Omaha daily bee., 1916-12-29
wayside Thoughts of a Traveller.


Detroit, Mich. Dec. 27.-To the
Editor of The Bee: I happened to
be In Gary. Ind, one day recently on
a strictly business mission, and most
of the street and club talk related to
the moot features Of proposed prison
which should be the most modern"
in the state-large. costly, ornate and
cause much boastng and great pride
Ye gods on high Olympus, "sez /
to meself, SEE ]" are they expecting
some extraordinary wave of crime for
this city of the ideal school system, OF
what is it?
! found out that Gary has a truly
sensible, practical (nark the word)
and far-looking school system, con-
tinual use Of facilities and opportuni-
ties supplied by generous and widely
(and wisely used investment. Very
naturally the inherent merit of this
civic feature has developed a fame
away from home that has come back
to Gary. The folks there are might
lily proud of their school system, and
with good season. So they naturally
look with an investigating and ambi-
tious eye to the possibilities OF any
new propositions.
It so happened that at two interna-
tional conventions / had handled pa
pers touching the Gary school sys-
tenn; the Gary awakening" Gas l call
it, in school work and life; for old
as well as the merely young would
within generation eliminate, at least
to very large extent, the need for
large prisons.
With every person of even very ordi-
nary vision will stand for the mod
ern" element That's just what they
used to do with the colts and calves
on the small farms where I worked a
boy, viz, train them right and they
will go right" Which means patience
where they stumble, continual repeti-
tion of the lesson and eventual victory
for usefulness.
And, here's the point! Sunday in
Detroit saw q program for a public
open square in the business center,
and / went to see it. Wise workers
in charge realized 1t would require
an extra large tree to make any sort
of showing in the noble space pro-
vided. So they secured cooperation
of the city park department, which
dug up, elevated onto long truck or
two and carried 1t to the square
''some tree, believe me-" Derricks and
heavy block and tackle were required
to handle it. When the tree was
placed, decorated and loaded 1t was
quite worthy the occasion. Disagree
ably stormy weather could not keep
away '.the mob" The outside crowd
a corral Of living. laughing, half-cry-
ing, enthusiastic men and women
surrounded an inside group of over
1000 children, recruited from the va
rious recreation centers. The war
bling, singing youngsters, in the Yule-
tide costumes of /ancient England,
were equipped even to the lanterns
of the watch"-a most beauteous sight
indeed!
Then fianking the juvenile partici-
pants were the Catholic Choral society,
the BILLY" Sunday choir, organized
, last fall when the whirling evangelist
was in Detroit and other similar or
CARNATIONS. A band in the center car
ried the theme, and 10000 spectators
on the ground and in the hundreds
Of hotel windows surrounding Joined
in one vast, swelling anthem that
seemed to blend into the music even
the fast-falling snow fakes. 1t W
inspiring to degree!
And everybody had the words on
printed slips distributed by a thought
full committee. Truly. Detroit's pub