The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1906-11-29
What Clean Streets and Shady
Grounds Mean to the Average
School Boy.

school BOY.
A paper read by Mrs. V. II. McGnnis before the
Womens Federated Clubs of Leon, Iowa.
Clean streets and shady grounds
mean to the average school boy, first of
all, an object lesson in cleanliness and
order, which will unconsciously in
fluence him for good in nearly every
thing with which he comes in touch.
1t also means much personal pleasure
and pride in the enjoyment of them and
cultivates love for the beautiful. The
effect of clean pleasant surroundings
renders boy, or any child, more suscep-
tible to good Influences. A child
naturally loves the beautiful. Henry
Sabin, Ex-State Supt. of schools says,
eff you will show me a child who has
no love for birds, flowers, pictures, or
music, | think can show you one in
whom the doctrine of total depravity
in the infant which attracts him when
he first manifests his growing intellect
in striving to reach some bright at
tractive object, or jumps and screams
in response to some noise that pleases
him.
Jackman in Nature study says, THE
earliest impulses toward goodness that
come to children from nature probably
arise from their sincere love of the
beautiful. What they perceive as sur
passing loneliness in the grass and
flowers and in the songs of birds, which
make their home in the trees, they
translate as goodness, in terms of their
own lives"
Trees and flowers give more relax
alton to busy man than anything else
that can be given him, and what is
true of the man is also true of the boy.
In words Of another, ga man is only
boy grown older
The influence of the wondrous
beauty of nature as seen in the out
door art of beautiful grounds and trees,
is to make us all higher beings.
Shady grounds and clean streets
means livable, attractive play grounds,
and as the foundation of life of use
fulness, health and strength, and sue
cessful citizenship is laid in the early
years of life, and much of the time of
the future citizen is spent in that form
OF development we call, "play," and
who loves play better than the average
bright school boy.
In the city of Minneapolis the shady
play grounds opened by the ladies have
transformed ragged, dirty, unmanage-
able little imps into neat, happy we'll
behaved children.
The environments of a child may be
made a permanent influence in mould
ing the taste of child The aesthetic
side of a child's nature will always re-
spond easily to the influence of chaste,
pure, beautiful surroundings. If you
want to make boys patriotic make their
home and surroundings beautiful. The
example of clean shady streets and
yards will lead him to take an interest
in helping keep them so. 1t means
much to them that they have part in
all the wonderful things for our great
country, for they are our coming men
who will sometime have everything in
their charge. Boys like to "do things"
and being naturally active they will
learn to turn their talents to good in
public undertakings if they are proper
ly aided and encouraged.
In the care of nice home grounds the
boy has an opportunity to show his
love Of the beautiful in nature, which
is not only a pleasure to himself, but
healthful occupation and will keep
him more contented at home, and Off
the street.
If boys are daily accustomed to these
our men they will be satisfied with no
other, and there will be no need of any
agitating civic improvement, as at the
present time.
We, who live in town, near the
natural woods and fields, do not fully
appreciate the benefit of the things, as
those who live in our cities. In many
cases the only opportunity to enjoy the
song of the birds and squirrels, so dear
to a boy, are those that make their
home in the shade trees OF our largest
cities.
Flowers are said to be among the
best educators for they develope taste
and love for the beautiful, and make
men land our boys are little men) SEN
sitive to all that is attractive and
lovely in town and country.
These with clean beautiful surround
ings give more JOY in life. They feast
our eyes and make the world good.
They help to educate up public senti-
lnent in the right way. More people
and more generations of people may
gain mental, moral, and spiritual up
lift from the living picture of really
beautiful landscape with it's never
ending change with the procession of
seasons, than they could possibly from
scene upon canvas. These scenes
bring refreshment to the eye and make
life sweeter and better.
Boys should be taught to plant and
care for trees.
The planting of tree is trifie in ex-
pense. 1t grows and costs nothing but
time. 1t is a comfort, an ornament,
and is pleasure to all others as we'll
as the school boy. 1t is also considered
virtue to set out trees. We should
set them out, not to outshine our neigh
bors, but for him to look at and walk
under, and to beautify our streets and
town.
No more happy influence can be
thrown around our children, than the
habit of caring for things they have
planted, and the ownership vested in
them. 1t means much to child to be
initiated in his youth into the brother.
hood of venerable trees. Thomas Nc
Bride, once connected with our Iowa
State T!nivarcity at Tnuo C;ty s,1c