The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1913-12-23

barefooted lad trudged to the district
| school, who was to save this nation.
| II seems a terrible criticism on
our city, where we are all striving for
civic righteousness, that our boys must
| if they go on the streets evenings,
drift into the pool halls, as they are
the only places warm and light.
Sadder to hear this assertion re-
peated as though the speaker believed
it themselves. Is there no way around
this? Why cannot Twin Falls as well
as other cities, use our school houses,
which represent so many thousands
of taxpayers dollars, for purposes of
well appointed recreation. A man
travelling in Wisconsin, compelled to
spend a night in Prescott. followed the
crowd to the school house, and says:
The better part of the village SEEM
ed to be there having a good time.
A basket ball game was in progress
between ligh school boys and men of
the town. There were Russian folk
dances, and other stunts children de-
light in. The smaller children went
home at eight o'clock, while the par
ents and young folks remained for an
evening of debates, music and recita-
lions. The little red school house
seemed brought back to life
| The mayor of Prescott informed the
stranger, who was curious: I'VE have
found a way finally to keep the boys
off the streets at night and the girls
from hanging round the p. o. and sta
ton This social center question has
settled all that"
Clarence A. Perry, engaged to make
an investigation of social centers in
| New York, says: THE girl without
social centre, is the mother of the wo-
man of the street. If the city has to
choose between the schools and tn
recreation centers, | honestly believe
the schools could best be spared"
| The adolescent period will find its
recreations. Best it is for civic, jul
venile morals, if we can provide sane
and uplifting ones, for they will take
! the insane and corrupt if there are no
others. 1t requires almost no finan-
cial outlay to start, in a city with such
buildings as ours, with their gymna-
SUM outfit, piano etc.
1t requires exactly $3.50 to keep one
boy in our reform school year. The
i, quality of reformation he gets, seems
questionable, too.
Chicago leads the world in this dem
ocratic idea Their estimate of its
value is shown by the fact that eleven
million dollars has been spent on rec
reation centers, play grounds, and
peoples club houses open all the year
round The arrests for juvenile Of
lenses fell off seventeen per cent from
1904 to 1906.
| Edward ]. Ward discovered the
school house. In Rochester, N. Y,
four years ago, he invited some neigh
bors into the school house to talk
| things over Three hundred and four
teen came. After music, recitations
and dances, they talked, and found
more pleasant people than they had
ever dreamed of They enjoyed the
spacious auditorium. Thy had never
realized that it was their own proper
ty. They thought it belonged to the
board of education. They began to
realize the waste in the use of schools.
They induced the board to appropriate
five thousand dollars to keep them
open fourteen hours day. The gym
nasium was open five nights q week
for athletic sports and one night for
entertainments. Fathers and sons
spent. evenings together on RINGS. and
bars, and tumbling mats. There were
basket ball games, and a woman's
gymnasium class. The kindergarten
was used for a club room.
Where's that gang of toughs dis
appeared to-" asked man after an
absence from the neighhorhood of
some months 1--WE lived here for
years and never missed them a winter
} before" "They aren't a gang any
more; they're a debating club was
the answer.
, The social center had settled ques-
, ton that had baffled police and pro-
bottom Officers. THO CIT Of Now YorF
J spends $2S0,0OO year for school lee
lures and neighborhood gatherings. A
: school official visited one of these
halls last fall and found three hundred
} young people dancing under whole
some surroundings and chaperonage.
public dance hall across the street
was out of business.
The State University of Wisconsin
called Edward Ward to its faculty. for
the sole object of promoting the school
center idea in that state.
The legislature passed 2 law that
the people of any community can use
any school house in the state by ask
ing the authorities for it. Some times
we forget that the most important
part of the young people in our COM
munities are those without homes.
Nine-tenths of our young men at
! work in various places, and a large
majority of our girl clerks, stenogra-
! pliers. and domestics are away from
their own homes, or have none.
Where is their chance for a social
life. eXcept the public dance?
See the strong young fellow, bun
CRY for an acquaintance standing lone
somely around-absolute loneliness, is
: at the bottom of many stray step
through an unfortunate acquaintance
Last winter in Wisconsins largest