The Washington herald., 1913-10-05
General Impression That
Country Youngsters Are
Finest Specimens Is Not
Borne Out at Nebraska
State Fair.

The popular impression that the country
is more conducive than the city 70 the
rearing of perfect children is proved tO
be without warrant by the result of the
| better baby" contest at the Nebraska
State fair. There were 7C0 babies under
three years of age entered. approximate
ly half from the country and small towns
| and half from the cities. Every prize
| went TO a city child by a good safe mar
| gin. In some classes as many as five
| city babies were ahead of the first Coun-
| try child.
| In lot one, boys from one to two years
| of age, the first prize in the rural entries
went to Louis Jennings Larson, of Fair
view, on n score of IS. But in the same
class, with the same judges and scorers,
for city boys Delbert Reid, of Lincoln,
scored 9S.S Four city babies in this class
ranked higher than IS. the highest score
among country children. In this class
the five best country babies scored an
| average of ISL. while the same number
of city babies averaged 9S.5 out of a pos
sible 100 points.
Among the girl babies of the same age
the city child outranked its country cou-
sin just as the boys did. The winner in
the country list was Nellie Blakely, of
Beatrice, with a score of IS. But Mary
Reynolds Lincoln, a city entrant, scored
$50 points. The five leading country girl
babies of this age averaged 96.5, while
the five leading city girl babies scored
ISL
An interesting point in the contest of
babies between the ages of one and two
years is that whereas the country girl
babies outranked the country boy babies.
the reverse was true of city babies. City
girls of that age also outranked country
boys of the same class.
Practically the same conditions existed
among babies between the ages OF two
and three years. The winner of the
country babies of this age was Sylvia
Hansen, living in the country near Ce-
resco, with a score of g.5. But the WIN
ner among city girls of this class was
Genevieve Chapman, Of Ceresco, with
girl babies of this class averaged S.O6,
while the same number of city girl babies
scored an average of SS.
AS the city girls of from two to three
years of age outranked country girls of
the same age, so did the city boys OF that
class outrank the boys from the country.
The winning country boy was Orville
Hansen, of Walton, with sS.5, while Frank
jackson. of Lincoln, scored 49, Five
country boys who led their class aver
aged 1854 and the five city boys who
stood at the head had an average of 1874.
The city baby of both sexes showed
faster development. not only mentally
but physically, than the baby from the
farm. Neither of the winners. it was an |
had been reared according to |
any set rule and there were no fads or
farcies in The way in which their mothers
cared for them. Both mothers said they |
mad just used crmInon sense in bringing |
lid their babies-permitted then; to play 1
in tie open air as much as possible, gave |
them plenty OF milk, plenty of sleep, and
a hath every day Both babies were fed
by their mothers and neither was ever
lndulged in any patent baby food.
Little Genevieve Chapman, who led all
the girl babies Of any age with her score
Of ninety-n;ne, is two years and six
months old Her father is a steamfitter
At Ceresco. He is thirty-one years old.
Mrs. Chapman Is twenty-six. Neither has
ever paid cny attention to scientific baby
culture, and the modern "fads" in the
N: inner of rearing children have not ap-
0ealed to them at all. The little girl eats
hree or four times a day, drinks lots of
milk, cats bread and vegetables. but gets
fery little candy and sweets. The mother
$ bit ''old fashioned" and the child is
king brought Up in the same way. How
:yer, the little girl showed q mental de-