To try to answer your questions: Mama and Aunt Alice wound up at the orphanage because their mother brought them by train from California. We never knew what caused the breakup of their parents. We do know that their father lived down near the water with their brothers - and a woman Ma always described as the stepmother. Their mother evidently sold the house in which they lived (had very little furniture). Ma said her mother made a belt to wear under her dress, which contained gold pieces - evidently proceeds from the sale.
Ma said she (her mother) was always very pale. I have an idea she was a bit fanatic on the subject of religion. Used to read her books (Bible or what not) and always shushing the girls so she could have quiet. Evidently realizing she probably wouldn't be around much longer she took the girls and came east. Mama used to tell about a kind lady on the train who bought her a toy duck. I guess on some of the stops salesmen (Indian and otherwise) used to sell things they made to travellers.
To answer your question. Perhaps the Mass. churches had already taken all the orphans that could be given to the families there to raise. I don't know frankly.
The little ones were conveyed to the parish churches and lined up at the altar rail. Any Catholic family in good standing, who would undertake the task, was welcome to take one home and try to bring it up as a good Catholic. In those days St. John Baptist was the only (and partially built) Catholic church around. Grammy Leonard took Mama. Aunt Alice was in the group that wound up at Holy Cross in South Portland. Grammy (Ma to her friends) Kelley was supposed to get a boy who could help with the household chores. She told her husband the boys had all been taken.
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