The Plymouth Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1869-1941, 1870-05-19
Mechanical RecreatfOns.

The purpose of this article is to show
that mechanical employments furnish
the most healthful and delightful recrea-
tons for such as are not constantly en-
ployed in them.
The purpose of recreation is as the term
implies to re-create or renew the ex-
hausted energies of mind and body. Per-
feet rest, such as is secured by good,
sound, refreshing sleep, is ofall the means
by which this is accomplished, the most
powerful.
tits true food is the fuel by which the hui
man engine runs and does work, but the
analogy between machine constructed OF
lifeless material and the animal economy
ceases when we consider anything beyond
the mechanical power Of muscular move
ment derived from the consumption OF
food.
The human machine includes within it
self directing power which wearies and
wears, and cannot be continuously en-
ployed in a single direction without IA
tigue. The wise Solomon saw that much
| study is q WEAKNESS to the flesh. And
modern pbysIOlogists have not failed 10
see that undue manual labor impoverlshes
and enfeebles the mind.
| The will concentrated long upon COM
pelling the muscles to perform certain
routine of movement, finds itself at
length powerless to command. 1t must
then cease exertion entirely as in sleep, or
it must exert itself in some new direction.
This is what is commonly called recrea-
ton, that is, an occupation which affords
an agreeable contrast to that which has
caused fatigue.
We think it is indisputable that any en-
| ,,1o snh
lar activity, at the same time interesting
the mind by employing its powers upon
such topics as do not arouse the animal
passions, while they moderately engage
the higher mental powers, has in it ali
the elements of healthy recreation. In
our opinion nothing whatever so COM
bines these elements and furnishes SC
cheaply the needed relief to professional
men and hard students as some mechani.
Cal occupation, in which originality OF
design may be united with manual skill
in execution.
In such recreation the entire tendency
is to gratefully relieve the mind, gently
exercise and invigOrate the body, and
build out and cultivate powers which
cannot be developed to the moral hurt O
the individual, but generally increase hi
Intellectual stature.
In such occupations the mind wearie(
with business cares, or by much study
may revel in refreshing beauties of form
color. and motion, and find the highest 0
all pleasures in the contemplation of thu
relation of simple causes to complex
effects.
A man who has in this way attained
to even moderate SKILL may find his lath
a magical instrument by which he cal
clotbe the rudest materials with forms o
beauty, and crafty to the utmost tina
wonderful combination of faculties b,
which man most asserts his superiOrit,
over the brutes.
Imagination here finds, if not so wild
J a scope as in poetry, or the fine arts SUI
ficient to give it ample employ, and t
Danish from the mind all evil thinkin
> and day dreaming, which to the youD
mind is always hurtfal and sometime
a fatal.
s On this latter account we recommen
a most earnestly mechanical recreation #
e the young. Let the boys build wind mil
n and miniature dams. They soil the
a clothes, but how much better soiled ga
u ments than soiled minds. They may CT
their fingers with the tools you perm
3 them TO employ, but you will find sue
is wounds heal in less time than the foul L
n GERS of moral corruption.
v Every man who can afford it shou
: supply his boys with tools, and a roo
Re where they may be used and cared fe
d A boy takes to tools as naturally as
e green apples, or surreptitious and forbi
t den amusements; and ten to one if he b
a chance to develop his mechanical tast
and crafty them IT, their full extent, h
E. tendencies to vicious courses will rema
y undeveloped. Such result is enough
IS compensate for all the expense al
l. trouble the indulgence we recommel
N would entail; while the chances that t.
u early development OF his construct
E. faculties may in this mechanical age
u the meaDs by which he may ultimate
c climb to fame and fortune are not sma
IL -Scientifc American.