Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1912-08-29
AN AUDUBON WOMAN
Leads in Great Work and the Matter is
- Given Considerable Attention at
The State Fair. .

AhS SsutS
Judging babies on the same plan that
they judge horses and cattle is a matter
that has caught the attention of the
people all over the United States. And
why not. We do everything possible
to improve cattle and horses and GER
tainly human beings are of more inn
portance than all kinds of live stock.
An interesting story appeared in the
Register & Leader the other day which
we reprint. 1t follows
ITO Mrs. Vary T. Watts of Audubon,
former president of the Iowa Congress
of Mothers, belongs the entire honor as
originator of the baby health contest
idea.
1t was she who decided that there
must be decided departure from the
principles of the baby beauty show if
the future of the child was to be deter
mined. Mere baby shows where the
blue ribbons were pinned on the baby
who smiled the brightest, had its hair
curled in the most becoming fashion or
could display row of pearly teeth, en-
couraged parental pride in baby beauty,
but not parental interest in baby health,
according to Mrs. Watts sudden way
of thinking. AS the result of her think
ing and planning and extensive work,
babies are to be weighed, tested looked
into for their faults, judged like
thoroughbreds and rated on the scale of
100 per cent. And this is how the plan
originated:
Zone day, two years ago, attended
our county fair, /" said Mrs. Watts, Il
stood at the booth of which was sup
cruising listening to the talk that drifted
in snatches of prizes won on pigs, sheep
and cattle-the same talk that had
heard at every fair for ten years. Sud-
denly became conscious of how often
l had heard this talk of the wonderful
improvement that had really been made
| in the conditions of live stock in that
length of time. Just at that moment a
woman with fretful baby in her arms
stopped near me to rest A child of
about 3 years chung to her skirts with
one hand and with the other fed herself
with large underripe banana. Three
other children, brothers and sisters,
clambered about in imminent danger of
broken necks and trampled toes. One
might label the picture, thought an
average family on a holiday. AS l
looked back l saw myself and my
brothers and sisters forty years ago, no
better-no worse. Measles, mumps and
whooping cough would be part of
these children's lives as it had been of
mine If they lived through these
necessary evils, without too great loss
of vitality, they might grow to manhood
and womanhood. Then began to think
that this family would probably mean
five more families of the same kind
possibly with less endurance.
"A friend interrupted my thought to
invite me TO go to the stock barns with
her where the premiums had just been
awarded. Blue ribbons and red ribbons
showed bravely on the stalls. Every
animal in the clean, we'll ordered cattle
and hog pens had been fed and groomed
with utmost care. A man pointed with
pride to pen of hogs, and told us that
they had been watched almost night and
day; that the water they drank had been
analysed, their food measured and
weighed and only the kinds given them
that would bring results. 1t was then
that the idea of the babies health con-
test for our next state fair was born"
If scientific care and common sense
had done this for animals, then the same
happy combination could do wonders
for the human animals, was the sum-
mary of her deductions, and without
knowing it Mrs. Watts hit upon the
fundamental principles of eugenics and
won the endorsement and the co-opera-
ton of the medical men and women of
the nation.
Because of the success of her initial
venture year ago, the Iowa state fair
management has made Mrs. Watts
superintendent of the health department
this year, A building has been set
aside for the exclusive use of Mrs.
Watts and the use of tent for the af-
ternoon lecture and prize awards.