The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1919-02-28
.ere and Ohee
By Mrs. Byrd Trego

| find the word amusement 4
made by taking two and making one
Amuse means to fix the attention
agreeably, cause to feel merry o.
lcheerful and the like, while men
denotes the result of an act or tn,
act ITSELF Therefore amusement il
is state of being amused, mental en-
joyment or diversion, moderate
mirth or merriment due to an ex
ternal cause, and so on.
The dictionary does not say when
how or hY what method we shall bt
amused OF entertained; that is left tt
the individual according to his con
4 ception and desire Amusement is
largely the result of environment
disposition, education or habits. One
child might be very happy with a
rough and tumble play with dog
\ while another unaccustomed to the
animal would be- frightened into
| Mysteries. One man is entertained
by lecture of high order while his
neighbor seeks the corner grog shop
to spend his evening in a barter of
low words and coarse jokes. One
woman points to her record at cards
as winning pastime, while another
will prove to you that she gets more
pleasure from her pen of chickens
than anything. So the thing that af-
fords amusement and entertainment
is as diversified as those who are
entertained are different in DISPOSE
ton.
Often an earnest church goer
thinks the dance hall unholy, while
the one who attends the dance faith
fully hold the Sunday ball game or
picnic an evil thing. So we may go
down the line to find oftimes stub
born conf1iction as to what amuse-
ments are right and what are wrong.
Suppose we leave the finer points
of opinion and conclude broadly that
our county is made up of all the
variety usually applied to human ma
ture. Taking this view of the situa-
ton what do you stand for? Here
is my opinion frankly stated. You
may differ with me as unreserved as
l approach you with the subject.
First. am firmly for the amuse-
ments that may be found in the
home. There is nothing quite like
the loving, chummy intimacy of the
fun and frolic, books and games,
chats and pets and work to fill in
the time with variety; that leaves
pleasant memories thru after life
when the family is scattered, or If
the inmates are grown, when sepera-
ton comes from natural causes.
Second comes our chautauqua,
whose tent would pitch as near
the center of the town as possible,
whose gate would be open and free
to everyone with an entertainment
continuously from 2 to II O'Clock p.
M, with a separate tent for the
or perhaps l would have
two or three entertainments going
on at once in different tents with a
small admission fee. Anyway I'd
make the entertainment offered
variety that would suit all and con-
duct it so the matter of price or dress
did not count. I'd strive to make
the summer chautauqua as popular
with all as the carnival is. The
Winter One held at the high school
I would not change I'M
less we could arrange for two of
them.
Third. I'd encourage outdoor
sports, good wholesome ones that
dad would prefer to the pool hall
and mother to the card table. Win
ter and summer I'd have something
going on out Of doors in some loca-
lion in the county all the time. I'd
have contests in quot pitching
Did horseshoes are good quoits- pole |
base ball, running, jumping |
stating or anything in good, whole
some out door sport. / think a |
county director of out door sports |
would be as beneficial as the agri- |
cultural agent or school nurse, I'd
work for athletic sports with vision |
before me Of future generation and |
ace fully equipped with bodily |
strength, freedom of mind and clear
less of sight that would shape a
United front to the problems Of the
uture.
Fourth. Would have carnival?
Yes. indeed l would. If we were !
New York and could have Coney
sland it would be different. Every
ity of size has its place of continuous
popular amusements. Smaller ones
rave them when the occasion pre-
ents itself. We have no right to
leny the lovers of fun their hearts
lesire in the way of street carnival.
t they are not clean, one must make
hem SO, but l believe barring gossip
hey are very good entertainment.
here were two of them held on the
treet west of my home last sum-
ner that were quite source of
musement- from my porch. A pony
'roke his halter and came over to
'roke his halter and came over to
,rass, but walked by my side very
rderly when l led him back to his
pologetic keeper. The children
covered about each day and searched
he ground for stray bits of souvenirs
fter they were gone. The. little
hows are perfectly welcome to re-
urn to our west side street again
ext year. The big carnival woke us
p quite a bit last fall all will agree. |
ONE one. got drunk, but saw
east Of a drunken man the other
ay in the alley and another quite
'ell stewed came up on the train
s did last week, so there you are.
went up two or three evenings to
L 1