The Washington herald., 1911-11-08

It was in the wee sma' hours Of the
morning, when The Herald was going to
press, that the night clerk in the business
ONCE drew a deep breath of relief, and
rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He
looked longingly at the big clock, but
the hands lacked an hour of pointing to
his homegoing time, so he brushed the
sleep from his eyes a little harder and
found a comfortable corner.
AS he sat watching the moonbeams
dance on New York avenue, filtering
through the deep night shadows, he be-
came suddenly aware Of a tall man with
long white hair trudging toward The
Herald Office. He wore a coat that re-
sembIed an American flag, and striped
trousers that terminated in points at the
ankles. He staggered a little under a
heavy load of seething humanity.
When he came a little closer, it was
quite plain that he was burdened down
with little children. They were piled
high on his back, and they chung to his
arms and legs and hands.
How can he walk muttered the night
clerk in amazement-
No one answered his question, and still
the tall man came toward The Herald
Office, the children shouting and laughing
and pulling his long locks in the gfee Of
their night ride.
Uncle Sam, as I Hve"' exclaimed the
night clerk, jumping TO his feet to open
the door for the crowd.
Like a Fairy Tale.
1t was like fairy tale the way the
babies increased right under the night
clerks eyes. for they not only clung to
Uncle Sam, but streamed in after him.
until The Herald Building rang with their
laughter and their shouts.
Here you areT' exclaimed Uncle Sam.
smiling approvingly Then turning to the
night clerk, he said he would now have
TO leave the babies in his charge.
''They have all come to the Borden
baby contest, and they are as beautiful
a lot as ever handled, and that is say
ing a good deal I take them from the
Great Lakes to the Gulf, and from coast
to coast, year in and year out, but
have carried no babies so beautiful and
with such winning ways about them as
those I have brought TO the contest now
for a solid three weeks"
While he talked, the children scram-
bled down from Uncle Sans shoulders
and made an inspection of the place
where they were to remain overnight,
and all the while the night clerk looked
on and listened in amazement-
Contest News Spreads Far and Near
Il have heard many things about this
contest" said Uncle Sam sociably. The
news of it has spread beyond the Dis
trict, and the parents who are far away
are bewaiIing the fact that their children
are not eligible for one of the handsome
prizes offered the prettiest babies in
Washington and its vicinity. Judging
from the hundreds have brought here
every day since the contest opened, I
should say it is a mighty good thing
that the children living at a distance
cannot come, for I would have to hire
all the trains there are to haul them
hither, and call an extra session Of Con-
Kress to decide which was the most beau
tfful"
The old gentleman hecked a speck Of
dust from his sleeve and chuckled over
what he might have found it necessary
TO do had children farther away than
twenty-five or thirty miles been allowed
to come to this great show of lovely
babies.
Come, children" he called to the
tbrong of babies who were about to ex-