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Story
June 9, 1871
Public Ledger
Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee
What is this article about?
Satirical account of preparations for a baby show in Court Square, with mothers training infants, bachelors as impartial judges, awards including speeches, and a contest date of the 24th, poking fun at American customs.
Clipping
OCR Quality
95%
Excellent
Full Text
The Baby Show,
The proposed baby show to be held in
Court Square is beginning to attract
some attention, and already mothers
and nurses have placed their infantile
prodigies in training for the grand
contest. Committees are being selected
to make the necessary award to the
prize baby, accompanied by a laudatory
address to the parents and a congratulatory one to the infant. Nothing can be
successful in this land of ours without
the inevitable address, which has
become an American institution,
deeply imbedded in society; so deep that
it cannot be superseded or uprooted.
The American passion for "gas" lies at
the bottom of this well of torture. But
let the babies receive the address by all
means, and let the same be delivered by
a distinguished and eloquent son of Tennessee. Already a committee of three
distinguished bachelors has been selected
to decide upon the relative beauty
weight, solidity, charms, intelligence.
etc., of the contestants. The only question to be answered by each baby is,
"Whether or not he or she is in favor
of the new political departure?" The
idea of selecting bachelors as judges is a
good one, as no favoritism can possibly
take place, and their minds have
been prejudiced in favor of this or that
style of juvenile beauty by any paternal
weaknesses originating in a nursery.
The 24th of the present month has been
suggested as the day of trial, so it behooves parents, committeemen and managers to bestir themselves.
The proposed baby show to be held in
Court Square is beginning to attract
some attention, and already mothers
and nurses have placed their infantile
prodigies in training for the grand
contest. Committees are being selected
to make the necessary award to the
prize baby, accompanied by a laudatory
address to the parents and a congratulatory one to the infant. Nothing can be
successful in this land of ours without
the inevitable address, which has
become an American institution,
deeply imbedded in society; so deep that
it cannot be superseded or uprooted.
The American passion for "gas" lies at
the bottom of this well of torture. But
let the babies receive the address by all
means, and let the same be delivered by
a distinguished and eloquent son of Tennessee. Already a committee of three
distinguished bachelors has been selected
to decide upon the relative beauty
weight, solidity, charms, intelligence.
etc., of the contestants. The only question to be answered by each baby is,
"Whether or not he or she is in favor
of the new political departure?" The
idea of selecting bachelors as judges is a
good one, as no favoritism can possibly
take place, and their minds have
been prejudiced in favor of this or that
style of juvenile beauty by any paternal
weaknesses originating in a nursery.
The 24th of the present month has been
suggested as the day of trial, so it behooves parents, committeemen and managers to bestir themselves.
What sub-type of article is it?
Curiosity
Prodigy
What themes does it cover?
Social Manners
What keywords are associated?
Baby Show
Infantile Prodigies
Bachelor Judges
Prize Contest
American Addresses
Where did it happen?
Court Square
Story Details
Location
Court Square
Event Date
24th Of The Present Month
Story Details
Preparations for a baby show in Court Square where mothers train infants for a beauty and intelligence contest judged by bachelors, with awards, addresses, and a political question for contestants, set for the 24th.