The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1913-10-30
. STATEMENT OF FACTS TO THE
PUBLIC

Since the Executive Committee who
had charge of the Better Baby Con
test" has seen fit to publish in last
weeks papers a report to the efect
that the contest was TO consist OF two
examinations; and that the complete
list of ~prize-winners given the press
was the only public announcement
bearing the authority of the committee
and that no prize was ever given, an
nounced or authorized except from the
results shown by the verified score
cards of the second examination; and
any report that a prize was authorized
on a single examination is false, We
deem 1t only fair to give the public the
following further facts in this matter
and let them draw their own conclu-
sion:
All announcements appearing in the
papers before the first examination on
September Goth, clearly showed that
but one examination was to be held.
No such thing as a preliminary try
out" vas ever heard OF until the com
mittee reported to the papers the re.
suit of the second examination. In
fact the notices appearing in the
papers before the first examination
were to the effect that the scores and
the winners of the contest were to be
announced on the fair ground on the
afternoon OF September 26th, the date
on which the first examination was
held. This one fact is sufficient to
prove what we say. But there are
others that we are going to give. Not
even the medical examiners knew or
heard Of such a thing as a second eX-
animation until sometime after the
first had been held.
The notices sent out directing the
return Of children over a certain per
cent for the second examination do
not rely upon any rule but the excuse
given is that an examination of the
score cards shows the markings to be
so high and so close that it has been
decided (note DECIDED to recall all
babies scoring over a certain per cent.
On the evening of September 26th,
after several of our friends and some
of the examining physicians, had in
formed us that our son, John Langdon
Culhane, was the INNER of the con-
test, and before We made any an,
~nouncement Of the fact to our friends,
executive committee and asked her
what the results of the contest were.
She replied:-"I have just this min,
ute stepped into the house-just hold
the phone and l will give you the ex-
act score of your son-He scored
$3.50, several per cent ahead of any
child entered. Another member of
this committee will give you the de-
tails in a few minutes"
This other member OF this commit
tee called On the phone within a few
minutes and said:-"I have some very
good news for you, Mrs. Culhane. Your
son is not only first in his class but
first in his division-He is the winner
of sweepstakes and also championship.
That means that he is not only first in
his class and first in his division but
the VERY BEST BABY entered in
Brookings County. He will receive a
silver spoon and the silver loving cup
and from the Woman's Home Compan-
ion, a medal and a certificate. Now,
Mrs. Culhane, are you not glad YOU
entered John? He surely has a Won
derful record"
The next morning, the third and
last member Of this committee called
up on the phone and said:-"It was
not my particular duty, Mrs. Culhane,
to announce to you the results of the
contest as another member of this
committee, Mrs., was to give the
: announcements to the mothers in
town and / to the mothers in the
country, but I wanted to talk with YOU
and I want to congratulate both the
parents of this child want to know
the mother Of so perfect a child. OF
course you have already been inform
ed Of the gifts John is to receive. You
will have to build a little shelf to hold
all of his trophies. You see he gets
the silver spoon; the silver loving cup
from the Commercial Club and the
League and a medal and certificate
from the Woman's Home Companion.
We had thought we would love to give
John a public demonstration and have
some prominent man in the town pre-
sent John with his various trophies
but Of course We cant do that because
there are SO many others receiving
prizes, so will just have to present
these to John in a quiet manner"
Now then, does this look like an
official announcement of the winner
and Of the various gifts he won, com
ing as it does from each member Of