New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1883-08-08
A BROKER IN BABIES.
A New York Firm Whose Business Is to
Supply Babies When They Are
Wanted,

Of all the thousand and one profess
sions on which the inhabitants of this
city are dependent for support, it is
probable that the pursuit of the baby
broker has as yet attracted the least at
tention. Very few are aware. of the ex-
tent and Importance of the business.
The recent researches of Journal re-
porter revealed the fact that there are
at present something like forty or fifty
individuals and firms employed in this
industry. It has been generally held
that the ''blessed baby'' was not usually
regarded as q thing to be desirable in
American families, and that Matthusian
ideas were exceedingly popular; but the
volume of the transactions in infantile
humanity furnish y striking refutation
of this theory. ''Of course I will tell
you something about it, said a prom
inent operator in infants to q Journal
reporter yesterday. "Come round to
the office with me, and will give you
q few points. At present the crop is
coming forward but slowly, and as a
natural consequence my stock is rather
low; however, you shall see what Ihave.
There is a desirable youngster about 10
days old, fair hair, blue eyes, and a boy.
He has, you observe, dimple on the
left cheek, and that always enhances
the value of child. am asking 800
for him. The girl next to him, of about
the same age, will probably go for half
her hair has every indication of devel-
oping into what iseuphemistically term
ed an auburn shade-in other words,
red. However, boys always bring more
than girls
"How do yQu account for that?''
.Well, I don't know; all / know is
that girls, with the exception of par
ticularly fine specimens, are at dis
count. I prefer not to deal in them"
What nationalities do you find most
in demand?''
ut depends entirely on that of the
customer, and I endeavor to satisfy
them in that respect TO the best of my
ability. OF course, once in awhile q
mistake is made, and child Of Hiber-
MAN extraction is disposed of to Teutonic
foster-parents, but as general thing I
manage to avoid such errors. No, we
have no Chinese babies as YETI
"Do you find it difficult to suit your
customers?'
.'Sometimes / do. Some women are
very particular They have in their
minds eye an ideal baby, and expect
me to be able to produce it. AS q gen
eral thing find that the blonde type is
most in demand, although many of my
clients ask for such u curious combina-
ton as blue eyes and dark hair, or
dark eyes and fair hair. A lady who
came here this morning produceda lock
of hair of rather unusual white, which
she expected me to match, for all the
world as if she was buying yard Of
ribbon"
''Do you find the business profitable. -
''Well, generally the demand is rath-
er in excess of the supply, and hence
the chances of profit are fairly good,
but my expenses are large. My rent is
heavy, and doctors fees make q large
hole in my profits. My competitors
are very numerous, and of course that
cuts down prices. Things are not what
they used to be. Now, if a customer is
not satisfied with my rates she goes
elsewhere, in fact, goes shopping. The
establishment opposite has been u great
source of loss to me. Where I used to
get 5000 a year ago, must now be sat-
is6ed with $75."
''Do you ever have applications for
colored babies?''
mo. The extreme brunette type is
not Unpopular among white people, and the
African population do not seem to stand
in need of my service. A large part Of
my trade is in what we term futures.
have here,'' referring to ledger,
contracts for July and August deliv-
cry; some, indeed, rs far ahead as Sep
TENDER, those being the months in which
my rustic customers, among whom most
of the business is done, visit the city,"
-New York, Exchange.