Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-12-04
CHECK YOUR BABY.
HI tkEDERiG 4. NAnkIN.
(specisl Correspondencs Of The Arr,


CHECK YOUR BABY.
~ tkEDEklC !. MAHklN.
Especial Correspondents Of The Argus).
New York. Dec. Check your baby.
madamr inquired the department store At
tendaut
The tired looking woman. who had been
patiently wheeling baby carriage mp and
down the street while gazing Nistfully in the
store windows hesitated and carefully scru-
tinised the uniformed baby checker. What she
saw evidently reassured her, because she ODE
diently turned the baby carriage over to him.
accepting In return paper ticket.
This IL the latest thing in New York-baby
checking Several department stores and NOV
Ing picture houses in the fat dwelling regions
Of the city have adopted It as q means Of get
ting large afternoon trade, and 1t ID proving
successful beyond their widest expectations
After she once gets used to the idea. the aver
age young matron checks her baby with the
same degree Of nonchalance with which ehe
checks her umbrella. and apparently with the
same degree Of relief.
yor years, the nat dweller's shopping and
movie going activities have been handicapped
by her matronly duties. 1t has always been
understood that wherever woman's place might
be- bahy's place was the home, and in the
absence Of a nurse maid. which IL an extrava-.
gance that very few fat-dwellers can ancrds
there was nothing for competent mother to
DO but stay at home with her offspring. But
those days are over since some enterprising
merchant or movie exhibitor bethought him Of
the simple and efficient device Of checking In
fants at the door,.
The origin Of the system 10 unknown. but
New Workers attribute the happy thought to
elizabeth, N. ]. Elisabeth II known to have
more babies in proportion to its size than any
other town in the country. They are SO nu-
merous, In fact, that the city is said to have
issued q special set Of traffic regulations for
baby carriages, 30 that in Elizabeth the baby
Is an Important factor which even the bust
ness men must take into account. Apparently.
they did. and the baby checking system was
the answer.
In New York moving picture exhibitor
who owns several movie houses throughout
the city saw the advertising value OF the idea
In opening up . new theatre. He not only had
a baby checker at the door, but he had an en-
tire creche adjoining the lobby, with trained
nurse in charge, where babies could be left in
superior care while their mothers gazed at
the screen. He even had two carloads Of white
sand dumped in one corner Of the room for the
children who had reached the walking age,
and there were also games, swings and books
for the older children. As each mother came
in with her offspring. she was asked to reg
lister and was given . check for each youngster.
while similar check was attached to the child
But" said this exhibitor, In discussing his
plan, I'VE had to give the thing up"
He paused significantly. do you want to
know whyr' he asked, obviously. Then, as the
visitor nodded. Because 1t was too popular.
The women were too eager to take advantage
|. Of It. They would bring their babies about
mission, and then 60 away and leave them
in the creche oil afternoon. Sometimes they
would be gone I'VE hours at . stretch. 80 that
the kids would get cranky and the trained
nurse would have more on her hands than she
could attend to.
"As long as they stayed In the theatre, It
was all right We could always flash notice
on the screen for the mother to 90 to the nurs-
ery-that her baby was. raising . fuss. but
when she went OF to card party, or to q
downtown theatre and left all the responsible
ity to ~. We decided we'd have to quit"
Nevertheless, this mans experience has not
served to discourage other movie exhibitors
from trying the same thing. nor has 1t made
much Of an impression ON the department store
owners, who have noticed q tremendous in
crease In sales since the baby checking system
was installed The creche, with all its juve-
nile luxuries, may be too attractive to be prac-
ticl. but baby carriage guard IL undoubt-
eddy greatly appreciated and 10 . remunerative
investment.
"This is the only place ever do any shop
ping" declared woman to her friend the
other day, ~ she deposited her baby in the
care Of tho stores kindly faced baby checker
you know. you can't 30 shopping with baby
with any comfort They are too heavy to carry
and II you leave them out on the Sidewalk
alone you are constantly worrying for feal
they will be kidnapped. Until these people
started this checking system simply couldn'
buy anything. ! always had to stay" Hel
voice was lost in the general buzz Of othel
feminine voices - she reached popular bar
gain counter.
One moving picture theatre in Q tenement
district near the Bowery has mastered THU
problem in an extremely novel way. 1t rum
10 sort Of home reporting business in connec
tion with its films, which guarantees to keel
the patrons advised Of what is going on in thei
homes.
In the middle Of q romantic picture, for in
lstance An entirely irrelevant piece Of news ma,
lbe flashed on the screen. Perhaps 1t Ii Q mes
II sage for Mrs. Smith stating that the ice man 4
at her house. or perhaps Mrs. Levitsky is no
ltined that she must 60 home at once-tha
Willie has cut his thumb.