The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1906-10-26
BAREFOOTED IN THE SNOW.
Baltimore Physician Puts Theory
Regarding Boys Into Practice.

I
From the Baltimore sun.
Several years ago it was not an uncom-
mon sight to see three sturdy little boys
walking and playing out of doors in the
neighborhood Of Mount Vernon place IN
rain or shine, hail or snow barefooted
/ Conservative Baltimoreaus were shocked
/ Grandmothers held up their hands in
/ horror.
1t is cruel. wicked" thev said. "tho
poor little fellows will die of such i'm
/ human exposure. Dear me, it makes me
feel bad TO think how they must suf-
+ ferl''
/ But these one-time little fellows
I Claude, Karl. and John Van Bibber. sons
I of Dr. and Mrs. Claude Van Bibber. G
/ East Read stTeet-arc now big. hearty
+ boys and the worth of the advanced
ideas of their parents has been proved.
Claude is eleven years old. Karl is nine.
and John. known by his playmates as
"Tun,T is just seven These are three as
/ handsome. sturdy-looking boys as one
ever sees. Tall, win strongly buiit
bodies. solid. firm muscles. and rosy
checks, they are examples Of what every
mother wants her boy TO be
Until each was five years old, he went
barefooted. II is the opinion Of both DIR.
and Mrs. Van BibbeT that il is the only
healthy way to raise boys
They are boys. SO we want them to
be little men and rough it, they say.
and that is just what the boys have
done. During heavy snOwstorms they
played in the SNOW with only a flannel
blouse and trousers on.
Even now ryrar fha,- have vl9cu1T tho
barefoot age, they long to return 90 the
freedom they once had. The nearest ap-
proach is i'm summer, when they put on
bathing suits and turn the hose over each
other and have a merry frohc
1t is the opinion of DR.. and Mrs. Van
Bibber that the exposure Of the feet and
legs is of vital Importance. as IL causes
the child to become hardened TO changes
i'm temperature. But by all means, they
urge. see that the child is properly cloth
ed about the body 1t does not matter
how little the child has on his legs. he
must have warm covering on the body.
The idea Of allowing the children to go
without shoes and stockings took firm
hold Of DR.. Van Bibbers mind when
Claude was a little fellow and showed
signs of Group
a child's skin is active. said DIT Van
Bibber. IF the chid's feet and legs are
wrapped up. free Precipitation is prevent
ed. The skin becomes tender. too. and
susceptible 10 changes in temperature, so
that exposure TO the cold or draft Is
likely to be followed by q cold.
That this theory is true i'm practice was
proved by DR.. Van Bibber, for his boys
did not have a cold until they put on
shoes and stockings.
That the children are such perfectly
healthy specimens OF the genus boy Is not
due entirely 10 their barefo0tedness.
Their mother has been careful that every
part of their life and training should be
consistent and should be directed toward
keeping them in healthy condition.
Special attention is paid TO their cloth
ing 50 that it is OF the proper weight
and warmth: to their food and to the
temperature of the rooms in which they
play and sleep. Their playroom is
large, airy room, and is fitted up with
trapeze, rings, swings. and other gym
nasuc contriVances. The floor is covered
first with layers of wadding and then
with denim, which IS nonabsorbent and
is easily kept free from dust and dirt
The only piece of furniture. If it can be
50 called. is big mattress, On which the
young athletes can romp and roll.
claude who is a very big boy is a stu
dent an Mount St Joseph's College. The
other two lads also attend school.
Their mother, Mrs. Van Bibber. was
formerly Miss Cohen, of New Orleans,
daughter of Judge NJ NJ. Cohen. an emf
nent jurist OF that city. For the last two
years she has been a sufferer from
asthma, but has almost recovered.