The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-06-18
MATERNITY DERBY CLOSE RACE


TORONTO Ont June l0'
Six mothers leading the
field in Toronto's 100000
Maternity Sweepstakes,
Baby Derby, Stork Race, or
whatever you want to call
it, nave paused in the long
uphill business of seeing
who could have the most
babies in 10 years, and they
have reached an agreement:
They'll divide the prize money
six ways, no matter who wins. But
the race will go on just the same.
Nearly nine years have passed
in intense competition for the half
million dollars willed the Toronto
woman who would give birth to
the most children in 10 years. The
race ends Oct. 81. 1885.
No quarter had been asked or
given by contestants. Each was
after the whole sum left in the
queer. jocular will of Charles
Vance Millar, multi-millionaire
bachelor and former kings counsel
here
Possibilities doomed of a big
legal fight to break the will or
among the competitors, but these
have faded with the accord
reached by the mothers to whom
more than so babies have been
born since Oct. 81. 1926, the date
on which Mr.. Millar died.
Mr.. Millar specified that the en-
tire half million was to be paid to
the one mother who could show
the greatest birth rate for the
decade starting Oct. 81, 1926. But
the women have found the way
around that. One of them will
draw the money and then share
with the others, a simple way
around any legal tangles.
THE reason given by the moth
l. ers for their agreement was a
simple one. Not one of them
would have any idea what 70 do
with such a magnificent amount
as a half million dollars. The
money was sufficient to supply the
needs of all six families, so why
quarrel about it?
But this agreement doesn't
mean that there'll be no more
babes. Far from it. The rivalry
Still is keen.
Mrs. Lilly Kenny, French
Canadian mother of IA children,
is the leading contender. She is
the mother of IA children, IL OF
whom have been born since the
opening of the birth endurance
test.
But three runner-up mothers
alleee there's something aWry
with Mrs. Kenny's counting and
declare that they're still strongly
in the running.
Mrs. Kenny is unworrled. she
saws she's expecting an interesting
event at about Christmas time
and that she'll have an X-ray
taken to determine whether .
will be a multiple birth. She has
had three sets of twins.
Despite her lead. Mrs. Kenny
was among the first to favor the
suggestion of a division OF the
award.
CURE. there's plenty OF money
- for us all" she declares. i
am not a pig. I like two OF the
other mothers and if I win viii
share the money with them, any
wav. And if the government wants
TO step in and take the money,
that is o. K. with me, too.
I will go back to scrubblng
then. / have worked since l was
9 years old, when my mother
died"
Most colorful of all the en-
trants is this happy Mrs. Kenny.
Her husband hasn't worked for
four years and they live on relief
in their little downtown home.
Mrs. Kenny supplements these re-
lief rations with what she can
pick I'D at markets.
Il don't mind cumming food
for my children" says the brisk
housewife. who spends much OF
her spare time in cutting out
wooden figures of notable Cana
dianS.
Mrs. Grace Bagnato is another
mother who won't admit the pos
sibility of defeat. Mother of %,