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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (July 14, 1907)
THE 0MA1IA SUNDAY BEE; JULY 14, 1907. i ( Public Playgrounds f ' ' , ' , ' . . ; . .1. '. .-'.TrsSBKSST " ' T -. ' -' -y " y-Jyy. ATHLETIC HK ni'Tv vlyRroUMls for "ni!ilia clilldrpn are only tniprarUy lo cated at Nlnttonln ami Mnry'K Vfouc, but at this tlmq ' they r as complete as thousrlj no thought of movement ex Inter! In tha minds ut the directors if tbe aoctety whlrh) ba clirfrge of tlie placu, and earli day at) let VK) rhlldren take advantHKe of this opportunity to play and to stand under tha hower baihH which ere maintained for botli boys and girls. The omaba playirround had lta origin lq a meeting held at the iiourt houne about) three years ago when a filtration of the) loral Improvement cluhs was formed. A number of committees were appointed and one, with tbo late Frank Heller at Its head. Ti-as named on public playgrounds. Othea committees slept, but Mr. Iieller's commit tee never nlopivd work until, a year later, the grounds at Twentieth and Harney ' streets wure secured and a few devices foo the children Installed. Mr. Heller continued pla grounds until his death. At the death of the first superintendent, ; the commit teo decided that the work should j be conducted by an independent aKSoi latlon, 1 and In April, 1907. the Omaha Plaj ground i t the head of the committee and of tha ssochitlon was formed. It Is associated . ith similar associations In other parts of , the country for mutual assistance ami tudy of child life. At the head of the new f association was placed a directorate of six 1 - . . .uu i v i. m a uiirun '. teen, th first board being" C. ) avm. Dean Oeorse A. l'.eecher. K. William Dr. Qlfford. Joseph Cudahy, Thomas H. Matters, Luther . KounLze, Mrs. A. T. Hrandels. George F. ;,Vest, Mrs. K. A. Cudaliy, T. J. Mahoney, Urs. Draper Smith. Kwd Nash, Mrs. Har riet Holler, W. D. Dancker, Misa Stella, 'Kamlltou and S. P. Morris, Gettlnar the New Grounds. ' ' v. kilo 1 1 1 r, i nrnn nm. u.hink problems which - "nini II- ...... uinmunn was me selecting w He new grounds, as the old ones had n,u.H tBto the maw of ooqimerclal Ufe. For sav aral weeks the committee which had bn named to select grounds was in doubt. wwigo rroBi wu at lia nead, and he finally aeoared from the Kountze estate a lease for a jear on me present site. This lease was atgned May 22, and aa soon u possible the committee began to install the parapher- r" wnicn una neen secured from the old improvement club committee, with such winer aevices aa it had been able to acquire. At the present time a double equipment In many respect Is maintained. One for the boys' department and one for the girls ana the kindergarten class. This double teaching reading or the comparative value vous disorder beyond the realm of child equipment Includes merry-go-rounds, teeter of the Roman or English pronunciation, yet ish years. , boards, slides, giant swings and horizontal It was an educational "gabfest," and Us Judge Lindsay's telegram to the con. and perpendioular bara. For the kinder- message was delivered In the vernacular of ventlon, read as a parting word to the garten class there are sand boxes and for the pedagogue albeit waa at times much delegates "Pluygrounds more Important the smaller boya a giant stride. The popularized. in handling delinquency than Juvenile bower bath la.ln such demand that Its use In certain perspective one Is tempted to U restricted to a limited ex to only one and boy and girls both use It. Perhaps the most Interesting feature of . . ..-,0.u,.u lno manner in which It managed. The boy' department is turned over to the boy themselve and they are responsible to the superintendent for the misuse of any of the devices and the misconduct ofythe boy who visit the arounds. In order to fulflll their responsi bilities the boy organized a ''Juvenile city, citizen being- a regular attendaut at the playground who desires to take part ' In It management. A mayor Is elected and a eouncfl chosen by the boy at stated eriod, and these officials are held respon sible for the order maintained on the grounds. Penalties consist of admonition lor first offense, followed by U8penslon trom privilege of the grounds, and In ex treme rase expulsion may be enforced, but 9 far a