The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1910-06-23
FLOCK OF CHILDREN
One English Woman Successfully
Manages 3s4 Children.
Niles z. {. =. DeaatIs. Employed BY
Government Trustee, Acts ~ on
ia elsi Parent 20 Ninstssn Score
% Youngsters.

cessfully manage and look after 384
Children task few mothers would
like-has been discovered in London.
She is Miss E. E. A. Beattie, the
ohicial mother" on behalf of the pub.
lie trustee, and her duties consist in
attending to\the daily wants and cares
Of the children whose financial affairs
are in the hands of that official
While the public trustee sees that
the money or property OF the child Is
properly, invested or managed (until
he or she is 21), Miss Beattie is the
human" trustee-she attends to the
happiness and creature comforts.
Miss Beattie was seen in her neat,
businesslike office at St. Clements
Inn. Instead Of looking very tired
and careworn--as one might reason
ably expect-Miss Beattie was smiling
and optimistic.
MY work Is absorbingly interest
Ing she said. Every day I have to
solve some new problem of human
interest, to decide a child's home or
education or arrange hi or her fu-
ture.
Travels All Over ENGLAND.
SINCE Christmas l have travelled
all over England. personally inspect
Ing my flock" or looking after chill
dren whose financial affairs are to be
placed under the care of the public
trustee.
Naturally in interviewing parents,
guardians, etc., one has to exercise
certain amount of tact and delicacy.
One Is also expected to possess an ex-
pert knowledge on all sorts Of out
of the way subjects"
Some Of the every day duties of
Miss Beattie are as follows:
To decide career for a headstrong
youth of seventeen.
To persuade widowed mothers to
let their sons go away from home to
enter profession or trade
TO keep a watchful eye on child's
home life and find out its likes and
dislikes. Severely to admonish I'M
kind or thoughtless guardians.
Here are a few of the human prob
lens which this wonderful govern
ment mother" has had to solve: :
A kind-hearted woman left a settled
sum of money to be invested for her
FIVE young nephews, but the mother
Of the boys wished to spend the
money In her own sweet way, not car
Ing about the lads future. The money
was successfully tied up and invested
for the boys.
Five young ladies, after the death
Of their father began squandering
money and got into debt. Established
them all comfortably in positions.
Sixteen-year-old girl determined to
run away to become milliner" with
out finishing education. She went
back to school.
Young man, to come into money
when .twenty-seven, became acquaint-
ed with number of good-for-nothing,
"sponging" friends. Gave up friends.
Miss Beattie, in dealing with doz-
ems Of cases like the above, has to be
sympathetic, but firm and business
hke-that is the secret of her success.
A mother called on her at St. Cle-
ment's inn. A week before this wom-
ans only son had gone to a country
town to learn trade. -
"She wanted him back again." said
Miss Beattie, although the boy had
a good career before him. For three
hours we talked it over-motheYs
love versus common sense. ~
Then she went away, having do.
cided that my views were at least the
more practical. That is part of my
days work. Is 1t not interesting?"