I really like both songs, but Utah Phillips' song, IMHO, is a little less sad. David Massengill's had me nearly sobbing, the first time I heard it! (People have said the same to me, though, about the Phillips song.) I've read several accounts of orphan train riders' experiences, and maybe the happy endings produce more writers, but it seemed that the good experiences far outweighed the bad.

I was amazed to learn that the trains ran until 1932 (a fact I always bring up before we sing). I also always remind people to keep in mind that the *intentions* of the Orphan Train organizers were nothing but the best; they returned and checked up on the children, and removed them from homes that were unfit; they did the best they could with the times that they lived in. Too often nowadays, people judge historical figures by today's standards, today's knowledge, today's technology/travel/communication.

Denise:^)