The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-06-24
BABES ALL BOYS IN PLATBUSH
CROP OF MALE INFANTS FOLLOWS
LONG PEANUT SPREE.

rector smith DlscO' ert0 the Fnect OF
hydrocarbons In Determining the Sex
The shakespeare Club Is Now kicking
When the peanut party became popular
In F1atbush society last summer and fall,
Director Smith Of the Central Park Zoo
rad not yet made his revolutionary dis
covery as to the effect Of hydrocarbons in
determining sex Else it might have been
different
Although there is a difference OF opinion
on this point OF history, it is the general
opinion that the Mothers Club appropri-
ately started it. Last year, along in June,
just when Natbush society was getting active
with it's summer campaign the Mothers gave
q peanut lawn party. Peanut ice cream
was served in PAPER mache limitations OF
peanut shells. The Japanese paper nap
kins had a peanut design There were
peanut waffles and peanuts glace, peanut
honbons and peanut butter sandwiches.
1t WAS one Of the most brilliant social
functions ever held In Fathush, and netted
s2a 10 for the purposes Of the Mothers
Club.
You Just can't stop a thing OF that kind
when it gets to going. The idea was 80
nifty and novel that 1t supplanted croklnole
snd progressive authors and mum socials
As a form Of diversion for church and edu-
cational functions. 1t lasted away into the
fall and winter.
Tho Epworth Leagues peanut party for
the missionary fund eclipsed in interest
even the autumn croquet championships
The riace de resistance on their bill Of fare
VAS peanut fudge; popular elocutionlst
r-eitod Uncle 2astus and the Peanuts
and gave shriekingly amusing imper-
fonation OF an Italian peanut man; the
members Of the club were seen in very
Pretty and instructive series Of tablsaux.
representing the course of a peanut from
its planting to its sale from plshca.t.
Next tire Shakespeare Club gave pea
nut afternoon with papers on the growth
and cultivation Of peanuts There was
debate on tee question. Are peanuts
indiaestihle?" The brides cooking class
devoted two weeks Ia the study NJ peanut
6ainties
The publ, mind was on the subject and
the consumption of peanuts grew -apace'
The number os rushcart men handling the
prizs product of Georgia doubled and
trebled Children cried for them. House
wives served peanut desserts at LUNCHEON
and dinner. The autumn and spring stoop
narties on the front porches Of Flatbush
cossiped and spanked over sacks Of pea
nuts until the sidewalks in the morning
looked like Coney Island after hard Sum
cay.
Director Smith had not vet spoken; Flat
lush was impregnating its system with
hydrocart onates in utter Ignorance OF
treat, but as yet un-erealed, scientific
truth.
Well. spring broke, and the population
Of Flathush went right on increasing. Yet
as early as March doctors. clergymen,
neghtorhood gossips and others who notice
.uch things tegan to mark a strange fact
They were all boys
In one week OF early March five citizens
Of Flattush. popular in church and women's
clnb circles, paced their parlor floors and
wrlng their hands; and to them appeared
five nurses who said:
Doing nicely, sir, and IT., fine little
boy
About the same thing happened along
further Fiathush avorue. In two or three
days the doctors took to stopping their
tarouches as they passed one another. and
talking across the wheels in low. excited
tones.
tefore they drove on.
March came II was the day OF Presi-
dent Roosevet's inauguration, and the
doctors and gossips and people who te
lieved in signs said that Flathush ought to
make 10y record for itself that day. By
a perverse stroke of fate. only two "a, les
were reported to the gossips on that day
both girs. They were named Theodore.
And everybody said that it was just an
accident about those boys; things happen
that way sometimes.
Next day the score jumped back and
since then it has seemed to rain boys in
Flatbush. Hod carrier and merchant
prince, bartender and clergyman, Judge
and oop--it WAS all boys for theirs. Now
and then. little girl came by way Of variety.
In every single oase it was found that the
parents Of the girl babies, crop Of the spring
Of 1905. were recuses from church and
romen's club society. Even before the
great discovery OF Director Smith. the
district gossips noticed that fact and COM
mented on il.
Then. on May day, Director Smith an
nounced through The Sun. mis- discovery.
The Central Park ZOO had been scoring
only male calves and fawns ard especially
baby monkeys. And Director Smith found
that it was due to diet of hydrocarbons,
which the same are peanuts. wave Of
differentiation swept over Flatbush. In
certain houses there came frantic call
for peanuts: from before certain others,
l'aIian hot peanut mer we're driven with
clubs and reproaches.
Alderman John Ham. who represents
Flathush in the City Council. was wipins
Of the rubber plant on his stoop in Park
Place last Monday evening when he was
told that a delegation Of ladies wanted to
see him. He showed them into bis study
and turned up the student lamp. He recoe-
nzed the president of the Shakespeare Club.
and members Of the executive councils
RI the Mothers Club. and the Brides
Cooking Class. together with prominent
church workers.
Its about the boy babies we've come.
said the president of the Shakespeare Club,
who acted as spokesman.
"Oh. yes! The little boy babies, Well,
I'm sure the mothers OF Flatbush must be
glad to have so many fine sons" said the
Alderman. taking the wrong tack.
The president Of the Shakespeare Club
cut in abruptly:
1T ia not question OF personal gratif-
cation, MIR. Ham. 1t Is a question Of prin-
ciple---all the other delegates nodded at
this--is our sex to be extingushed in Flat
bush? Are We, after creating an atmos-
phere of feminine refinement and culture,
to have it destroyed in the next generation
because there are none but alien women for
our sons to marry?'
Resides, girl babies are so cute, said the
delegate from the Brides Cooking Class.
The president OF the Shakespeare Club
crushed her with one look.
i .-1.l