the records show It has never been necessary to enforce more than the tightest penalty. The council sits In a dis carded street oar on the grounds. Boya Basy with Politic. ' Th boy take considerable Interest In th political affairs of Juvenile city nd en election Is scheduled to tske place shortly after the formal opening of the grounds. ITor this reason there Is more political discussion going on now than tn many election where th father of th boy are conoerned. . In a few day the boys will have a but 5r. to designate their citizenship, snch button having been ordered several weeks ago. It is the Intention of the boys, by means of the button, to spread the fsme of the playgrounds throughout the city and endeavor to Interest all boy In the working of th Juvenile city. In charge of the work, as general di rector, Is William Fravr. who has de Voted considerable time to th subject. Helping him In a voluntary way are a number of young men from the Young Men's Christian association, who visit the rounds and show the boys th best man- ir in which to use the gymnastic para phernalia. MY. Frazer also has personal charge of the boys' department. Asaiatiiig the manager and in charge of idea and initiative or are loat in a mire of ti e girls' and kindergarten department is attempted organisation or crowded out by Mi.j Florence True, who came to Omaha the bullying and Injustice of the coarse and from Chicago, where she received aopeciaj rude. A aand plot tn a vacant lot with a training fur kindergarten work such a la good play director will bring to Itself needed in public playgrounds. several time the number of children per At the present time the board of direeter day that a fine equipment, shade and more Is deeply interested In securing permanent spacious ground, without, a director caa quarter for the playgrounds. Aoeordtng held. This wa the teatunony from all parts to statements of members, the ground of the country. hould be "central" and so located that The strong clvlo value of the playground they would be In reach of the largest possi- lie In lis ability to transform "the gang" ble number of Omaha children without spirit Into the loyalty and fidelity of th the us of (treat cars; they should be lavel team pride. The '"gang" 1 anti-social In and a large as passible under other neces- Its scope. It power Is turned against the ary conditions. An effort will be made to larger whole. The team pride leads to to aecur ro-operatiou between th play- operation with th largar unit and th sub ground aaauclatlon and th Park board, merging the personal pride with th greater hi aa eXhiat to hav on of th suggested pttda and Joy la the achievement of all. STUNT FOR UTTUB QIRLS. Kjit; yi7 ' m&A; :'y-yy' - :",.-y ""ill Hl I I -" , -i - - - . ... - - - - - -.. M I -i. .iUi i 1 ...J .. ... ... TTOMEN-S GTMTTASnnr, "rest parka" Riven over, to the use of tho children through the association. Sir. Heller lleporta Convention. "For this century we have entered upon a new work; we have started out to niaku It a century for the children. What they make of it will depend upon what we make ' them," Bays Graham Taylor In a recunt magaaina article, Perhaps no more fitting sentiment could Introduce an effort to briefly review that most unique gathering which so recently closed In Chicago the first annual conven- tlon of the Play Ground Association of America. Though dominated by the dls- tinctly social and philanthropic workers. It wa" an educational convention. Though there was no discussion of methods of of the restless, on-creeping, overtowering- educational wave, malting way for the as- sured time when there shall be no division line between question sociological and ed ucational. Chicago, with Its special park commission, which has Just installed eleven parks with play grounds and other complete equipment for recreation centers at an expenditure of W.OOO.OOO, waa a most fitting place for the or box any policeman in the stute. Police convening of uch a gatherlnx. For two man lirewer is chief of police and the en- day the program constated of paper and discussions; the third day waa given over to a grand play festival in which 1,000 chil dren participated in view of an assemblage of 5.000 adult. Play and play ground were discussed from point of view varying from an aid to good citizenship to the