Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1893-10-14
PREPARING FOR EMERGENCY.
Presence of Mind q Quality Which Cal
80 Cultivated.

Presence OF Mind n Quality Which Can
Be Cultivated.
One of the pleasant little idiosyncra-
sizes of humanity is the indulgence in
speculations on what we would do II
we had been there. No matter what
the emergency, tho danger or the re.
suits, we are much given to feeling
perfectly certain that we would have
been quite equal to the situation, and
that everything would have been q
good deal better managed had we
been able to take q hand in the affair
and assist our perishing fellow-men in
their desperate strait.
AS matter of fact, there are few
people who are able to count on what
they would do in any startling emer-
gency. However cool and collected
they may be under ordinary circum-
stances, there is that in most natures
that makes it impossible to judge OF
the might-be.
One might multiply instances and oc-
casions where the people who are
steadiness itself in the everyday routine
of existence, have been guilty OF acts
of folly and desperation that would
shame the veriest novice in the world.
Not every one is called upon, even In
the course Of long lifetime, to face
situation where safety, perhaps life
itself, depends on nerve, GOODNESS and
the ability to take advantage OF some
circumstance or make one to order, and
bring what otherwise might have been
n serious affair to comfortable and
happy conclusion.
In many of the public schools children
are so drilled that in case of an alarm
of fire they will file quietly and stead
lily out ut the tap of bell, always pre-
supposing that the teacher is as cool
headed as the children themselves. But
it not infrequently happens that the
teacher gets into panic and is thou
sand times worse than nothing, for
panic is more contagious and flies faster
than anything else in the world. 1t
might not be bad idea to organize
emergency brigades in our public
schools, that shall comprehend some
thing more than the drilling of children
under 'suppositious fire alarms. Hun
dreds of people are drowned every year
because somebody, in u panic, SO clings
to the rescuer that escape for neither IS
possible.
Very few children in the average
family are ever taught steadiness OF
nerve, presence of mind in time OF
danger or ever have practice in what
to do if anything happens. In some
households there are sets of rules what
to do in emergencies pasted in some
scrap-book: but this is never at hand
when wanted. and even if it were, the
moral and physical condition OF the
members of the family absolutely pre-
cludes any understanding of the usually
vague and too technical instructions
contained therein. Every child should
be taught what to do in case OF fire. II
necessary, all of the motions should be
gone through with. 1t should be told
what is best to do first, the reason for
doing it and the results of cool and
careful action Us compared with the
always disastrous consequences OF
haste, confusion and terror.
1t is a curious fact that children who
have received any reasonable amount
of training in this direction are much
cooler and more composed than adults.
Whether it is that the young mind I'M
familiar with the actual terriers OF the
situation is left more free to act or
whether the Interested curiosity of the
child is stronger than its fears, might
furnish ground fer debate: certain it
is that young persons and children,
although unspeakably distracted and
unmanagcable without training, are
of much more value us assistants in
tirrcs of the greatest peri! than many
who are OF mature years. Danger
seems to be something that or mt
become educated into: naturally oae
fears nothing, probably because the
consequences have never been fully
realized. 1t would be but small task
to train children to habits OF steadi-
ness and self-control in times of dan.
ger, and it might be means of saving
many lives and much valuable prop
crty. N. Y. Ledger.