The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-09-06
Fairgrounds
or All Cities.

= AO SAONAAAN1o
or All Cities.
New York this week, the con-
less of the National Fairgrounds as
ECciatiOn of America, meets in its sec
end annual session. Just what tlis
movement means can hardly be appre-
ciated except by those who have spent
years in crowded cities and seen the
deplorable surrounding amid which
children must live, and develop men
tally and physically To him who is
familiar with the pitiful scenes that
are daily enacted in the crowded dis
tricts of large cities, to him who
knows tie too often criminal teach
ings they receive, to him who has wit
messed the dwarfing of mind and body,
all for the want of pure air and whole
some pastime, the need IL clearly ap-
parent
But it is not only the children of
the poverty stricken that are to be
benefited. 1t is not only the boys and
girls of the tenements and Sums that
are to be cared for, the need strikes
home at the very doors Of the well
TODD" and comfortably situated"
Here the child may have a yard, par
ticularly in a city the size of PenFa-
cola; he may have breathing spots"
laid out by the city, or "weedIess" va
cant property that make excellent
Fairgrounds, but does he play correct
Iy?
To many this question may seem alb
surd, for they will answer promptly,
there's only one way to play, and
that's naturally, as all children do
play" True they all play naturally,
but the early drift of the child's mind
does not always run to the best play
After he has matuTed sufficiently
physically, and his wits have been
sharpened by association with other
children, then comes spirit of unrest
"a desire to do-tO act-to accom-
plish feats of skill and prowess-to
match himself, his mind and his body,
against the intelligence and physical
endurance of others.
This finds it's first outlet in most in
stances in the performance of mis-
chieviOus pranks, as, annoying his cid
ers and fleeing from them In this his
wits are matched against others in the
game of detection and his physical
powers in his fight to safety.
| While this may be said to be harm
less, and The Journal does not for one
moment encourage placing children
under iron clad rules. based upon mar
row principles, this very desire of the
child to use his brain and Abody, gives
to those who are interested in the de-
/ velopment of all that is best in chill
dren, the opportunity of training them
/ toward the more wholesome methods
of exercising their instructive powers.
Therefore correct playing, under the
guidance of men trained and COM
petent to bring out all that is good in
children, will do much to direct their
| interests away from the naughty
| pranks that sometimes lead to bad"
FRANKS and the ruin of young boys.
Correct playing" means good,
wholesome physical exercise, play
/ tAAtI SNCi II al Tic Httutdi dn0 DnNS1-
cal powers of children, but in a di-
rectiOn that mas, TO say the least, a bet
| ter Influence over them. The boy
wlo has played a hard game of foot
ball-and by the way. no man takes
| his work more seriously than does
the lad of ten or twelve or fourteen at
his PLAYS ready for the quiet rest
which means unfretted sleep and
bright wits in the morning. He has
exercised every vital portion of his
mind and body, and the inherent de-
sire to use his wits has been fulfilled.
as we'll as the necessity of putting to
work his sturdy limbs and body.
The subject is large and its bene-
/ fits numerous The Journal has given
/ here only a sketch of the good that
can be accomplished. A local branch
/ of the main body is soon to be form
ed in Pensacola, however, and The
! Journal urges that its plans and pur-
| poses be carefully considered, for it
/ believes there is room in this city for
much good work