prevention of tuberculosis and' delinquency. Play for the city, the country, the little, the big, thai young and the old (only then they call It recreation). The name most familiar at the notable handling thus themes were Dr, Luther Gullck, Frank J. Foster. J1U.S Jan Adiiama, Mis Mary MacDowell and Dr. Henry Ii. Favlll of Chicago; Mr. Bath T. Stewart, Mr. Gerber and Msa Marie Hofer of New York; Dr. Henry S. Curtl of Washington, D. C. ; Mr. Joseph Lee of Boston. A composite paragraph attempt to reflect the trend of the whole discussion would run something like this: "Play la the natural spontaneous activity by which the whole animal world instino tlvely fit Itself during the Immature period for the achievement of maturity." Why Play la .Necessary. The developing period of the human young; being comparatively wry long and Increas ing with civilization it play 1 of great Importance. Play, then, la the work of childhood. Schools, pr se, arc very well, but at best present a stilled a:'. 'tl "ul. rather than a real, preparation lor l ie. and so the convention was repeatedly toli, if chil dren can't have schools and playground both, playgrounds are by far the more es sential. For play there must be freedom, space and direction. Children soon exhaust their own as an Element in a-' - KIDS XrAKIC vyTIITE squark, CinCAOO. "A great many Just common follows, work- Ing together at one thing can do mora than a few biff fellows working all alone," an- nounced a small lad returning panting from his games. Is not this the keynote of democratic citizenship? Development in civic virtues on a super- vised playground is rapid because the chll- dren arn free to net and yot are guided away from the deterring pitfalls which might otherwise result from their own ig- norance. The forming of solf-governing organization on grounds Is the most emctent aid to these same ends. The full breathing that comes with ex ercise in the sunshine Is the aurest pre ventive of disease, and the glad Joy In life born of normal, happy, elevating so cial contact with one's peers banishes ner- York's Police Force ERE Is a picture of the entire police force of York, Neb. It may be Interesting tovknow that York's police force is represented only by Mr. Jonas Brewer, who stands six feet and five inches, and weighs SOU pounds. He will run K0 yards, wrestle tire force of York, a beautiful city of 7.&0 people In which there Is no saloon. During Mr. Brewer' administration for the last five years there has been no house or store burglary, no holdups nor shooting affrays. About the only arrests made are drunks who ship in whisky by express. Those who have been pulled i lalm that they are help las when York' chief get a bold on them. 1 1-.. H IS IHI.llLIll.lllllHW. ' '. ,-, , ,. ;-..'--' V"V- ' ' ' rr"r r XI a f ij fy Ml JONA3 BREWER, . . V-'- i ...( s '-..'J V -S ,- ... . . 1 1 1 1' 1 WHO WILL BO ACROBATS SOMES CAT. class courta" may be given as ronrlse state- rnent of consensus of expert opinion as to the preventive scope of directed play, More Than Mere Exercise. Play la not merely physical exercise, but through Its imitative and creative phase easily leads to the culture of aesthentlc artlstlo and highly spiritual life on the one hand and the Industrial plays on the other. Mr. Stewart refers to the period beyond the kindergarten as the kindervelt, where the children use their out ideas of weaving, constructing, etc., in hands in working molding, curving, ways most satis- Gleanin ,s LOT IENERAL Lawton's division was murching back to El Paso, there to take up a new position in the morning. General "Joe" Wheeler, In company with Major Crelghton Webb, was standing at the edgo of tho road, watching the troops file past. Just as dawn was breaking a colored regiment came in sight,. It gave evidence of being unusually tired. I.awton s attention had been attracted to a corporal of the Twenty-fifth infuntry, a-- great six-foot negro. In addition to a couple of guns and two cartridge belts, laded full, was carrying a dog. Tho sol dier to whom tho other gun belonged was limping beside his comrade. Lawton halted the men. "Here, cor poral," he culled to the six-foot negro, "haven't you marched all night?" "Yes, sir," said the corporaj, salutlna. "And fought ull day?" "Ycsf sir." "Then," asked the general, "why are you carrying a dog In