New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-06-23

house, in which are individual and ahso-
Iutely private baths beth for boys ana
/ girls II is the only bath in tho city 5"
arranged. The equipment cost 5000
7 Down IN the heart Of the Eat Side ther"
has recently been opened one Of the finest
+ r1avgrounds in the city which mas been
developed into an athletic centre for the
boys of the public schools. The ground
for this was bought by the city in 1906 at
2 cost Of 1928. 900. but it lay idle until COM
missioner Slower pulled it out Of limbo
and developed it. at cost Of $1,000.
! Not even the athletes Of ancient Greece
had anything finer than the now stadium
recently constructed beneath the Queens
boro Bridge. which has = seating capacity
OF three thousand. II Is built in amphi-
! theatre STYLE. after the ancient Greek mod
81. and is a nearly perfect example OF It's
I kind. comparing favorably IN all tut size
with that belonging TO Syracuse JniVeT-
sitv. II is the aim TO make this the centre
Of athletics for the city youth, and is at
the disposal Of all the public and parochlal
schools and settlements u faces the East
River. The equipment Includes a splendid
eigbt-lar track, shower baths. lockers and
a baseball diamond.
II is natural that the 'grca, American
game" Of baseball should he the most pop
Ular NJ all among the boys. TIE love OF y
is fostercd too hecausa for one reason, u
ia IN the games Of contest that the greatest
educational value lies. II a5sorbs the en-
orgy and vitality OF the street gang II
is the best school for citizenship, because
tho bow loses his own individuality in the
| larger whole.
THE boy playing baseball o. footbaN
loses himself IN the common purpose says
Joseph Lee. Of Boston a playground eX-
pert. 1T is not a matter Of ac.f-sacFhce'
but Of gcf-fulhmcnt what is bcins born
In that boy IL The social Mailman the poll
! ucian. man the citlzon-and 81 rs my belief
that. In most instances, this political OF
social van Will get himself thoroughly ana
success fully born in no other way.
''Thdt is what the gang Impulse means.
We reaa every day something Of the ter
rors and evil doings G. iAc gdns, but It is
the manifestation Of the very spirit of law
uself--it is the social spirit. the thing that
all laws are intended to express. That II
should lead the boy to !awlasaEc2s is not
b,caufe Of the pervcrs.ty Of ;ho boy or the
evil nature Of the spirit; Il IS because OF
our own pcrversity in denying 10 this most
preston
"Tberefore. there must he provision for
the great national games which, with Das-
lctbau and hockey. can now be played the
whole year through so this Is why Com
rolssioner Slower fosters love Of baseball
in the summer Fairgrounds ana why last
year he arranged, through Supervisor Lee,
tbo biggest tournament ever held in the
history Of baseball. Five hundred teams
with twelve boys to team took part
rhat means there were six thousand con-
tss,an,s The final championship was
n,aved on Jasper Field oval before some
,en thousand spectators. In the words Of
the small boy: Believe me, 1t was some
game"
IN another athletic meet about five thou
eand boys took part, and it was witnessed
INV more than eight thousand persons. The
interplayground athletic games on the