The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1901-01-22
PUBLIC PLAY GROUNDS
TURNING CITY HooDLUMS INTO
SELF.RESPEcTINC CITIZENS.

i Their Success In Observation-Disclosures Es-
tnblished They Have Been of Grent
Service I'm the Moral and Physical Gull
turc For the Youngsters.
! Some years ago there was imported
/ into the Eastern States from Cali
| formal think from san Francisco
an expression which in it's way
marked an cpoch-the expression
"hoodlum," writes the New York cor
respondent of the Philadelphia Record.
| 1t awakened curiosity. and when 1t
was found TO describe n certain type
of youth better known for his power
of annoying his neghbors than for his
! good citizenship. It awakened the in
terest of thoughtful men and women
| The genus was found 20 exist and
/ thrive in other places. Investigation
| brought out the astounding fact that
Juvenile crime seemed TO he increas-
ing, but analysis proved that what was
called crime on 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 stigmatlzed
him as n 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-
structlon.
CHANCE FOR MUSCULAR ACTION.
1t has been concusively proven that
| these so-called criminal acts are al
most entirely the result of undlrected
energy. To say miSdrected would put
too much responsibility on the boy. 1t
becomes destructive. and only needs
guidance to become n source of good
instead of evil. Nature endows every
| normal youth with n fund of energy
and spirits which must express itself.
often demands expires. ion in muscu-
lar action, and if it finds no outlet
something is sure to happen. Nature
also endows the youth with vivid i'm
agination which must he fed or it
seeks its own feeding ground and hav-
ing little discrimination chooses poison
| often instead of food.
PLAYGROUND CoRRECrs EVIL.
The public playground has been
correct these evils and to turn the
"hoodlum" into a selr-respecting and
respected citizen, because it furnishes
healthy and legitimate outlet for
the normal energies. Even in Il city
with so many gardens as San Francis
co there is little or no place to play.
especially for the thousands coming
| from working homes. Though there
| may be no tenemcntS, 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 notion The open
! spaces are small 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
recourse but the street. Older com
munitics have discovered that the lack
| of proper Fairgrounds is source of
! great expense and waste TO the com
munity expense which runs the cost
| or the police system, including all pen
al and reformatory institutions. into
I millions, and waste of the energy and
! power which should go to making
staunch citizens instead of strong
! criminals Hon. Abram S. Hewitt
said about the small park question i'm
its 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
| VINO becomes enemies of law and or
| der With a common accord The pre-
| cinct captains attribute juvenile row
| dyism and turbulence 10 the lack of
/ better playground than In, streets
/ 1t would seem, therefore. that crime
IN our large cities has largely resolved
itself into question Of athletics.
NEW YoRK's SMALL PARKS.
| For this reason New York CITY has
been creating small parks for more
than n decade Millions OF dollars
have already been expended and many
more Will be spent i'm the next decade
to undo what lack Of foresight and
/ commercial greed has made necessary.
wherever small parks are created. the
I verdict Of the police IS unanimous that
they have changed the character of
| the ncighborhood. The hoodlum I'M.
stead Of taking his necessary exercise
i'm annoying passersb 10y or DESTROYING
| property. takes it by games of varl.
GUS kinds or In using The gymnasium
| apparatus put up for him The results
which have followed i'm the wake of
I the creation OF Mulberry Bend Park ip
New York City. and the Hudson Bank
/ Gymnasium furnish sufficient evidence
TO prove the wisdom of The plan. There
the outdoor Recreation League has puf
mp q complete open afr gymnasium
and girls and boys. men aud women
after hard days work como here to