The following appeared in the Rock County Herald on February 20, 1925:
EXHIBIT MAKES CONTRAST IN GOOD HEALTH CONDITIONS
Clever Display at Luverne Rest Room Emphasizes Importance to Children of Proper Kinds of Foods.
County Nurse Florence L. Green has arranged a clever and instructive health exhibit at the Luverne public rest room, which is attracting the interest of a large number of visitors. The object of the exhibition is to emphasize the points which are necessary for the health and proper growth of school children, and are also well worthy the attention of adults, and include right food, fresh air, exercise, sleep, cleanliness and recreation.
The window display is given over principally to the “health” house, and its opposite, the “Witch” house. These two miniature houses represent the right kinds of foods to use for building a strong body, and the wrong kind. The health house is finished with a pebble dash of oatmeal, shingled with graham crackers, has whole wheat bread for steps, a bottle of milk for the chimney, apricots and grapes for the sidewalk, while a limpid pool in the yard, is surrounded with cobblestones of cranberries. A health fairy stands in front of the house.
“Witch” house is shingles with pancakes, has a pavement of coffee beans, a bottle of strawberry pop for chimney, and is presided over by the “witch,” an all-day sucker, holding the same form of sweet in its hand.
The lesson from the houses is obvious, and brings the need of right sort of food in a very concrete form to the attention of the young folks. The use of material of which the house which health built is made will result in strong bodies with energy for school work, while a diet such as is found in the house the witch built, will result in the opposite.
Interest with which the children of Luverne public schools have been following the suggestions in health work, is well evidenced in the poster display which is used with the health houses. Around forty posters made by pupils from the third to sixth grades of the city schools are on display at the rest room, and are excellent in every respect, with some unusually original and artistic effects. Each poster brings out some health rule clearly. Among the subjects illustrated are cleanliness of teeth, hands and body; importance of plenty of sleep; value of milk as food; need of substantial breakfast; need of fresh air; outdoor exercise and play; balanced meals; eating slowly; use of fruits; anti-smoking posters; frequent bathing.
There are also on exhibition at the rest room during the health exhibit, a number of the portfolios and post cards which have been received by the schools of the county from foreign lands in exchange of Junior Red Cross work. Among the large portfolios are those from the Cedik Pasha American school, at Constantinople; for Liege, Belgium, and the school Marcantonio Colonna, at Rome.
The exhibit was arranged Saturday and will be open to the public for about two weeks. Patrons of Rock county schools, and everyone interested in health work are invited by County Nurse Green to visit the exhibition.
Donations to the Rock County Historical Society can be sent to the Rock County Historical Society, P.O. Box 741, Luverne, MN 56156.
Mann welcomes correspondence sent to mannmade@iw.net.