The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-10-11
The Effect of the National
Play Ground Association
Movement Is Already Evil
dent, Locally-See That 1t
Receives Due Encourage
ment.
(Ry Bonnie 5urnham)

| Hey there, cul, chuck dat cigar
GOT and let's hike it to the new
amusement park where they teach
kids de real thing in the playln
STUNT
| The speaker WAS a dirty faced little
newsboy, fresh from the congested
tenement district, of a big city, and
with a knowledge OF the world, God
| help him, which belied his sparse
years, pitifully spent in the struggle
which had been his. The "amuse-
ment park" in question, Il perchance
YOU cared sufficiently to investigate,
was a wonderfully green and restful
spot purchased or leased as the case
might be, by the city's representatives
! of the National Playground Associa-
| ton and fitted appropriately for the
work in hand.
| Furnished vita yaulting poles and
swimming pools, tne limpid waters OF
| which beckone6 the amatuer athlete on
and on toward the accomplishment
| of feats watch were TO astonish his
comrades-great green stretches de-
voted to ideal out door sports, the
long list of which comprised tennis,
| base ball and foot ball, basket ball.
| Shiny" and even the lowly marble
ring, the place was indeed attractive.
Men, white uniformed, selected
| from the best training SCHOOLS in the
country were to be found in attendance
to wait upon small visitors at the park
men whose moral and physical Prov
ess must be among the assets which
| placed them in the positions
! they held-positions as important
to the future development of
! the country as a whole, perhaps as
! that of the keenest statesman.
! These men have been placed in order
| that they may discharge valuable
| list of duties indeed.
The Plan.
| Conseryatively speaking. it would
not be amiss to state that the primary
idea of Childrens' Playground Associa-
ton which is making fits way into pub
| lie favor in America today, and
branches of which are to be found in
nearly all of the representative cities
of the country, received its fun
damental principles from good old
! ''merrie England" which as a nation,
gives more attention to the develop
ment of the out door sports of her
people than any other place in the
| world.
The idea, it is true, mas received
leyery advantage from the process OF
becoming .AmericaniZed" but it
tstill bears the ear marks in many
Prospects of the mother land across
! the seas
1t is the purpose of the instigators
of the Playground Association. not
| only to furnish suitable localities for
Igood ans wholesome sports where
the best in the boy can be got out,
but also TO provide such places with
! a corps of assistants who will teach
him how to use his brain and
Drawn in the right direction-to-
ward developing in his mind the
idea of eXcelling in all things
which are good and valuable in his
rapidly unfolding world, and to
mould characters by placing youth
full minds into trends which
will be advantageous from all stand
points. Misplaced energy and mis-
taken ideas as to personal prowe-s
is the prime secret indeed of ruined
young men and women.
For All Classes.
But Ii 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 slums 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 yard, par
ticularly in a city the size of Pensa-
cola; he may have breathing spots
n laid out by tae city, or vacant proper
tly which make excellent Fairgrounds,
but does he play correctly?
To many this question may seem alb
surd, for they Will answer promptly
'Jhere'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 matured PHYSICAL
|. Iy, 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
i endurance of others.
This finds its first outlet in most in
stances in the performance OF mis-
chieViouS prankS, as annoying his ell
ders and fleeing from them. In this his
wits ar matched against others in the
game of detection and ais physical
prowess in his flight TO safety
While this may be said TO be harm
less, this very desire of the child to
use his brain and body gives TO
those who are Interested il the de-
veiopment of all that is best i'm chill
dren, the opportunity OF training
them toward the more wholesome
methods of exercising their instinc-
tive powers.