Dear Sir,

As I will be 93 years of age Nov. 12, 1995, I am probably one of the oldest Orphan Train Riders that came to the Midwest in July 17th, 1913 at age 10. I am only able to write a short story of my life. I can still remember most every day of my life since I was 5 years of age. To tell my life story, it would make a book 3 inches thick.

I know my relatives back to 1778. To begin, my father John Eadie was born in Glasgow Scotland in 1856. He came to New York City in 1890 with his twin brothers Hugh and Will. My uncle Will was married and had 3 sons. One, Tom, grew up to be a world renowned diver. He received the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1927 from President Cooledge and wrote a book on diving for his heroic rescue of two sunken submariners.

My father found work immediately on the Great Cathedral of St. John the Devine on 112 St. and Amersterdam Ave, New York City. They were over 80 years building the Church. My father also carved a heart from one of the chips from a large pillar of the Church. I also saw my father carve my mother’s monument in 1911. He and Uncle Will took it one day to St. Michael’s Cemetery on Long Island, N.Y.

My father met a beautiful girl named Delia Kelly and fell in love with her and was married in 1891. There were 6 children born to them in this order—Anna, Florence, Elizabeth, John, Gilbert, and Walter.

We had a good home. We lived at 356 East 72nd St, New York City. In my time all the tenements were 4 or 5 stories. I was born on the 4th floor. We had no electricity,--gas. The street car was pulled by a horse. The fire engines were pulled by horses. I often went there as a lad on 69th street. School was on 70th street. We attended the Episcopal Church on 70th Street and Madison Ave.

When my mother’s health failed her, us four youngest and mother went up to Connetecuit where the Church Deices has a summer home. We were there till Mother’s health grew worse and she passed away in April 1911.

We all rode in a carriage with black horses to the funeral. I guess grief and worry took my father down hill fast and he was soon taken to a hospital.

Oldest sister Anna was 11 ½ years older than I. Florence was engaged to be married. Bessie went into Red Cross nurses training in a hospital on Welfare Island on the East river. John was about 12. He went to live with a family by the name of Childs. Anna worked and when Walter and I came home from school, a Mrs Farrel baby sat with us.

The New York State law soon caught up with us as a single person could not raise a minor child. That’s when Anna made a wonderful choice. Walter and I was put in the Brace Farm School, 150 acres at Valhalla, New York, about 50 miles north of New York City. I loved it there.

One day Anna and Rev. Courtney and his wife got Walter and I and took us to see our father in Bellevue Hospital. I was always a tender hearted person, still cry for over a year every day on the loss of my wife [March 13, 1995] of 58 years. I was 33 ½ when I got married. My wife was 28. I started to cry when I came up to his [father]bed-side and the last words that I remember him saying is "There is nothing to cry about son.

The last words that I heard my mother say as the attendants carried her on a stretcher down the stair way—"Good Bye All".

Now on July 15th, Anna kissed us goodbye and said we were not to be parted. Sorry about the tears are running down my face as I am trying to write." After 2 days on the Choo Choo train with Anna L. Hill, in charge of 16 boys and girls, we arrived in Northwood, Ia.

The next day, Miss Hill took Walter and I to Pratt, Ks. Mr. and Mrs. William Wright took us both. They had 2 girls the same age as Walter and I [10 and 8]. Mr. Wright taught school and we rode in a 2 seated surrey to school. He also farmed 80 acres. But after 6 months Mrs. Wright’s father came from Pa. And persuaded them to have a sale and move back east. Miss Hill came and took Walter and I to Iowa.

That day, on Nov. 13, 1913, an Orphan Train brought 15 children to Waukon. I got to know most of them. Sang in the Choir with Oscar Kumph. Went to country school 1914-1915 with Francis Reihl(?) and I got to know 8 or 9 other Orphans that came on the train to Waukon in Nov. 13.

Walter finished High School in 1926, but I only got to walk one mile to country school.

In 1928, Walter got Multiple Schorosis. My brother John came out to Iowa in 1930 from New York City and took Walter back to New York. He passed away in 1937 at age 33. I had been back to New York City to the funeral of my three sisters and two brothers.

I have 14 nephews and nieces. I went back last…and celebrated my 91st birthday in New York City at the Sheraton Inn Hotel on 7th Ave. Mrs. Jewett of the Children’s Aid Society, some of my nieces and family, 42 cousins from New Jersey were there also. In Feb 8, 1978 the CAS celebrated their 125th Anniversary at the Plaza Hotel on 5th Ave.

Of the 150,000 orphans sent to the Mid-West, I was the only one there. Attended by 300 of New York City’s elite. I was interviewed by the New York Times and a ….of the event.

Well you can see that I am making this hard for you to read. Would you give my regards to Mary Ellen and perhaps she would like to read this. As I said, my memories are still good and there are thousands of incidents that are still in my mind. So thank you. I can still drive the car, get my groceries one day every week. Never eat out. I am a good cook.

Sincerely,

Gilbert H. Eadie