The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1911-04-14
j ". DUNCAN
|. READSPAPER
Principal of City Ward School
Reads Fine Paper Before
Teachers of Clarksburg.
.Play as Related to school,

Pay is defined as a game; quick
motion; sport of lively recreation;
to frolIc; to act with leylty or
Ithoughtlessness; to contend or take
part in game; 10 move in any way
back and forth; to move gayly; to
act on the stage; to personate a
character; action; use; employment;
exercise; practice. Hence room for
free anu easy motion with liberty,
exhileratlng the body and mind.
We must admit according to the
broad definition that play has a very
important place in our lives. 1t not
only proves valuable to children, but
to adults as well.
The lower animals show very
striking examples that play is es-
sential with them.
Watch the kitten as it plays about
with freedom; the young lamb in
the field frolicking here and there,
and many other examples could be
given, hut we dare not question
whether all this in any way is con-
trary to nature; but in one sentence
admit the truth, that play is condu-
Give to the growth of the body and
mind.
The spartans were courageous
Greclan people, who wished to fill
their country with vigorous men
and women. To accomplish this
they did two things:
First, they killed deformed chll-
dren.
Second, they did all they could to
keep other children we'll, giving
them plenty of outdoor air and exer-
else.
Modern cities are like the Spar.
tans in one way. at least; while they
do not kill the frail babies on pur-
pose, they do allow parents to live
in places which kill children quite
as surely as if their deaths were
planned.
1t is a burning shame that our
large cities, and also many of the
smaller ones, such as Clarksburg,
have never been very careful, to
follow the second Spartan rule
about caring for the health of the
children.
In the past few years a few cities
have tried to relieve the situation.
by making what they call Lungs"
that is parks and Fairgrounds for
their citizens.
"A great discussion took place in
New York City over the problem of
Fairgrounds, where play could he
had such as we mentioned in our
definition. A committee of men
looked up the matter pretty
thoroughly and hit on new strong
argument for parks.
They made map OF the city
which showed by green squares
where the parks and Fairgrounds
were, then they called in police cap
tains from different districts and
asked them to point out on the man
where restless boys gave the most
! trouble.
oueerly enough, in every case
these policemen put their fingers OF
the spots where there were neither
parks, Fairgrounds, nor trees.
The committee Immediately put a
dash of red on each of thesd trouble
some places. Other policemen said
that the boys gave them no trouble
whatever. Policemen in Clarks-
burg, however, seem never to
trouble themselves about boys; they
are busy with men, who were boys,
neglected probably as to their proper
adjustment of sufficient play to
make ideal men of them.
! The second set of policemen in
New York City pointed to the way
and behold, their districts were in
the region of parks. This was the
argument. The committee saw at
once that, besides making boss
healthier and happier, parks did
certainly turn them into better cit
liens.
This cammitte next stuck pins
into the map to show where the
schools were, for they wished to
know where the children were thick
est. They sent this strange looking
map to the mayor of New York City.
and with it they sent the copy of a
law which the State of New York
had made for the city.
! give it here:
THE people of the State of New
YOrl- Tanro-a,taa