Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1908-06-25
THE PLAYGROUND
INSTRUCTOR ERFLING WRITES A
COMPREHENSIVE coMMUEIcA-
TIoN ON MExIco.s NEW in.
sTITUTI0E FOR CHILL
DREN-Is A GREAT
PLACE FOR THE
LITTLE FOLKS.

The entire State OF Missouri is feel
Ing the impulse emmanating from the
State University at Columbia for the
education OF children through play.
Twenty-four OF the most important
towns Of the state win have play
grounds In charge OF trained instruct
ors within q year. Twelve OF this
number have their grounds already In
operation.
The towns where play grounds are
established are ST. Joseph, Lamar,
Poplar Bluff, Charleston, Flat River,
Columbia, Joplin, Butler, Lexington,
Shelbina, Unionyille and Mexico.
Those which have organized their
play ground associations but have not
raised the amount necessary TO carry
ON the work are Harrisyills, Boon
vile, Sedalia. California, Higgins
vile, Aurora, Neosha, Dexter, Bonne
rerre, Louisiana, Hannibal and Tren-
ton
Dr. Clark Wilson Hetherinston, di.
rector OF athletics az the university,
graduate Of Springfield, Mass, is the
man who instigated the movement.
Play grounds are fairly well organ
lied In st. Louis and Kansas City.
Hetherington therefore determined
that the country child should have
equal opportunity for play. BE en-
ployed therefore skilled eastern so
cial worker, MIR. R. L. Melendy, OF
Newark, N. j., and had him travel all
over the state organizing play ground
associations and interesting school
boards and commercial clubs.
The department Of athletics at Co
lumbia made itself an agency for
securing experienced men and women.
Up-to-date only five students OF Mis-
souri, University have been given
places, Mr. NJ. L. Crouch and Miss
Ruth Jones, Of Columbia, are station.
ed at Charleston; Mr.. Walter Dlnwid-
die and Miss Charley Tidd have charge
Of the grounds at Columbia; Miss
Ruth Coyington, Of Dexter, has been
placed at Poplar Bluff as assistant to |
Mr. Howard Mccullough, Springfield,
Mass. Other men from the Int'l
Y. M. O. A. Training School are Mr..
Lester Gardner at Flat River.
Mexico was une OF the first towns to |
equip a place where Its future lead |
ers and ciuizens might find proper rec |
reation and training that will fit |
them for work In the future.
The expense incurred seems small |
when it is realized that the large cit
les such as New York, Boston, WASH
ington, and Chicago are spending mil
lions TO care for the physical, mental |
and moral development Of Its boys and |
girls, young men and young women. |
Ohicag aloone has spent million |
dollars on the equipment and main
tenance of public parks and play
grounos. Mlllions are appropriated
for the purchase Of mors property to
be utilizedfor that purpose later.
The larger cities have found that
criminology has decreased, and those
sections OF the city that were formerly
notoriouslon account Of rowdyism
have been entirely changed for the
better with the installation of play
grounds.
Mr.. ]. b. besse and Mr.. ErfiIng In
Mr.. Ackerman on whose
property the best swimming hole
about Mexico is to be found and were
given per mission to select place
for the boys to use. Little
Deep was selected. Some brush will be
removed and the place filled up with q
spring board and so forth. The boys
will 60 out on their afternoons under
The instructor and will be given su-
pervision and instruction In diving
Ind swimming.