Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-02-10
WILD WEST FOR BOYS
Vast Country Fairgrounds Plan
ned For City Youngsters.
FIRST ONE TO BE IN MICHIGAN
John D. Rockefeller and His Son-in
law, Harold Mccormick, Will FL
nance Captain Jack crawford's
Scheme to Make Boys Self Reliant.
Poet Scout to Boss First Playground.

i
Scheme to Make Boys Self Reliant.
Poet Scout to Boss First Playground.
Great summer Fairgrounds in the
/ country for city children is the latest
philanthropy in which John D. Rookie
Teller intends to use part of his wealth,
aided by his son-in-law, Harold Nc
Cormick of Chicago Captain Jack
/ Crawford, sometimes known as the
poet scout" made the statement re-
| Gently while in New York He ought
! to know, for he is to have direct
charge Of the first playground to be
| opened, tract of wilderness in Mich
| igan on Portage lake, about twelve
! miles from the town of Manistee.
| The plan provides not only for q
playground, but for systematic super
vision Of the boys summer play, which
will be largely along the lines of hunt
ing, trapping, woodcraft, swimming.
military exercises, target practice and
regular exercise in the old tricks of the
former wild and woolly west
Indians will be employed, and against
: them the boys will go on weekly expe-
ditions. There will be stagecoaches for
the boys to save from the attacks Of
bandits, the outlaws being other boys
of the vacation crowd There will be
typical old time frontier military
post, where the lads will learn the life
of the mounted service. Miniature des-
erts will be provided, so that the boys
may learn another form of western
life. In fact, everything will be provid-
ed to keep alive the old ability of the
frontier days In the masculine Ameri-
can breast and to make the boys as
capable as were their ancestors when
called upon in an emergency. The
''study period" will range from three
to thirteen weeks.
Within the next year two play wilds,
if not more, will be opened, the one in
Michigan, which will be in operation
next summer, and another on a large
tract in New Mexico or southwestern
Texas. The land in Michigan embraces
almost 100 acres Captain Crawford
claims the conception of this idea as
his own, though Rockefeller and Nc
Cormick moneys are to finance it in its
full development. In speaking of it he
said: ,-g
1t suggested itself to me in a talk I
had with George Gould on a steamer
coming back from England nearly twelve
years ago. Mr.. Gould was lamenting
that much in the way of outdoor sports
a hno1thy nd opir{ h,,fll ot.o-
was almost impossible in those days,
when the country was growing so popu-
lous. / asked him what he meant, and
he said he wished there was some from
tier left TO which he could send his
older boys, under suitable supervision,
where they could learn something OF real
roughing II for few weeks every year.
1T makes better men of boys" he con-
tinued. ito learn something of the FROM
tier life and Of the things they must
know in order to stand Independent I'M
der such conditions"
l agreed heartily with him. but the
idea Of creating an artificial frontier
didn't occur to me until we had reached
New York. Then George Gould had,
started west on an inspection tour. I
intended TO present my idea to him IL the
chance ever came. but II never did.
was delivering lectures at the Hamp-
stead Chautauqua last August, and one
day John d. Rockefeller and Harold
Mccormick were among my auditors.
met them after the lecture and had a
particularly long conversation with Me-
Cormick, in the course of which 1 hap
pened to touch on my scheme for Amer
lean boys He became interested. and
I elaborated II 10 him. Two days after
ward he sent for me and told me that
whatever money ! needed for the plan he
and Mr.. Rockefeller would furnish.
The plan in detail calls for the estab-
lishment OF many parks for the pur-
pose of teaching the boys military life
and the old wild west methods. The
parks VIII be as large as II is possible
10 make them under local conditions.
The park in New Mexico. for example,
probably viii cover thousands of acres.
The sections will be restored to Wild
state. A small military post and few
log cabins win be built here and there.
but otherwise no structures will mar
the grounds. The boys win sleep In
tents and be much In the open air.
The plan is both phllanthropic and
educational, but not so philanthropic
that the parks VIII not be expected to
pay for the actual expenses Of the
summer maneuvers. This latter phase
of the plan Is one born Of McCor-
mick's pet schemes 10 help to dissipate
the class feeling that he believes Is
developing In the United States. Where
a boy applies for admittance TO the
camp through his parents il viii be as
whether he is in a position to
pay for his food and accommodations.
II his parents are in such a position.
twice as much as may be necessary to
keep him viii he charged. and he viii
be obliged 10 take another boy who
Is unable TO pay bis expenses as his
guest At that the paying boy VII not
be taxed more than $50 or 500. for only
the actual cost OF food and amnuni-
ton viii be put on the BIN All the
expenses Of maintenance Of grounds.
etc. viii he provided out Of the fund
given by the capitalists.
The POOR boy win become the rich
boys tent mate and companion" says
Mccormick. -and In the summer cam
paigns each viii come TO apprecists
the good qualities IN the other. When
they grow Up. better men because Of
their sumner training In the open. rep
persons In the poorer and
Weather classes VII have q respect
FOR each other that they might not 9TH
srvise have II 10 expected that ser.
srai hundred boys from New York.
Chicago and other cities. one-half poor