The Washington times., 1919-06-01
How the Extraordinaril
Care to Safeguard Ii
Vinson Mclean, the
"Hundred-M Million
Dollar Baby . from
Any Possible
Misfortune Led to the
Child Is Tragic Death

TO royal prince, no heir to a throne
IN or great fortune was ever more
carefully safeguarded from harm
than little nine-year-old Vinson Walsh
McLean-and yet the tragic death he met
the other day was precisely the sort Of
mishap which his guardians were sure was
impossible. The child died a victim of
the very rules of safety which were so
painstakingly devised to protect him.
From the hour of his birth this son and
heir of Mr.. and Mrs. Edward BeaIe Nc
Lean, Of Washington, was surrounded with
every protection and precaution that re-
sourcefulness of mind and money could
provide, But one great fundamental truth
was oVerlooked-the inexorable law of
Nature that only by bitter experience does
q child usually learn the great lessons Of
life. The child was purposely spared the
daily mishaps and childish sorrows which
form the fund of experience that ripens
into judgment, self-control and caution and
is the child's own best protection.
little Vinson McLean's Fairgrounds
were the walled estates of his devoted
parents. If the child passed the steel
gates of his wellguarded playground a
guiding hand led him through the dangers
Of the outer world. OF the public parks,
the streets, the crowded cross-Walks, the
street cars, the rush of motor traffic the
child knew nothing. Whenever he moved
about in the confusing world outside the
walls Of his Fairgrounds detective and
nurse led him to his automobile, stood at
his side every moment and led him back
through the gates again into his secure
refuge
But the child was now nine years old
The eternal watchfulness Of his guardians
began to annoy him. The spirit of self
assertiveness and childish initiative began
to develop. Things that other less care
fully guarded boys were allowed to do and
to learn he never did and never had a
chance to learn. Things that other nine
year-oh boys knew from their own expert
ence the Mclean child did not realize be-
cause he had never had the advantage OF
experience.
The fatal day came The great steel
gate Of the rock-walled hundred-acre es-
tate in Washington was unlocked and
stood ajar The child wandered up and
peered out His guardians stood near
what possible danger was there?
But as Vinson looked Iongingly into
Wisconsin avenue he saw an acquaintance
"a florist employed on the estate. Quick
as fash the boy darted through the gate
and ran headlong into the street to greet
his friend. He looked neither to the right
nor to the left he gave no thought to the
dangers Of traffic. He had never been in
public street alone-he had never
learned to thread his way through the
passing vehicles. The child was struck
down by an automobile and died with the
innocent but significant question, What
was it that happened?"
Death by being run down, alone. in a
public highway Certainly
this particular mishap could never happen
TO this wcll-guarded child, his parents were
sure To the farmers boy or the street
gamin It would not have happened. No
child Of experience in the public streets
would run blindly through a gate cross the
sidewalk and into the street without a
thought Of danger. The best-guarded child
In all the world paid with his life the pen
atty Of his ineXperience
Vinson Mclean lived his little life apart
from the rest of the world. He did not
90 to school, he did not play with other
boys, he did not eat food from the public
markets or drink milk from the public