The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-10-08
Your Children
By Olive Roberts Barton

Yesterday I met a young woman who was burned as black as 8 Fiji. I said, Where have you been to get a tan like that?" She held up her arm proudly and explained that she had been on a cruise to Gen. tral America. And, having been there myself not long since, in- stantly asked about 1t.
 "Did you go through the canal and around the Pacific side, or across the Caribbean Sea from the east?"
 Really, I don't know" she said very honestly. "I never bother Swhen go places to know the road" It was incredible, because she is a graduate of one of our finest col- leges and has an extra degree from another. I could hardly believe my ears.
 Can Understand Blanks She had the grace to blush and add, Isn't it terrible?" I never was interested in geography. know I miss a lot, but it never occurs to me to inquire where I am. I suppose I have the artists psychology, watch | ing sunsets or the color of the sea, " -she is an artist of note-"but 8 map means positively nothing. But no, we didn't go through the Pan- anna Canal. I'd have remembered that"
 This may be difficult for some people to understand, but I under stand it. Knowing all sorts of peo- pie with peculiar blanks in their makeup, am rarely surprised. But still and all I think place" and places should mean more to the average person than they do.
 The map habit seems to be left to gas stations and motorists largely these days. They are more interested in detours and four-way roads than in states, continents and coast lines. The incuriosity of the man at home may have 8 reason, but even so it seems to me that the very nature of international news would bring out the little globe and old geographies for the family to scrutinize.
 Children in school should know their geography better. I think told one time about another college girl who had been west, remarking that she always had thought Utah was on the Pacific coast. And she still thought so when she came home. Then there was young man who bet me one time that Mexico was right next to the Panama Canal, even after I had been to both and knew that travelled nigh on to a week, fast going, to get from one to the other.
 Don't let the children grow up complete dunces about this world we live in. Maybe they won't dc more than travel by subway or street car for years and years. I did that myself. thought I'd never get anywhere. But the time came, and then was glad that I had paid at- tention when the teacher rolled down the map and said, "Now, Olive, what countries do the Alps go through?" or ''Name the seaports on all the European waters"
 Unbounded Satisfaction
 That was Miss Macdonald, 8 famous traveller in her own right She knew the importance of loca- tion. Heaven rest her dear soul IT never go anywhere without a mental picture of her making us kids learn our geography, and not maybe. It was her hobby. And in the thirty or so years she taught every youngster who passed through her hands got something.
 wonder how many gaze up at the Matterhorn now, or cross the Mississippi, without mentally talk ing the pointer and reciting the words of old Harper's Geography, Bounded on the north by" or "The chief tributaries are" and so on.
 The map habit, like the diction- ary habit, is good one.
 Copyright, 1886, NEA Service, nIc.)