she screwed her eyes shut. Not one tear escaped but Kathleen had seen her friend’s eyes fill up. She squeezed her arm gently trying to show her she cared.

  “Bella, you reminded me. I can’t believe I forgot,” Lily said, sitting straighter in the chair. “Being pregnant is making me forgetful. Father Nelson spoke to me yesterday about a group of orphaned children coming to us from a prison somewhere north of here,” Lily explained.

  “A prison?” Kathleen clarified.

  “Yes. It is bad enough when youngsters like Sammy or Dillon get picked up and thrown in a cell for a night. But these children have been living in the prison. Their only crime is that of being poor and orphaned. The local authorities maintain it’s because the orphanages are overflowing.”

  “You don’t believe them?” Kathleen asked.

  Lily picked up the teapot and poured more tea into their cups. Lily sat back farther in her seat as if taking time to compose her thoughts.

  “I believe the existing facilities are overcrowded, but that is not where the blame lies. Until our government views the needs of vulnerable children with the same importance as other issues, there will never be enough money or safe places for the people who need them most.” Lily stopped talking, an apologetic look on her face. “Forgive me, girls. Charlie tells me not to get on my soap box.”

  “Nothing to apologize for,” Kathleen said. “I wish there were more people who think like you do, Lily. I feel so bad for those we left behind in the tenements. When Mam was alive, she used to share what we had with the families who lived around us. Like Mrs. Fleming does.”

  “Speaking of Mrs. Fleming, would you like to come and visit her with me?” Lily asked. “I am going tomorrow night—Mini Mike and Tommy will be with us. I had a message to call on her last week but as I had a chill, Charlie ordered me to bed.”

  “Yes, please. I would love to see her,” Kathleen answered. “Bella, would you like to come with us. Mrs. Fleming is such a lovely lady. Her husband, Dave, and children are nice too. They were very good to us when my mam died.” Kathleen had been thrilled Bella had opened up so much and become a close friend. She would never replace Bridget in her affections, but she had helped her through a very lonely time. She wanted Bella to meet Mrs. Fleming who did so much work in the community helping families to help themselves.

  Bella looked up from her sketching, “Yes, please.”

  “That’s settled then,” Lily said, smiling at Bella. Kathleen knew Lily wanted to get Bella to be more trusting of people. To see that not everyone was as horrible as the people who had mistreated her when she was younger.

  “Kathleen, can you ask Cook to bake a few more batches of cookies? They always disappear quickly. We’ll need some blankets and some clothes as well. You know the drill by now,” Lily said, smiling at Kathleen, making her feel warm inside. Since Bridget had left, Kathleen had gone out with Lily on her rounds visiting those families who couldn’t, or wouldn’t, come to the sanctuary. She couldn’t say she enjoyed going back to the tenements. She didn’t. There was no comparison between her current home and the overcrowded, wretched squalor she had once lived. She was so grateful Lily had taken her family in.

  “I’ll go now and get organized. Thank you, Lily.” She stood and gathered the cups to take the tray with her. Bella stood to answer the door, they all recognized Tommy’s knock.

  “Evening, ladies.” Tommy acknowledged them. “Are you ready to go home, Miss Lily?”

 
; “Yes, thank you, Tommy.” Lily beamed at her friend and protector. “Wait, Kathleen, what about Maura? Would she like to come with us?”

  Kathleen didn’t look at Lily but stared at a point above her head. Embarrassed at her sister’s behavior, she wasn’t sure if Lily knew of the latest problems Maura had caused. Bella didn’t make any comment. Kathleen thought it was loyal of her not to complain to Lily about how badly Maura had treated her over the last month in particular.

  “Why don’t you ask Maura?” Lily asked when Kathleen didn’t respond. “She may find it good to get out of the sanctuary and back into the real world if only for a few hours.”

  Kathleen wasn’t at all sure Maura would say yes, so she just kept quiet.

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  Historical Note

  Historical Note:

  Although my story is fictional, and the characters are only alive in my imagination, Charles Brace was a real person. His idea to help the poor of New York, in particular the “orphans” (many were not real orphans, having one or both parents still alive in some cases), was to send them by train for placement in families across the United States. The scheme was supposed to organize what we would now call foster care rather than adoptions. But many children were adopted if often informally.

  He had the best of intentions, of that there is no doubt. At that time, children were routinely housed in asylums. Brace believed that more care was given to the costs of looking after the children and the upkeep of the properties than to any individual child.

  For some, being sent on these trains was the start of a brand new happy life. For others, it was the start of a period of abject cruelty. For the majority, it was something in between. Many people took advantage of the system to employ what we would call today, child labor.

  The rules of the scheme were clear and written to protect both those who fostered and the children. The children were supposed to be guaranteed good treatment, with schooling, meals, clothing, and shelter. The reality was that the sheer scale of the country, together with poor transport links, meant there were not sufficient resources available to check these rules were being adhered to. Where placing agents were able to check on children, those being mistreated often lied about their circumstances for fear of yet another beating or additional punishment.