Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-08-16
PUBLIC PLAY eRouxos.

ground has just been opened in Sioux
City. 1t is under the direction of the
Y. NJ G. A. About fifty boys and girls
to play under the direction of the sec
rotary, Mr.. Anderson. The ground is
only available from to O'Clock Other
grounds may be opened later and night
play may also be instituted
Several things have been revealed as
result of this initial experiment. One
l2-year- old street gamin when asked to
play volley ball said that he preferred
to play robber. Pressed for informa-
tion as to this robber game, he went
into particulars. Certain boys We're
officials. These We're attacked and
robbed IN approved fashion and the
robbers always got away with the
swag. In addition to this rob5er game
there We're Indian attacks on prairie
schooner travellers. there were the usual
scaip;ngs and hair raising exploits
The situation in these matters is just
what students OF the boy problem have
long known to exist. The boy mind is
like a fal,ow field Ii grows whatever
kind OF seed is planted therein. If tbs
good; il the seed is Of tares then tares
will be reproduced. The problem of So
ciety Is TO see that the boys mind is
filed with good seed. That IS the mis-
sion Of the public play ground, the boy
scout movement, the i. NJ. c. A. the
Sunday school, the young peoples or
ganizations in the church. But we are
only ON the threshold Of this move
ment which seeks the conservation OF
human energy in order that it may be
transformed into clean character We
are only beginning TO realize that every
man who reaches penitentiary doors,
and thousands whose character is no
better and many times not so good as
those who fail into the clutches of the
law, might have been saved to lives of
useful service if society had been so
organized as to fill their minds with
the right sort Of food when they were
children.
1t ought not to be many years in ad
vance when public play grounds will be
as numerous as public schools and
necessary as the teachers in our public
schools. In connection with these play
grounds there will also be plots of
grounds for the proving Of vegetables,
fruits and grains. Boy and girls will
have plots allotted them and they will
be required to develop their talents.
into play and work periods. There will
De no mol!ycoddling and no effort to
press vigorous boys into Sissy" habits
But their minds will be all the time
KEPT busy assimilating thoughts that
make for Righteousness and clean liv-
ing rather than allowed to delve among
ideas that degrade and defile
Tariff laws, reciprocity, combinations
in restraint Of trade, peace pacts, colo
NAL government and other ynomentous
questions with which we occupy our
time and give Of our energy are all i'm
portant, but this problem of transform
ing coy energy into man character is
most m omentous Of all
The money We are spending annually
for tobacco would buy the grounds and
pay the teaching and directing forcs
for this great work. 1t would be worth
while FOR the citizen who cares for the
Nell being Of his own boys and girls
and for the children Of tomorrow TO
take an hour or two off some day and
figure what we are paying for our care
lessness and damnabe indifference in
these matters. Knowing that there is no
escape from the law that We reap as
we SOW. why should we not wisely turn
this law to our benefit by sowing seed
in the minds of our boys and girls that
will produce a harvest that in years to
come it will be pleasure to reap?