addition to your other burdens'.'" "General," said the negro, with a min that showed every one of his twenty-two teeth, "the dug's tired!" JJucccaa ilugu Clne. Unforced 1'ollteueaa. A Germajitown woman was not long ago watching a workman us he put up new window fixtures In her house. "Don't you think that you have placed those fixtures too high?" usked she, hav- lng reference to the curtain mil last put In place. The workman, a stolid German, made no reply, but continued to adjust the fixtures. "Didn't you hear my question?" ue demanded the lady of the house. "How dare you be so'rude!" Whereupon the German gulped convul- lively, and then replied In the gentlest of voices: "I haf my mouth full of schrews, und I could not spheak till I svallow some!" Harper Weekly. Stonewall's Hrldxe Ilullder. "Stonewall Jackson," said a Virginia vet eran, "used to tell a good story about a bridge builder. "Thl bridge builder was called old Miles. He was very necessary to Jucksou because th flimsy bridge on the line of march wr continually being wept away by the flood or destroyed by the enemy; and in thee contingencies Mllu was a regular Jewel. He could run you up a bridge In the time It would taks another man to make the measurement. "On day the union troop burned a bridge acres th Shenandoah. Slonuwall Jackson called old Miles to him and said: 'You must put all your men to work, Miles, and you must keep them at It' all night, for I've got to have a bridge across this stream by morning. My engineer will draw up the plans for ou.' "Well, early the next morning, Jackson r very much worried, met old Mile. " 8e bare,' be laid, dubluualy, hw ilodern Training of . -I 1,1 nr"" - I 1 4 -if i J - ? ' - -- "woric, irnjrs OTsrsrAEitrjr, mark factory to themselves, thus leading through "play-work" to the skill and knowledge, the concentration and power necessary for work proper. As this Aladdin rubbed his lamp, a beau tiful vision arose a school house, ad- quate. inviting, open nights, Saturdays and Sundays, vital and functioning, from base- nietit reading rooms and gymnasium to well-lighted roof play grounds (for crowded cities), but with letter school only three hours per day; with vacation school started before the "fishing becomes good," an1 adjusted to meet boys' needs, that they will know enough to stay In school, (Mr. Joseph Lee of IJoston says that From the about that bridge? Did the engineer give you the plan?' "Old Miles took the cigar from his mouth and flicked the ash off with a sneer. " 'General,' ho said,' 'the bridge is dor.e. j diiiino whether the plcter is or not.' " Washington Slar. j. Vpholdlna- Scripture, .The guilt of the man was so evident that the lawyer for the defense merely said: "I i,if make no arcummi. hut onlv call the attention of the Jury to the scripture which reads: 'Let him that is without sin among you cast tho first stone at him.' " In ten minutes tho Jury returned a ver dict of "Not guilty." ' Gentlemen," said the Judgo, "bow could you, on tie face of the evidence, render a verdict like that?" "Well, Judge." replied the foreman, "It wuz Jest Impossible to set thut scrlpter aside!" Chicago Record-Heruld. Porter's Uuiuk Wit. Not long ujo one of tho chiefs of the paid officials the general manager, so It is mill of a certain Imporiuiit railway nllghted at a little Junction statlun away in the heart of the country. The railway illgr.ii;.ry was returning alone from a fish ing expedition, and was well burdened with luggage of various kinds. The porter at this station proved a per- lect paragon una waited upon me traveler with the utmost possible politeness. He immediately gathered altogether all the travek-r's traps and said thut he would look after tin in well until the departure of the branch train, when he would see that they were duly handed over to their owner. Impressed with the porter's alacrity and courtesy, the general managed handed him a fairly good tip. which was accepted mlth expressions of gratitude and evident pleus- uro. After a little while the official went up to the porter and Introduced a ounversu tlon. "I say, my tnun, do you happen to know who I am?" lie Inquired. "Indeed, I don't, sir; 1 haven't the slight est idea," was the ready reply. "Well, I'm the general inunagor of this railway, and I suppose you know tnat there's an order In your