The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-02-24

fine reference libraries and reading
rooms and courteous attendants, who
give every help needed to their
patrons, which costs our city $4,000
per year for its maintenance, does
nothing in "a large way to aid our
community in its neighbOrhOOd life.
We use our library as individuals
We there become acquainted with
authors, and topics, but not with
our neighbOrs. If this could be used
as part of the great social cen.
ter movement, as a mine Of infOrma-
ton on topics that neighbors were
discussing with each other or as the
basis of essays and lectures that
were to be given at our social cen
ters, this would open our library to
a great and extended field for use
fulness.
The Y. M. c. A.
Then we have splendid equip
ped Young Mems Christian associa-
ton, costing about $4,000 per year
for maintenance, $50 members and
reaching perhaps 2,CC0 people, with
their social and religious life, carry
ing on a splendid three-fold work,
the development of body, mind and
spirit. The present plan gathers
from all of the city. The secretary
said recently that if they had $4,000
per year more for an additional
BILE their persent efficiency, and if
in addition to that they could be
part of great social center move
ment carrying on in summer a
down town play ground properly
equipped as part of the social
center movement, they would be
making much larger contribution
than they are to our city life.
The Park System.
Then, our splendid park systems,
consisting of more than III acres,
costing us $4,000 per year to main
tain it. It is now a breathing place
for thousands, but if our parks were
used for neighborhood outings, they
of help to us than at present. The
social center has been further adapt
able to many kinds of help to our
city life. The teaching of our chill
dren of the folk dances of other
countries has done much to warm
the hearts Of these people toward
the people of the new country which
is now their home, and made more
responsive to our language and civ
ilization, and has been new means
OF pleasure to ourselves. Then
through the social center. plans have
been made by which the children
have been taught habits of thrift
through societies for savings. The
great variety of forms of pleasure
taught has prevented undue use of
any one form Of recreation that
might prove hurtfuI. The neigbbor-
hood dance shares with many forms
of sport. and all forms of help have
been made more possible by the CO.
operation of neighbors. An Instance
occurred several years ago which
will illustrate this point In a GER
tain community there lived good
family consisting of father and moth
er, and two children, brother and
sister. The young man was sent
away to a neighborhood town to
school and he began visiting the pool
and billiard halls and saloons. He
knew, of course, that this was not
right, but said nothing about it at
home, but his schoolmates talked
about the matter and in their homes,
and so it was known in the neigh
borhOOd before it was known to his
own parents. One neighbor said if
1t was his boy, he would want to
know about the matter, and so he
went over and told the father and
mother what he had heard The par.
ents, of course, took immediate
steps to correct the evil Much evil
could be checked in our neighbor-
hood if we were well enough ac-
uuainted with each other to create
the proper sympathy and bring about
the sense of our mutual dependence.
Brings People Together.
Finally the social center brings
people together on the right plane.
There are no class distinctions, no
magnifying the idea of rich and
poor. They are a just people get
ting together to help one another
end enjoy one another. The only
aristocracy is that of brains and
special talents. Neighbors meet in
neighborly spirit. conscious of their
relation. 1t is just the place where
we would expect men to give and re-
ceive the best impressions and go
nome feeling a new sense of strength
and confidence for. their conflict and
new sense of sympathy for the diff
ficulties of each others life, and be
enabled to face the new day stronger
on account of newly discovered