Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-10-22
The CONSERVATION of The AMERICAN BOY.
~ sup7' $ HENRY YolFH "'"ot, ~
President of the Department Of z'"s'''

II = President Of the Department of
II = H..
During the past few years we have
heard q great deal about the conserva-
ton of our natural resouFces-our
Isoil, our forests, our coal mines and
waterways; the whole country has
been awakened and reused to the need
of conserving our agricultural, mining
and forestry resources. Conventions
have been called by governors OF
states and other high officials for the
purpose of discussing these great
questions; much has been done to
quicken the public mind and to make
it realize that If we do not want to
exhaust our natural resources IN an
other generation, we must pay imme-
diate attention to conserving what we
have at the present time. Important
as these things are to the physical
and financial welfare of state and
nation, still more important than all
these, is the character of our future
citizenship which is now in the max
ing among the boys in the schools OF
to-day; for in ages to come, as In ages
past, true greatness in state or nation
will always be meaured by noble man
hood.
A noted thinker and writer on this
subject has recently said: I'm our
eagerness out here in the middle west
to herald to the world with the mag
nitude of our corn, wheat and flax
crops, the superiority of our beef cat
tie and thoroughbred swine, and the
tremendous productiveness of our do
nestle hen, we are prone to lose sight
of the real issue, namely, the splen-
did crop Of strong sons and fair
daughters that the country is produc-
ing In their joyous natures we be-
hold at once the bright sunlight of
hope and the beautiful bow of promise
Of our future greatness and glory.
Drouths and deluges may destroy our
growing crops, disease and degenera-
ton may play havoc among our cat
tie on thousand hills, and our treas
ured porkers in the alfalfa fields; yea,
all these calamities might conceiv-
ably come upon us, each in It's turn,
and yet our glory not be dimmed; pro-
vided only. that our growing boys and
girls be so trained and safeguarded
in the home, so educated and disci-
plined in the school, the church and
other institutions of the country that
, they will develop into well-rounded,
magnificent specimens of manhood
and womanhood"
The greatest question then before
Al ~ &@1 to- VT
shall we maintain our natural resource
es of soil, mine and forest, but how
shall we conserve the greatest re-
source of any age or nation, viz, the
American boy. For of what use are
mines, fertile soils, great forests and
limitless water-power, unless We have
a physically sound, morally upright
and a mentally intelligent manhood to
make use of these? Why conserve the
wherewithal for mans work, mans
subsistence and happiness, unless he
for whom such conservation Is plan
ned, be himself conserved and i'm
proved in strength and efficiency?
The boys in the schools Of today
are the citizens Of tomorrow. If these
boys shall go out into life stronger In
body, keener in mind and intellect.
frmer in moral tone and purpose than
were their fathers. then the schools
which are moulding their characters
must take a decided step forward IN
their means and methods of educa-
ton In the first place, we must i'm
prove the boy physically. We must
provide compulsory system Of medi-
cal inspection, suitable Fairgrounds
and gymnasiurns. Boys are by nature
gregarious, and unless the schools and
the homes provide place where boys
can meet and let off some pent-up
steam and electricity in physical e1-,,
ercise, it is the most natural thing
for them to meet in saves, dug-Outs,
the streets and in the pool-rooms
where they become physically and
morally corrupt. When a boy tells
me that there is no other place for
him to hand out" than the public
pool-room, l do not blame him for
going there. but I do blame a condi-
ton of society which makes such
thing possible! Verify, we are too
short-sighted, for we take care of our
horses, cattle, sheep, hogs, chickens
and dogs-in fact, everything except
the boy, and if he goes wrong, we
blame him instead Of the condition of
society which has produced it. Every
school district of a certain size ought
to be compelled by law to furnish a
building and grounds large enough
and equipped with the best appliances
for the complete physical develop
ment of every chi1dr within it's juris-
diction. Many schools make use Of
the modern games Of football, base
ball. basketball, tennis. ETC., but these
games benefit only few, and l would
not detract from them. Why could
we not have military drill out in the
open air in season and make it COM
puIsory for every boy in school? Look
at the average schoolboy with his
bumped shoulders and wobbly walk!
What's the matter with him? What
does he need? III tell YOU He needs
to be put through series of we'll
graded, setting-up exercises; he needs
to be drilled on how to stand, sit,
walk, run, jump and to respond in
stantly to commands; he needs to