The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1855-06-20
The Baby Show.

The great Baby Show got up By Mr..
Barnum. Of which so much has been said
for the past few months, was opened Oh
Tuesday. the 5th inst, at tue Museum
in New York
The first exhibition Of this kind held
in the United States. tcsk place at
Springfield, Ohio, October 5, 1854, in
connection with tho Clarke County Ag.
ricul.ural Fair. 1t was but trial, and
but few competitors were expected; but
over 100 babies were presented, and Id.
dies who were there expressed themselves
highly pleased with the affair. Some of
the first families in Ohio engaged in the
exhibition as exhibitors aud judges. Bar.
nun seized upon the idea, aud prostitu:
ting it to his private interest, will spec.
ulate out of it, 10 the amount of at least
$1,000.
The novelty Of the exhibition hardly
justifics its indclicacy in the eyes of
many, but others regard it (Barnum
aside,) as harmless. though Of question
able propriety. We have yet to learn
what great good those who favor such
exhibitions hope to achieve thereby We
hold ourselves "open to conviction up
on that subject. 1t strikes us, however.
that this public exhibition of innocent
babes, and awarding premiums for the
fattest or the prettiest, is associating Lu.
manity too closely with cattle aud sheep
and swine.
The nuihbet OF babies on exhibition
Tuesday, was l43.
The following ladies' acted as judges
Mrs W. Leland, Metropolitan Hotel !;
Mrs, W. ii. Burroughs, Irving House !;
Mrs. j. N. Fowler. sos Broadway; Mrs
r. L Trail. Is Laight St; Mrs. II. Will
hanson l60 barrow st.; Mrs j, N.
Gcnir, PA Broadway.
The questions asked Of the mothers
by the judges were: Wha: is the age of
the father and mother2 How many
children has the mother had previously2
What was tho diet Of the mother for a
year previous to the birth What we're
her habits Of cxertise2 Have The pa
rents or child resided on elevated ground
or the reversed What has been the di.
et and exercise of the child , How Of.
ten has it been bathed. &c.
The premiums, g in nun Der amount
ed to S 100
Ono room in tho Museum was used as
nursery, and exclusively devoted to
the Babes and their nurses. 1t was
hung in draperies Of tive and white mus.
lin, and provided with jumpers, cradles,
and other paraphcrnalia of such sane
tum, and uneet the charge Of a matron.
The FIRST PREmuM-Tho judges fin
ished their days labor Tuesday after
noon, by selecting as the finest child un.
der five years of age for the FIRST premi-
um of sl00, Master Charles Orlando
Scott, born Feb is, 1855. The father
of the child is coachman, residing at
No. 500 Fourth Avenue New York. Up
on Mr.. Barnum's Comm unicating the fact
to the mother Of the ohild, the first
words that escaped her lips were, ,"rhank
God, that will educate my little Chsrlie" I"
Thus plainly indicating the feelings
which were uppermost in that happy aud
now thrice proud mothers heart
The Museum was perfect jan ihrough-
Gu, the sntire day, from ga NJ. to 81
p. NJ. The total number Of tickets sold
at the ticket Office for admissions was
tenftousand aud four hundred, making
an amount in the aggregate Of two thou
sand six hundred dollars. This added
70 si25 taken at the upper box office for
the parquetts seats, formed tota. Of
s2,729 for the days exhibition.