The Opelousas courier., 1901-02-09
PUBLIC PLAY GROUNDS
TURNING CITY HooDLUMS INTO
SELF.RESPEcTINC CITIZENS.

tablished They Have Been of Great
Service in the Moral and Physical Cui-
ture For the Youngsters.
Some years ago there was imported
into the Eastern States from Cali
formal think from San Francisco
IN expression which in its way
marked an epoch-the expression
4hoodlum," writes the New York cor
respondent Of the Philadelphia Record.
It awakened curiosity, and when it
was found to describe a certain type
Of youth better known for his power
Of annoying his neighbors than for his
good citizenship, it awakened the In
serest Of thoughtful men and women.
The genus was found to exist and
thrive in other places. Investigation
brought out the astounding fact that
juvenile crime seemed to be increas-
ing, but analysis proved that what was
called crime o the part Of the boy
was often in reality the crime Of ig-
norance, neglect, or worse on the part
Of the men and city which stigmatized
him as a criminal, arrested him and
placed him in the hands of the police
Instead of putting him under surveil-
lance Of one who could show him how
to entertain himself in ways less de-
structive to the neighbours comfort or
property and to his own moral de-
struction.
CHANCE FOR MUSCULAR ACTION.
IT, Ho1 hon- 1nnaIyrciro1v, nrnrnn fhof
these so-called criminal acts are. al
most entirely the result of undirected
energy. To say misdirected would put
too much responsibility on the boy. 1t
becomes destructive, and only needs
guidance to become a source of good
instead Of evil. Nature endows every
normal youth with a fund Of energy
and spirits which must express itself,
often demands expression in muscu-
lar action, and If it finds no outlet
something is Ire to happen. Nature
also endows the youth with vivid i'm
agination which must be fed or 1t
seeks Its own feeding ground, and hav-
ing little discrimination chooses poison
often instead Of food.
PLAYGROUND CoRRECTs EVIL.
The public playground has been
found to serve as the best means to
correct these evils and to turn the
"hoodlum" into a self-respecting and
respected citizen, because it furnishes
q healthy and legitimate outlet for
the normal energies. Even in a city
with so many gardens as San Francis
co there is little OF no place to play,
especially for the thousands coming
from working homes. Though there
mayo be nc tenements, IL man occupies
no more rooms than will house his
family, and there is no place for quiet
play for the boys and girls, and GER
tainly no space for those games which
require energetic motion. The open
spaces r email and not adapted to
sports of any kind. Golden Gate Park
is too far away for the majority.
CRIME AND ATHLETICS.
The youngsters, therefore, have NO
secourse but the street. Older COM
nunities have discovered that the lack
Of proper Fairgrounds is a source Of
great expense and waste to the COM
munity, expense which runs the cost
Of the police system, including all pen
al and reformatory institutions, into
millions, and waste Of the energy and
power which should 60 to making
staunch citizens instead Of strong
criminals. Hon. Abram S. Hewitt
said about the small park question in
it's relation to New York: Improve
ments Of property have left children
no other opportunity for play than
those that can be found In the streets.
1t is impossible to use these for games
without mourning the interference of |
the police. A sense Of hostility be-
tween the children and the guardians
Of the public order is thus engendered
leading to the education Of citizens
who becomes enemies of law and or
der. With a common accord the pre-
cinct captains attribute juvenile row.
dyism and turbulence to the lack of
a better playground than the streets"
1t would seem, therefore, that crime
in our large cities has largely resolved
itself into a question Of athletics.
NEW YoRK's SMALL PARKS.
For this reason New York City has
been creating small parks for more
than a decade. Millions of dollars
have already been expended and many
more will be spent in the next decade
to undo what lack of foresight and
commercial greed has made necessary.
Wherever small parks are created, the
verdict Of the police is unanimous that
they have changed the character of
the neighborhood. The hoodlum in
stead of taking his necessary exercise
annoying passers-by or destroying
property. takes it by games of vari-
GUS kinds or In using the gymnasium
apparatus put up for him. The results
which have followed in the wake of
the creation Of Mulberry Bend Park, In
New York City, and the Hudson Bank
furnish sufficient evidence
prove the wisdom OF the plan. There
the outdoor Recreation League has put
up a complete open air gymnasium,
and girls and boys, men and women,
after a hard days work come here to
take the exercise and recreation they
have no means nor knowledge even
to furnish themselves, but which the
rich take good care to provide for their
own, as witness the bicycle, ball