Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1870-11-04
About a Baby shOw-HO~ the Master
was Managed in Mem nIphIs-Twen enty four
Mothers COmpets for the Prize.

About a Baby show-HO~ Ihe Matter
was Managed in menIphIs-Twenty four
Mothers COmp pete for the Prize.
Can we not have Baby Show as a
feature of the great fair next month Let
the committee think of it. 1t would Ger
tainly {" draw" prodigiously. To give an
idea of how the thing is done, We copy the
following from the Memphis Aoalanche, of
the 10Th instant, describing baby show
recently held in that city:
After nurses and babies had ali been col
lected in rear of the judges stand, the
secretary called them into the arena in the
order in which they had been entered, and
the babies belonging to the twenty seven
ladies were carried into the ring for the
inspection of the bachelor judges. Ranged
in front of the northern grand stand stood
the nurses, with their little charges in
their arms or in petite carriages, and the
sight was peculiar one. There were ba-
bies of all kinds, and Of all ages, that is to
say, of all months under twelve, for
Wheeler, Dickens & Co., in presenting the
beautiful little perambulator. bad distinct
ly bargained that it should be presented
'to the finest baby under ono year old on
exhibition at this fair" The blue eyed
blondes were in tho ma aority, although
and placid. The boys seemed to be live
lier.than the girls, and laughed and crowed
in q manner that was delightful to behold.
The mammas tried every subterfuge to
make their babies smile, laugh and crow,
and sundry comfits aud cakes wore
called into requisition. One blue eyed
lad of about ten months was very
attractive, and his efforts to swnl-
low scarlet worsted ball four
in, Il Il.
miration. The task of the judges was no
ordinary one, but they faced the music
like men, and gazed the juveniles nearly
out OF countenance while examining their
"points." Health, strength, "heft and
good looks were all taken into account, and
the judges moved silently and steadily
along the line, their every motion and
every word being eagerly watched by
nurse, papa and mamma. Some OF the ba-
bies started at the portly figure of Mr..
Hamilton as he marched st the head of his
forces, and looked as If they had a slight
glimmering Of what it was oil about, and
they looked up smilingly. while others pre-
sented sOmbre faces, with tears in their
eyes and mouths all a-pout. It as indeed
an interesting sight, and many broke
through the rope guards and eagerly rush
ed into the ring, if to look upon baby
was not an everyday occurrence. After the
they retired for consultation, and then or
dered the following babies, according to
numbers as given above, to be separated
from the general group: Nos. 5. 4, 6, 49,,
25 and 26. belonging respectively to Mrs
J. G. Johnson, Mrs. r. W. Ainslie, Mrs
John Mitchell, Mrs. L. Mcclure, Mrs: c.
II. Cavan and Mrs. Joseph Musso. The
judges took another tond look at the for
tunate half dozen and again retired for
consultation. They seemed to have nearly
all agreed on the same baby, for the con-
sultation was brief, and DIR. Perkins, the
superintendent of the arena, came for
ward, took little Mary Ainslie in his arms,
attached to her right arm the blue ribbon,
placed her in the prize baby carriage, and
Colonel J. G. Ballentine, grand marshal,
gallantly wheeled the lucky little lady
round the arena amid the huzzas of the
assembled multitude. while the unlucky
babies were carried solemnly out of the
ring. After the prize baby had been shown
all around, it was taken in front of the
grand stand, but the noise around proved
too much for its nerves. and the grand
marshal and his assistant shouted Justify
for the nurse. So ended the great baby
show of the fair"