Factoid

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception

From 1854–1929, homeless children (especially Catholics and Jews) were placed on trains and taken to rural sites in the Midwest and West in search of homes. At each stop, children were “put up” on platforms to see if anyone would want to take them, which led to the phrase “put up for adoption.” It was called the Orphan Train Movement. Criticism of it led to new agencies and new laws to protect orphans and regulate adoptions.