GIBSONS - "receive" baby - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Journal Friday 11 Jan 1895

S. J. Gibson, of the Dove Tail Body Works, has a lovely little home in one of the cottages in the Brush and Russell addition on East Market Street, and Monday night about 7:30 o’clock he and his wife sat in the parlor, each playing solitaire very industriously. Gradually they became conscious of the cries of a baby from somewhere near, but, naturally, paid little attention as the neighborhood is very well stocked with the article. The crying continued and, seemingly from directly in front of the house on the sidewalk. Finally Mr. Gibson looked up and made a rather disparaging remark concerning people who loafed on the sidewalks to gossip on cold nights, letting their children take cold and squall. Still the crying continued and finally Mr. Gibson went to the door and opened it. With a whoop of wild dismay he jumped back and started for the kitchen, and with good reason!

On the door step in a common five cent market basket lay the cause of all the commotion. Excitement reigned to some slight extent in the Gibson household. The youngster, cold and benumbed, was brought in to the warmth of the pleasant home, while Mrs. James Grimes and several other neighbors were hastily summoned. A council of war was then held and the prize package opened with fitting pomp and ceremony. The child was clothed in exceedingly clean garments of good texture and was covered with a fancy red shawl—just exactly like they come in the novels. The traditional note was there, also, unaddressed and unsigned, reading as follows:

Born of respectable parents, but the father is dead and the mother not able to take care of her. So she gives her in your care, hoping she will be a comfort and a blessing to you.

The note was written in a good hand and was spelled correctly. The paper, however, was not scented and there were no evidences of a baronial crest or monograph having been torn off the sheet. The infant was presumably ten days or two weeks old with a fair sprinkling of what might be termed bright auburn hair. When a Journal representative called that morning Mrs. C. R. Snodgrass, Mrs. Howard Craig and two or three society girls of the east end were present and all of them voted that it was unusually pretty. For its tender age it probably was and the Journal representative being unversed in what goes to constitute infantile beauty took their words for it.

Mrs. Gibson stated that as they had no children of their own they were greatly tempted to keep the little stranger and would probably do so. No one has any idea as to where the child came from. It is pretty certain, however, that it was brought here from out of town and left by people who knew where it would likely be received into a good home.

Mr. and Mrs. Gibson have lived here several months, coming to Crawfordsville from Toledo, Ohio, their former home being Cincinnati.