DOT TO HER LITTLE FOLK.

Otago Witness, Issue 2761, 13 February 1907, Page 83

DOT TO HER LITTLE FOLK.

Uy Dear Little Folk, — This morning I nave leen hunting up dusty old volumes of !ha Otago Witness to try to find out something about our past history. I wanted to know just when Ihero iir3t w>s a Lottie Folk's Page, and whether it was very ■ different from the rage we have to-day. I "find that the firs. "Children's Corner"' appeared in the issue <A November 11, 1876; this was a very different thing from our present pege. It consisted usually of a poem or short story, or {perhaps both ; it was simply a certain amount of reading matter provided for the young people who raw the Witness. The editor mote, when he opened this column: — "A largo family having grown up rouud ns, the time has now come whan some space in our columns must be devoted to the children. We are aware of the difficulties which attend the enterprise, for the young folk, as well as the old, have their prejudices and tastes, and different capacities f.f understanding and appreciating whatever they may read. We havo entered upon the rtask, however, tnd we trust that we may be enabled to supply wholesome food, with •the proper amount of "sweetening," and

•that the result may be satisfactory."

i'ho Witness consisted then of only 24 pages, and the children had, as a rule, from one to two columns devoted to them.

For ten years matters remained thus, then in" the Witness of July 16, 1886— by this time a journal of 40 pages— aa innovation was made. An announcement appeared at the head of the page intimating that "Dot" would be glad to receive letters from little folk on any matters of interest to them. A first letter, signed "Jack," appeared in that issue.

It wag a happy idea, and from that time for about ten years enough letters used to come weekly to fill about two columns of the paper. These letters were mostly from children of 13 years of age and under. Prizes •w^re, indeed, offered for "the best letter received on a given subject, the competition to lie open to all children under -13. Many if the letters were very interesting, and quite equal -to those written by L.F. of the same age at the present dayj and footnotes were appended to tae tetters, just a<« they are now. During this period of 10 years hinds were collected for Dr Barnardo's Homes and for the Dunedin Kindergarten. These two funds amounted respectively to£ 3% 9s 5d and £21.

Until 1698 the page continued on these lines, and remained always about the same si;,e — three columns. Then it began to increase greatly in size, and by 1901 the letters usually filled eleven columns. The page had fallen upon a period of great prosperity and popularitj This year, 1901 was the year of the inauguration of the three cot funds and of Old Writers' Week. Much older 'children were now writing to the page, and Evincing their warm regard for their "dear Dot." Under his wise guidance, as you know, the D.L.F. Page of the Otago Witness continued to bo a rallying ground for hundreds of the young people of Otago It was co until the day of his death, and I hope will continue to be so for many long years.

Now, when I began my search there was one point I specially wished to clear up; I liave now to confess that I have been unable to do so. As many of you knew the first "Dot" was the lady who writes under the pen name of "Alien," and who lives in England. She is Mrs Baker, but during the time of her connection with the Witness she wrote as "Dot" and "Alice."

The whole inner history of the years from 1886 to about 1896 was probably known to only two people^ — this lady and our late dear Dot (Mr William Fenwick) — and at the time «f the latter's death there was probably no one in New Zealand who knew all the facts. Consequently, the notices written of his career erred somewhat in attributing the entire creaiion and conduct of the Little Folk's Page to ■him, whereas Mrs Baker, certainly for the first lew years of its existence, had a large chare in it.

It i« impossible io fltat* definitely when ler connection with the page ceased and the ■work of Dot passed entirely into the hands of the late Mr William Fenwick. I learn irom those in the Witness office who have a general knowledge of the matter that the change was gradual 34m Ba)c«r having other duties >to attend to, a good deal of Ihe editing work and the attaching to the letters of a lew words of commend; was undertaken from time to time, by the editor, and finally, some lime about 1893, when Mrs Baker retired, he 'decided to keep the work entirely in his own iands.

Mrs Baker, in a letter received by last mail Sn regard to this matter gives the information that she was the originator of the norn 3e plume "Dot," «nd for «even years was Entrusted by the editor with the control of !th« pag«, the first two letters addressed to '"Dot" having been written by her two fl'ildren.

7 regret I did not know sooner of Mrs {Baker's part in +he initiation and early conJtrol of ike page, as I leel that this ia ft eonie-

•what tardy acknowledgment of her share in making its history.

In the memorial booklets the oversight of not mentioning Mrs Baker as the first Dot remains. Perhaps it would be a, good idea, if those of you who have the booklet wrote on the blank sheet at the end; Dot I.: Mr 3 Baker. Dot II.: Mr William Fenwick.

In fhat way you will ha\e a reminder of tie first two Dota to whom we owe our flourishing page. — 2 a-ia, my dear Little Folk, DOT.

your sincere- friend,