The Caucasian., 1913-11-16
\ SPLENDID DEMONSTRATORS OF
eOPlLAR ESSEEN,
Tue GREATEST EVENT
OF ihe State Fair-Thousands AFe
Enthused Over the Programme.
The Championship Winner and
Others in Their Respective Glasses
EFand Parade Features

ter Babies Contest. Rot only were
the parents of the contestants Keen
ly interested, but their friends as
we'll manifested the liveliest antlcl-
patton in the final which eliminated
With the announcement in the Coll
scum of the successful contestants.
The auditorium was crowded. The
musical selections were diScOufsed
by Thaviu's Band.
As programmed by Mrs. Frank
DeGarmO Of st. Louis. who. when a
resident Of Shreveport, organized i'll
1908 The first scientific Better Babies
exposition at The State Fair Of that
year held in Shreveport great
crowd of ladies and gentlemen gath
cred ats the Schumpert Home. the
headquarters of the Better Babies,
formed into parade with w. R.
Hirsch marshal, led by Kline's Band
In the parade We're officials and dl-
rectors of the State Fair Asoscia-
lion, the city officials and a number
of citizens Of prominence. On reach
ing the platform Mrs. DeGarmo, su-
perintendcnt, with her assistants,
Mrs. G. L. Wheeler, president Of the
Mothers Union, Mrs. Gordon Irons
and other ladies and the profess
siOnal nurses who had assisted, and.
DR.. j. M. Bodenheimer and the med
ical and mental staff were assigned
seats on the platform. On the plat
form were seated DR.. C., C.. McCloud,
president, and L. N. Brueggerhoff,
secretary of the Fair Association,
members of the press including Mrs.
w. A. BaiIie and Mrs. Julia Rule and
invited guests. Facing The assem-
blage and seated on the platform
were the contestants of the class Of
1908 instituted by Mrs. DeGarmo in
Shreveport Each of the babies Of
1908 in cap and gown and each Of
the babies of 1913 were radiant in
their liveliness.
The programme was preceded by
a fervent invocation by Rev. w. f.
O'kelly Of Dunlap Memorial church.
The address Of welcome was by
DR.. G. G. McCloud, whose remarks
were felicitous and appropriate to
the occasion. In referring to Mrs.
DeGarmo he stated that the success
of the Better Babies contest was due
to the able manner in which it had
been managed, and he expressed the
hope that Mrs. DeGarmo would be
in Shreveport for the greatest con-
test in 1914,
In replying to the welcome greet
ing Mrs. DeGarmo addressed the
gathering impressively. After voic-|
ing her appreciation of the courte-
sizes, the kind words and the many
good wishes of which she had been
the recipient, she explained the pur-
pose Of the Better Babies contests.
Her address was given undivided at
tention and at its close Mrs. De
Garmo was ovated with a demon
stration Of enthusiastic applause.
The next address which was en-
tertaining as well as instructive was
by DR.. ]. M. Bodenheimer, who at
the Better Babies contest in 1908 had
been a most valuable assistant to
Mrs. DeGarmo in preparing the
score cards which have since be-
come in general use wherever such
contests are held. He thanked the
physicians who had assisted in the
1918 contests. He expressed his ap-
preciation of the assistance given by
the nurses. Without such help it
would have been impossible to have
secured the success scored in this,
one of the greatest Better Babies
contests ever held. In the course Of
his remarks DR.. Bodenheimer
stressed genially but impressively on
the duties of the mother. 1t was not
the pretty child nor the well dressed
child that could meet all the re-
duirements OF the score cards. While
q child was beautiful and lovely It
was deficient. in some points which
in such contests operated to its dis
credit. He announced that many
mothers always solicitous of their
children were not informed of the
injury arising from the use of the
'pacifier,' from the milk bottle and
from the many apparent negleets OF
little things which seemingly are not
harmful but which nevertheless
were not conducive to the fullest
development of the child. In the
Better Babies contests the purpose
was to point OUT all the defects in
order to obtain an Improvement in
the conditions Of the child. The
Better Babies contests were educa-
er and q better standard Of human
and a better standard Of humna-
ity. The contests could not have