The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-06-26
Appeal Is Made To the Wom-
en- By City Health Off
Ger Ramage.
WILL EDUCATE MOTHERS
Children Are Being Raised
In Disease Breeding Filth
and Squalor.
"Help save the babies Of Fairmont.

Help save the babies Of Fairmont.
Help teach the mothers in the 1or-
eign settlements Of the city and VI
cinity how TO conduct their homes &C
cording to American ideals OF moraii-
ty. sanitation and healthfulneSs so
that the babies will grow into strong
vigorous and useful citizens"
Such is the appeal made by DR.. c.
NJ. Ramage, city health officer. today
10 the women OF the various churcnes
OF Fairmont. There is very little are
poverty in FaIrmont, for practically
every able bodied man is at work. but
in hundreds OF unpainted shacks IN
the poorer districts women OF foreign
birth are rearing families IN disease
breeding filth and squalor.
A large percentage OF children rear
ed in such homes die at an early age
and others reach manhood and wom-
anhood with stunted bodies and per-
yerted minds, ready recruits for the
great army which fills the jails. asy-
lums and penitentiaries Of the state.
The money earned by the bread
winners In these families is sufficient
10 make real American homes. clean,
sanitary and with plenty Of good SUD-
stantial food on the tables. But un.
fortunately in many cases much Oh
the family income is wasted because
the mother IS too ignorant to know
what her babies really need in order
that they may grow into strong
healthy men and women.
The task of teaching these foreign
mothers in Fairmont how to conduct
their homes is the task which Ut.
Ramage asks the churches OF every
denomination to take up through their
women's clubs. If the christian Wom-
en- of Fairmont wish to practice the
precepts of neighborly loye and help
fulness taught by the loFly Sa13rene'
ample opportunity wif9pe a4orded M
the campaign to save ff9 bo iesI loei1n19
started By Dr.. Ranags nv LA-,t
There are less than q score q re nay
destitute families In RairD6nt and
these are being cared for<H the city
through the Associated Charities un'
der the direction of Miss Nola Mckln-
ney and Miss Margaret Mckinney.
Destitute persons who are serious
" i'll are cared for by Miss Duney, a
professional nurse employed by tne
Fairmont tuberculosis society.
The call made by DR.. Ramage upon
the Christian organizations OF Falr'
mont is not to provide food for the
destitute but to teach the Ignorant
mothers how to properly care for their
children and how to expend TO tne
best advantage the money earned Dy
the husband and father.
Women whose homes are neat ana
attractive. women who know how 10
nroperlv care for children are asked
to volunteer to help carry on lnis
campaign to make every coal miner
shanty and every hovel occupied oy
the ignorant and unclean. a comforta'
ble pleasant home where children
will be properly cared for according
m American standards Of home lie.
The hundreds of unsanitary, iI.kept'
unhealthful homes in the Fairmont
district, occupied by an alien popula'
ton attracted to this city by mAls.
mines and factories offer an almost
boundless field for foreign" mission
arv work in Marion county.
DR.. Ramage and the other oflcers
Of the health department Of the city
have undertaken the task Of organiz-
ing the work so that 1t can be carried
on in an effective manner. The Chris
tian women OF the various churches
Of Fairmont are called upon to vol
unteer to serve in the campaign to
save the babies. If they fail to head
the call they fail to grasp one Of the
greatest opportunities for Christian
service ever offered In Marion county.