The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1859-09-01
PLNyupcUNDs:FoR.cH1L

| '"'S'S"'ihSE3 "ilNic
Tho Playground anj General Recreation
Society, whose first annual meeting was
lately held at Willis Kooms, proposes to
60 Il work which may excite the smile Of
The 'honShtless-to provide Fairgrounds
and places Of amusement and recreation
for the children who swari', in our pcnt ND
courts and alleys. "]'hilanthrophy may be
thought growing mad or foolish, when 1t
seeks for spots in the Great Babylon where
boys aud girls may spin their tops and
play leaptrog unawcd 10y the police.
man. Yet this Society, after all, is but the
out,growth aA1 dcvclopmen! Of .ru.hs
wh!cl, Ii ave forced thcmsclvc, on these who
have sonGi!. to trace vice and crime to
their source. We have reformed our iris.
ons-wc have u,adc them SC ools Of indus.
try instead Of the 'lcns Of the inlalny and
pollution which t!"fc:i-G the heart of How
ard. No lave done all We can to pre-
vent those Who are once di<graccd having
the plea of ignorance for relapse We
have had our eyes opened 10 the expensive
nature Of crime, that to prevent crime is
ch"ancr than to cure it. Hence r.forma.
tories have paved the way for ragged
schools. The ragged children of London
arc found t'lirs,ing for knowledge. Shrewd
and intelligent, almost unnaturaly keen.
the children of misfortune, with his facul-
Ties sharpencd by the necessity of using
all his wits to keep sonl and body together,
the London Arab quickly repays the pains
taken to instruct him. The various bands
Of shoe blacks, red, blue and yellow, arc a
proof how easy it is to rcdccr q large num-
Der Of youths from idlcncss and crime to
industry anal honesty.
The good work OF healing social mala-
dies once taken in hand in real carncstucss.
soon points out fresh means for striking at
'hH 'oc' OF crime. Shocked by the ..a.ic.
tics Of the number Of the criminal class
who are criminal iv profession, led on to
track them to their haunts, we find fruit
ful source Of mischief in the manner in
which the poor are forced to herd together
Tor want OF necessary accommodation-th
lndiscrmlnatc mixture Of the sexes in their
sleeping apartments, destroys every trace
of modesty. A race is thus fostcrcd, dies
tltutc Of dcccncy, ignorant of shame. TO
diminish this fatality of crime it is found
necessary to cndeavor to do for the honest
laborcr's dwelling what the Towards have
done for the prison-n other words to
make them clean, airy and wholesome. We
try to do all this, we make model lodging
houses, model dwellings for families, rs
well as model prisons still the work leads
lis on, still we find more to be done. We
must find means Of recreation for the chill
dren Of our over crowcl cities, or they will
turn out, if not bad citizens, q stunted
weak, degenerate race.
Our forcfathers recognized the value of
youthful recreation; every vi!lago had its
green, where manly sports were celebrated.
Their towns had not SO far extended into
the country rs to render field exercise un-
attainaLle by school.boys and apprentices.
1t was only in l1Gl that the last Maypole
disappeared from tho middle Of the Strand
The rapid growth Of our cities, the eager
ness with which we lia7o pr:s:::cd wealth
and co:amc;ce, have caused us to forget
the great source of all wcaltll-thc bone
and sincws Of tho laborers. Bones and
sincws will not grow we'll and strongly
without cultivation.
The sports Of unrcstraincd childhood,
the rcstler's activity, the free exercise Of
limbs, are all tho result Of L., natural in
stinc:s Of lli:rnan nature, the means where
by the strength Of the future man is to be
developed. If we would have ctr cities
healthy, If We would have them free from
the decimating vlsitations of plague and
pcstilcncc, we must leave in them free open
spaces as breathing spots. Our towns re-
quirc lungs as we'll as our bodies. If we
would arrest the fostering process Of moral
corruption, wo must give air and space to
the poor man as we'll as to the rich. Again,
five would prevent the physical degcncra-
ton of the town popu!ation-ifstr strength Of
body and activity Of limb is to bo secured
TO the rising generation Of town laborers,
we must find spaces where the youthful
population may exercise the natural in
stincts which will alone secure n sound
mind in sound body.
The Playground and General Recrea-
ton Society was founded by an active
working clergyman, who learnt its necess.
ity by laboring for the moral and spiritual
welfare Of his people. It has already
caused a great social want to be recognized
by some Of the wisest men Of tho day. It's
first model playground is in fair way to