book which speaks m lna piuinet possible terms agulnst tak- ng tips from passengers." "Begging your pardon, sir." respondad the quick witted porter, "it says we are, uot to take gratuities from the public but there' nothing in the rule book at all against our taking such a gift from a fellow servant." New York Times. i Th Heal Thl. Two women were discussing some new ne'ghbors who had moved into one of the most sumptuous bouses in their city. "They seem to be very rich," said first. "Oh, they are." said the second. "Shall you call?" "Decidedly." "You ar sure, ar you, that they ar th rt'tow r"- 'MV JJ,.. tBETER BOARD AT OMAHA FLAT vrrriTn sqttartj. cmcAno. chief cause. of truancy Is that "boys know too much to go to school.") The play of the child, then, with all Its tremendous vltHl Initiative force, shall form a complete bridge over to the work of the tnun. Surely, then, we shall no more be twitted that "we lack efficiency, not capital pleasures; not goorl, keen, present inter ests," "and courage to live Joyous lives." It Is tho children's century; they will maJio of it what we make of them. Plajr Festival. The play festival whose unique success was duo very largely to the untiring efforts of Mios Amalle Hofer of Chicago com- Story Teller's Pack quite correct, quite er good form?" "Oh, my dour, I'm positive," said the second woman, "They have thirty serv ants, eighteen horses, twelve dogs, eleven automobiles and one child." Philadelphia Ledger. His Uuslncaa. Roston lawyer, who brought hlfl wit. from his native Dublin, while cross-examln- lug the plulnllff In a divorce trial, brought forth following': "You wish to divorce this woman hc causo she drinks?" "Yes, sir." "Do you drink yourself?" "That's my business!" angrily. Whereupon the unmoved lawyer asked: "Have you any other business?" Every body's Uugazlue. - Ho Hm Natlsflod. An automobile dashed along the countrj road, relates tho Youths' Companion. Turn ing a curve, it came suddenly upon a man with a gun on his khuulder and a weak, sick looking dog besldo hlin. The dog was directly In the path of the motor car. The chauiieur sounded his horn, but the dog did not move until he was struck. After that he did not move. The automobile slopped and one of the men got out and came forward. Ho had onco paid a fanner Jlo for killing a calf that belonged to another fanner. Tins time he was wary. "Was that your dog?" "Yes." "You own him?" "Yes." ' "Looks as if we'd killed him." "Certainly looks so." "Very valuable dog?" "Well, not so very." "Will V satisfy you?" "Yes." "Well, then, here you are." He handed a IS bill to the man with the gun, and added pleasuntly: "I'm sorry to have broken up your hunt." "I wasn't going hunting," replied tb other aa he pocketed the bill. "Not going hunting? Then what wer y"" doing with the dog and the gun?" 'Going down to the woods to shoot tb dog." Only a Derision. In a Jury trlul in New York recently the Homey for the defense started in to lead to the Jury from a certain volume of the supreme court reports. He was Inter rupted by the court, who said: "Colonel , it is not admissible, you know, to read law to the Jury." "Yes, I nnderstand, your honor; I am only reading to the Jury a deolslon of th supreme court." Philaoolphia Ledger. "Thl Is Ihliu." Not in a thousand years will blood forget blood, even in this great nation of ours. The column baa been winding all morn- lug through open country. Now is was approaching close woodland and high (rasa. Th captain X tb company aoUng Children y n f . r ; GROfNT. mens was far n;re ttisn a mere eThlMU As an exhibit it would have been n com mon, pitiful thing, but It was a play festi val. Children tamo representing th'Mf School or group soil played out Iheir lltill pnrt with goe. The klnderwirten children linn from nwetal iwighborh ik schools and marched and played their ring panics. There were the simple games of the school grounds ami many kinds of ball for hot i boys rind girls; llirie ni tl'Knr, nnd lllinliitig and swInKtnc stunts; ;nces of pinny kuvls, and fetes both ell. familiar and new and stia;;a''. Misa tlofcr of N'i" Tork led twenty-four young women In follt dancing on the gteen; 1"" young- girls In "gym" iovf.iinie oi1ctcd the Inverness reel to the bagp'O' s' vl re.ina melodies. The Swedish naiioo.il ilav es In i-iif.t -nini ,re nie'-t nti