Great Falls daily tribune., 1919-12-05

New York, Dec 1.-"Cheek your
baby, Madam" inquired the department
store attendant.
The tired-looking woman. who had
been patiently wheeling a baby carriage
up and down the street while gazing
wistfully in the store windows, hesitated
and carefully scrutinized the uniformed
baby checker. What she saw evidently
reassured her, because she obediently
turned the baby carriage over to him,
accepting in return paper ticket.
Il don't like to leave him, she
apologized, ''but l do want to learn that
new knitting stitch
That's all right, Madam replied
the attendant. He will be perfectly safe
with me. | have whole string of them
here, and there amt whimper out or
| one of them"
He pointed to a long line of baby
carriages, each containing precious oc-
cupant WHO had been exchanged for a
similar piece of paper. Encouraged by
this report, the tiredlooking woman
gave a parting pat to the blanket
enyeloping her small son, and, entering
the store, was soon lost in the crowd
OF afternoon shoppers. The attendant
began parading up and down, keeping q
watchful but kindly eye on his young
charges, occasionally restoring rattle
to some wailng infant, or speaking
words Of cheer to another.
This is the latest thing in New York
baby checking. Several department
stores and moving picture houses IN the
flatdwelling regions of the city have ad-
opted it as means of getting large
afternoon trade, and it is proving sue
cessful beyond their widest expecta-
tions After she once gets used TO the
idea, the average young matron checks
her baby with the same degree of non
chalance with which she checks her
umbrella. and apparently with the same
degree of relief
For years, the flat dweller's shop
ping and movie going activities have been
handicapped by her matronly duties. IL
has always been understood that wher-
ever woman's place might be. baby )
place was the home, and IN the absence
Of nursemaid, which is an extravaganza
that very few flat-dwellers can afford,
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
infants at the door.
The origin of the system is unknown,
but New Yorkera attribute the happy
! thought to Elizabeth, \. j. Elizabeth
! is known to have more babies IN proper
! tion to its size than any other town in
the country They are so numerous in
fact, that the city is said to have issued
special set of traffic regulations for
baby carriages, so that in Elizabeth the
baby il an important factor which even
the business men must take into account.
! Apparently, they did, and the baby check
I ing system was the answer,
! In New York q moving picture ex-
! hibitor who owns several movie houses
! throughout the city saw the advertising
| value Of the idea in opening up a new
| theater. lie not only had baby check
er at the door, but he had an extra creehe
adjoining the lobby, with a trained nurse
| in charge, where babies could be left in
superior care while their mothers gazed
| at the screen. He even bad two carloads
4 of white sand dumped in one corner of
! the room fer the children who had reach
ed the walking age, and there were also