The Washington times., 1909-07-11
BABY SHOW JUDGES
EARS BURN TODAY
Some Fond Mothers Don't
Think They Know Much
About Infants.

Just imagine 800 babies. from mere
Infants In arms to sturdy youngsters in
al the glory and beauty Of Knockers;
just eonjure up a picture Of 300 anxious
mothers, each firmly convinced that her
child is so far above all the other 299
mat us really not a matter for dis
cussion. Just think of such q crowd
and then to add one part Of sister-in-
law, one part Of older brothers and
sisters, one part of fathers. a quarter
part Of sweethearts and a couple Of
parts Of curious spectators Without
even considering the three judges. the
orchestra. and the perfect weather, one
might make an ideal baby show out
Of all that material, which was just
about what happened at Luna Park
yesterday afternoon.
OF course one could mention, too the
fact that the babies were squalling and
crying and laughing and cooling and
making other indescribable noises. Also
II might be stated that they were pre-
eminently not babies In repOse. they
were babies IN action The big dancing
pavilion was filed clear up to the brim
with babies who insisted on taking their
afternoon exercise right then and there. |
Which they did, TO the delight Of many
spectators and the terror Of some
mothers.
Long before 4:80 o'clock. the time at
which the Hateful judges were scheduled /
70 appear. the dancing pavilion was
niled with babies entered in the show |
and their next best friends. either a 1
mother, father, or some one like that /
Two rows Of benches had been secured j
Dy the park management and along 4
the north and south sides of the pavilion |
al N
were given seats with their friends |
upon these benches according TO their |
entry number
Prizes on Table.
In the center of the pavilion was a 1
small table on which the prizes were /
displayed, and up above an orchestra /
turned out "Shine Little Glow Worm, /
Glimmer, Glimmer," and other Of our /
leading twentieth century classics Out /
side the pavilion railing the mere spec
.'ators stood and jOked or listened To /
some one else joke. or watched the
babies or looked in some ones eyes or /
1la something equally Appropriate and /
The judges were Judge william H.
DeLacy, or the Juvenile Court: James |
T. west, or Washington. end Virgiuia /
hen, II,iSmPle, editor of the woIasn's page of /
II didn't take the judges long TO get
70 work Judge DeLacy Just look of
MS hat, smiled, and led the way The
{Rooses walked up past one row of
pencnes on the south side, then came
down past the other row on the SAINT
side After that they crossed over and
ala II all over again with the north
Many subtle attempts were made -
DIloe the judges. II was well known
ssInong the nearby spectators that baby
NO. 90 James Bancom, was seen putting
MS arms around .Nr1Hpa III {
MF Bancom was awarded the prize fer
being the 'cutest baby
Figure Out Winners.
After the judges finished their per
ambulating inspection they disappeared
nysteriously and later came out Up
above the crowd, where the orchestra
had been before. Right IN front of an
the hundreds Of intensely interested !
mothers they sat down ana deliberately
started TO figure out who the winners
We're.
Many mother, after believing i'm
plicitly in the beauty, the cuteness. etc
OF hef child Tor weeks and weeks after
entering nm or her and bringing her
or him over 10 Luna JUST aatiiraIIv ,
gave up when she saw the judges calm
~ discussing matters, folded her tent or ,
away.
Pretty soon Judge DeIacv ana Mr.
west got busy with their voices and |
began calling out numbers. In spite of
The dense thrOng under the Orchestra /
stand and in spite of the noise OF the
80 babies anS 800 mothers. me voices /
carried Tar enough TO reach the cans
I-aI were strained to eaton a certain
number, and In a few minutes lie rrize /
winners We're lined up IN 'front.' Of the
crowd OF others who were not winning
D4as Wno wanted 10 see those VINO did.
Judge DeLaCy stood up on the stand |
ana IN a voice that he tried TO make |
carry everywhere, but which wasn't
very successful, told the mothers of the
LlleIIls oI James T.. West. who was 10
announce the winners. Mr. West. ne
said, was thoroughly familiar wien
pables, followed them from the cradle
10 the grave In fact.
Some Looked Happy.
Mr.. West then told the mothers uned
up in front just which prize their son
or daughter had taken. Everybody who 1
won looked happy and everybody-not
everybody, but practically everybody
who lost, looked as If other opinions
were better than that Of the judges
anyhow.
The mothers. smiling and proud.
walked up and received the prizes and
lHeu hurried over 10 the east end Of
the pavilion where a Times photogra-
pner was waiting 10 take pictures Of the
winners.
A4tcI LLdL most or the mothers started
home, and on the way you may be sure ,
there was some discussion OF the merits
Of various babies. Most everybody who
hadn't won with a baby or who wasn't
interested. or a judge, had an opinion
different from that OF the judges in
some respect
Still. with 800 or more babies 800 or
more mothers a few sWeeChearts, a
number of fathers. some spectators !
two-and-a-half mOthers-in-laW and a
band that played shine Little Glow
Worm, GiimmeT, Glimmer," Il was /
some baby show.
DE- AL To OnCAAmrr