The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-09-27
SINGING At VERNON
EVENT OF MOMENT
MANY PEOPLE ATTEND THE
AFFAIR IN VILLAGE
Baby Clinic Is Very Popular
Among the Fond Mothers;
Personal Gossip
Especial to Free Press.l

|
was indeed gratifying to those who
are working so enthusiastically to
make these community sings success
to be rewarded with an almost ca
pacity house on the first of the in :
door community gatherings which
was held at the opera house last Fri
day evening. Owing to the Sunday
ban on gasoline and chilly evenings
it seemed advisable to hold these
sings hereafter indoors ard in the
evening and it must be confessed
that it was with fear and trembling
that the promoters decided to try it
out on this evening, knowing how
busy everybody is, especially in the
farming community. 1t surely showed
how patriotic and deeply interested
this community is in these sings which
| believe will prove the great factor
in accomplishing the great American
ization movement which is just started
| Mrs. T. S. Armstrong, chairman of
the local child welfare organization,
| announced the program which follow
ed after few opening remarks by
Mrs. Armstrong in which she thank
ed the audience for coming out Il
showed that they were interested in
the sings and anxious to hear DR..
Helen Hielscher of Mankato, presi-
dent of the Child Welfare league in
Blue Earth county, tell of this great
movement which is nation wide and
of such vital interest to ALL She
closed her remarks by saying that
these sings which were called Liber-
4 ty chOruSeS were a war measure and
were being held all over the United
States, and that Vernon Center was
way up in the front rank with en-
thusiasm over (the project and was
planning toXkold these sings twice a
month. E. w. Washburn, one of the
best and most popular singers in the
county, led in the singing. Miss Gla-
dys Cooper and Mrs. George Brown
were the accompanies on the piano.
The musical program was made up
Of patriotic songs that never grow
old, including a few of the new pop
ular war songs and the Marseillaise.
The opening number was America
followed by the Battle Hymn Of. the
Republic" and Long Trail" Mr.
Washburn singing the solos and all
| joining in the chorus. "The Union
for Ever, The Battle Cry of Freedom
Liberty Bell, solo, Miss Gladys Cooper,
chorus by audience; Tenting To Night
On The Old Camp Ground, Marseil-
laise, Smile Smile, Smile, Good Bye
Broadway" At the conclusion of the
songs DR.. Helen Hielscher was intro
duced. She acknowledged the hearty
greeting of the assembly telling of
| the pleasure she had derived from
| hearing the singing and noted with
delight the many boys and girls seat
ed in the front rows who were famil
lar with the words and music of near
| ly all of the songs. She then took up
her subject and held the closest at
tention of all for about half hour
while she explained this child well
| fare, movement which she is so vi
| tally interested in, and in her gra-
cious manner closed with announcing
the baby clinic would be held the next
| day from ten in the morning until
| five in the afternoon. The Star
! Spangled Banner was then sung as
the closing number and all dispersed
for their various homes feeling that
the evening had been both enjoyablS
and profitably spent.
The baby clinic held at the home Of
Mrs. Mary Cornish and in the office
rooms of T. G. Clement Saturday, was
| a great success DR. Helen Heilscher
assisted by Mesdames T. B. Newell
and A. w. Roloff, both of whom are
| trained nurses, had everything in
readiness when the first little visitor
arrived accompanied by it's mother
whose JOY was increased tenfold when
the baby card was shown to her with
the markings high or perfect. From
the opening until the closing hour the
rooms were filled with mothers and
babies. 1t was a most happy and ,en-
thusiastic gathering, Dr. Heilscher
talking with each mother, advising
her of the best food and how best to
care for the little ones who were un-
der weight or delicate and answer
ing the many questions asked by anx-
ious mothers in regard to baby's wei
fare. Returning to the reception
room the mothers would compare
babies and discuss and exchange ideas
on all the various things in which
women were interested; from babies
to suffrage, prohibition, Red Cross
work and the gathering of clothing
for the Belgians. In checking up at
five o'clock the record showed that
thirty seven babies under five years
had been scaled and measured be-
sides a half dozen little girls who
wished to be weighed and measured
to see how near they came to the per-
feet scoring. The scoring of these
girls over five years of age was low
er than the children under five years.
Owing to the fact that there were a
dozen or more children who could
not get to the clinic Saturday because
the mothers could not bring them,
Mesdames Newell and Roloff, the
nurses, will be at these rooms We'd
nesday to attend to the scaling Of all
brought to them. The clinic has
awakened greater interest in mother
hood and the rightful inheritance tol
which every child is entitled in the
right to be well born and nursed The
clinic is going to get every baby un-
der five years of age in the terri
tory which comprises Vernon Center
and Ceresco, registered SO that the
| federal nurse will know just where
Continued on Page Two.)
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