Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1855-06-15
tcoRRgsroNDEsoR or THE FREE rRyss.I
Bnrhum's Baby show,

NEW YoRK, June 7th, 1855.
Inc Baby Show vas insuRurated the day before
yesterday with 1orish Of trumpets.
found myself in a crowd Of person.-nll n n,jous
10 squeeze into the building in which Young
America is being shown up" BY din, Of crush.
Ing stood before tho pctticoated competitors wcro
the least sentimental should describe the feel
inss of reverence and awe with which I heard the
'quoai oil those Juvenile voices that mny one day
ring IN the senate Chamber or in tones Of thunder
dictate laws to nations. The competitors in the
FIRST room ranged from four months to one year. and
were neither especially interesting nor good looking
The broguc Of of their nurses was rs broad as
from this to Tippcrary, and the sweet German nc.
cent of others no less contracted. Tho heads
OF the children in this apartment did not indicate
moro than average intelligence and altogether the
first impression produced was conviction TINT thcy
were either hired at so much per day, or that pa
rents arc sand-blind to the imperfcctions of their
children. Weighing my way through the crowd
arrived at the apartment in which are exhibited the
twins and triplets and curious to relate tho trip
lets are among the most robust Of those exhibited
Connecticut furnishes family Ct FIVE. born inside
Of two years. This interesting group stands in n
conspicuous postion-thc mother be side her daugh.
tcrs, the father beside his sons. Tho mother is
is about thirty FIVE, the father about ten years
older. As if impressed with the magnitude of what
they have accomplished this couple point to their
family with great pride. New York State furnishc.
group OF triplets-boys. The other triplets are
from Pennsylvania. One child from the latter
state, four years old, weighs seventy five pounds.
Some of tho children arc beautiful, many hand.
some, hut the majority make an Indifferent ap.
pearancc. Tho female visitors, on the first day,
outnumbercd the males; although many whose ap.
pearance indicated bachelorhood were present. 1t
is somewhat remarkable, that all the best propor.
toned, most intelligent, and best looking children
| arc the products Of parents beyond the middle
! period of life.
There" said a woman, as she pointed exulting.
ly to fine looking male child, There, that is the
youngest in family of FIVE living generations he
| is tho only boy in the family, and we want him
shown up right good" Many women took their
children to the Museum in order to compare them
with those competing for the prizes. While asking
the ages and weig Of the children on exhibition
they would call attention to theirs by saving
" Here is one Of the same age, taller and heavier
I hut don't exhibit it,"
The second day some prizes we're awarded One
Of 300, to Charles Orlando Scott, very handsome
child-under four years. As soon as it became
known that he got the first prem um it was as much
as PERSONS life was worth to get near him. Such
IA jam 1t seemed as if the women would deyour
| him with kisses-bonncts broken-toes crushed
any sacrifice made to kiss the hundred dollar prize
premium of $50 was awarded Peter Alexander
Blake, under one year, mother 30, father 60 ; SIS
was adjudged to Henry Clay Shannon, under
year, mother 81. father 40 and $40, to a child
nurse would not tell its name-father and mother
aged
The mothers of the premium children are about
the average height-perhaps trife over. and well
proportional. None were what we shouldcal ha nd
some and all give indications of having worked
| hard.
At one o'clock the second day, the Museum was
so full that tho managers refused to sell any more
tickets The visitors were, chiefly, from the cir
cumjacent towns. Extra trains were put upon some Of
the roads conveying to the city, in order to accom-
modatc the rush to the baby show.
As financial speculation it will, no doubt. prove
| highly successful Thus far SIC, 66s 50 have bcer
received as admission fees Prize. will not exceed
| l,lOo. IT, as it is reported, the show should con.
| tinue the. whole week, Barnum will make abou,
! $4,000 by the affair.
louts &C., CHANPJAiS.