The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-10-08
n DEARBORN INDEPENDENT
One-Half of Visitors Were
Adults, Reports Show.
Splendid Results Obtained From
Numerous Trips Over State.

The following article on Taking
Health to Kansas in Railroad Car"
written by Frank NJ. Chase of Topeka,
appeared in The Dearborn Independent,
the Ford international weekly of this
week:
Pullmans have c~rried many per-
sons to health. but one doesn't need
an adding machine to count those
that are taking health to the people.
There are only four of these. one is
the Warren, the Lealth car Of Kan
sas.
In 1915 the Pullman company
presented an old observation car to
the state board of health. An appro-
priation for remodel:ng and equipping
it was obtained and maintenance
funds have beel granted. It's name
IS in membOry Of the son of DR.. S. J.
Crumbine, secretary of the board who
died in China in 1916. The car has
been in use five ye~rs. during\which it
has literally taken health to thou
sands of Kansans.
Made Yearly Trips Over State.
Yearly itineraries for the car are
arranged. The first four of these con-
sisted Of rough loops into eacI cor
ner of the state. the plan being to
reach the remaining communities by
a series of shorter trips. Formerly
ton, and the stay varied from ore day
TO two weeks according to the size of
the place. Owing to The increased
cost of mileage and moving the past
year, stops We're limitedd to towns OF
500 population o. more. 1t has made
two small owns or one large town 4
week
1t least two attendants always ac-
company the car, one OF whom is a
public health nurse. During the first
h ffa-.f fe-f NJ fTEo
nurses ana one helper. one of the
nurses being cont uted by the State
tuberculosis association. Lack of
funds prevented the continuation of
this arrangement woman physician
and one helper then operating the
car. The helper sometimes has been
a student of social service. sometimes
Il nurse, sometimes only a ca pable
woman. The past year the car was
conducted by public health nurse
and u social worker. Miss Edna Purch.
The management of the health car.
so as to present its mes5age most eff
fectively, suggests the method ard di-
RICHNESS OF a circus organization. Ad-
vance publicity is obtained by ietters
to the mayor city and county super
intendents of schools. a LEADING club
woman or two. health officers and
newspapers. These letters explain
the purpose of the car, give the timer
airy. and solicit cooperation. Data
are PROVIDED TOT newspaper pSDllCltS-
On arriving at a. town one of the
workers calls on the editor of each
local paper, to determine what pub
lictty has been given and to ask and
aid him to continue it during the
stand. Attractive framed posters are
placed in the store windows, while to
reach the ural people the telephone
operator often gives line ring, then
tells them Of Hie ar. But the most
effective means of bringing persons
to the car is provided by the chill
Cren. Special attention is giVCn to
seeing that the school children OF the
community have an opportunity to see
the car. The city superintendent al
ways IS Instructed by correspondence
to send the pupils. by grades, in
charge of their teachers. Each grade
spends one school period at the car.
The exhibit is explained, and Usually
al the children are weighed and
measured. When time and the s.ze of
the group permit. the me Iths also are
examined. Then before leaving. they
are urged to tell every one they know
about the car and t, bring Their par
cnt,.
Many Parents Visited Car.
And the parents come One-half the
vi4itors are adults. One farmer
brought his family twenty-five miles
purposely to see the car. a rural
school came eighteen miles in a truck
While the schools are in session, the
mornings are reserved for them, while
in the afternoons, and often the eve
ninSs. the car is open to all who wish
to come. Usually it Is kept open one
or two evenings at each stand. Often
from 600 to 500 persons visit the car
in a day. it being we'll filled from nine
in the morning until late at night
The average attendance for the seven
months in which the car was in actual
operation last year was about $50
day.
AS the work of the car is mainly
with and thru the children, its exhib
its have been adapted to the under
standing of young minds the aim be-
ing to make the object lessons intelli
gible and interesting to the child of
the fourth or fifth grade. For the
same reason little attempt is made to
operate the car while the schools are
closed. The appeal of the exhibit to
the children is remarkable. They
grasp every lesson of the car, whether
of personal, school or community in
terest, and then go home and tell their
parents about it.
At one town, the car arriving on
Saturday, it was found that the prin-
cipal of the school had neglected to
advertise the car. As the school was
closed, it was impossible to reach the
children. But the 10-year-old son of
the mayor, who evidently was we'll
schooled in civic matters, rose to the
occasion. At intervals he came to the
car. carrying, one or two ck1dren on
his bicycle, while several more fol-
lowed in his wake. The car physician
taught him to measure and weigh.
With an assistant he took down the
weights of the children When he
found one underweight he would say,
March over to the. doctor and open
your mouth She'll see what's the
matter with you" Turnout the day
the youngster worked at his self-ap-
pointed task. And many of the pa
rents. interested by the enthusiasm of
the children, came out in the after
noon to view the exhibit.
Youngsters Visit Exhibit.
In another case where the car ar
rived in town Saturday morning and
there had been no publicity, the first
visitors were a group of boys idling in
u = =. -. L r-ds xIrhnsn curiosity got