r si irg. ;s whs the lo heir '.tn licfied.i." IVi-hapi the lirst of 1,11 was the f"1k dunce by native Lithu anian women In o'stutne. This wan a gen uine heart contribution to a gn-;lt occa slon. Not all of the women were young', nnd some of them neltlirr slend r nor beatu tlful. but with dignity and ease, chnntlnsj their own t hythymle n cotnpatilmenl , thV showed the ell lens of their a,loi.t"d land the dance that generation after getieintlon their fathers In the far away liome land had helped, through the Jovojix out piuri"i of tlicir own lives, to make more henutl ful and complete. A. K. Winshlp, veteran ertuca.tlonnllPf, witnessed this number with oft repented expnssions of satisfaction and approval. The social and aesthetic as relatea to tliej teacher are the themes upon which Mr. Winshlp has delighted nnd enlightened Omaha audiences. W. N. Harlamnn. per-. !inps the best known mnsiiilino kinder garten authority now living, watched that srene with great zest. it was in iao an occasion of peculiar significance to nil educators, especially disciples of FroebeL.: A scud of rnln finally drove the players, little nnd big, out of the park and toward; the street cars In groat haste, and the first annual convention unique, ruc iwnafiil and. It is to be hoped, effective had closed. Its hope of effectiveness lies in spreading tho knowledge of the meaning nnd value of outdoor, directed play; the value of th. things thus learned in making and keeplngl children happy, good, normal; nnd the economy of rec nizlng such provisions M part of a city's necessary equipment. HARRIETT H. HKLLHR. as advance guard, knew that trouble wsa probably lying ahead. Ho called to hlin his pet sergeant the man he had been saving through all the day for the time when a "best." man was needed. "Sergeant O'llara," he said, "I want you to pick out from the company any six men you choose and go ahead aa a point, "i'ou can have anybody you want only choose the best you know. I think we will be fired on from those low hills.' Sergeant O libra's eye searched the com pany. "Sullivan!" he called, "McCarthy! OTJon nell! Moriarityl McGlnnlss!" He hesi tated. His glance wandered uneasily up and down tho line. Big, honest Swedes, burly Teutons, lanky Yankees, there were In plenty. But where oh, yes, there on the left of the lino that bright-eyed, pug uused, rod-headed little beggar, nodding and Imploring attention with his twlste4 up face. The sergeant' brow cleared. "Lynch!" ha called, with a sigh of relief. "This Is thlm, sorr." he added, turning to the captain. Outing. Revived by s Thirst. Edward Beck of Lander, a Wyoming sheep herder, sat up In his coffin and called for a drink of whisky thirty-six hour after what was believed to have been hi death and Just as his funeral was about to b held. No doctor examined Beck' body after his supposed death, but friends who exam ined It saw no signs of life, and, believing he was dead, made a crude coffin, put th remains In It and arranged to bury them. His supposed death occurred on th rang, where he wa herding sheep, and tha fu neral was to be held at a sheep camp. A number of men who knew Beck wer gath ered about tha coflln and one of them waa about to read a passage from th Scrip ture, when Beck sat up and called for a drink. He said he had not felt sick before losing consciousness, and, sav slight diz ziness, felt no 111 effeot from hi death like sleep. H got the whisky. I.oet Meaaory Retarna. After a lapse of memory lasting four year Charles Brewln, th Burlington (N. J.) tailor who wandered away from borne and family that length of time and waa found recently working tn a dyeing and cleaning establishment In Plalnfteld, sud denly came to himself en Sunday, June SO. Brewln, who 1 supposed to hav been a sufferer from aphasia, whloh deprive Its victim of memory antedating a ooxtaln time, bad been unable to recall the inci dent In his earlier life. Dr. Buohanan, a Burlington physician, and his father, culled upon Brewln. At sight of his father Brewln sturtod, "something brok In hi head," a he put It, and a Hood of light Illumined the past. Ha thought h bad left home the day before and pok of events which took place al the time of hi disappearance as though not more than twenty-fours had Intervened, He asked for members of hi faraiby ana bag(4 ta ba taken to them at