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About The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 3, 1908)
' THE OREGON DAILY JOURNAIJ. PORTLAND, THURSDAY . EVENING, DECEMBER 3 1903. 14 OF PLAY Those Who Loye and Pity Shut-In Children Start Things; States and Con gress Keep Them Going Hay Ys. Crime. ' Br FREDERIC J. HASKO. ' (CoDvrlKht. 1801. by Frederlo J. Haskln.) Pittsburg. Pa,' Dec. l.-TPJnn - th; Pittsburg Playgrounds association asked ' last spring for a bond Issue or $2,000, r 000 for purchasing- and equipping-pew playgrounds, it exempiiriea um zuuuai n tendency- toward outdoor life mad play ' ; grounds -work that ha become one of the biggest laetorsin ue upmi. i Ttimiui, thm reauest was denied. Its pro- "v moters are not discouraged and expect to put the matter tnrougn next spring. ..- Two months ago the South Hills board of trade met in tee Pittsburg chamber of commerce, and passed a resolution , recommending that the genera assem i bly of the state -pass an act "Imposing ' upon boroughs and first class townships, contiguous t' large cities - of the eom mon wealth f-the purchase ot sufficient ' acreage for a 'commons, these lands to- be, particularly for, the sports and - athletics of children." A committee of , seven will orgs this before the. hsgls- ' .. lature. -...''..;.';.::. , . One hundred and seventy cities of 1000 inhabitant and over in the Unl ted States now have playgrounds sys tems. Before the new year is very old ' the number will have approximated J00. Pittsburg's system Is one of the best, . and the work Is notable because of the adverse geographical conditions over come. In urging the need for more ' placing centers the association has mads photographs of hundreds of backyards ' where some children have to play, show- - ing the impossibility of the thing. Jacob Rlls la authority for the statement that Pittsburg has mor -congested districts than even New Tork's celebrated tene- ' ' ment quarters, proving the necessity - for as many playing places as the city v.- can provide. Though the big tenements ! are lacking here, Pittsburg has more dwellers to tne air-space in some of its smaller buildings than New Tork has In its tenements. It Is for the pur pose of . giving playing places to the ' children of sucn districts that the asso ! - elation exists. . . .. Playground Idea's Evolution. Tn the vard of the Forbes school ot v- PlttBburg several philanthropic . mem-J Ders oi me uvic ciuo iouiiu u union ' tented children, one day li years ago, - and decided to teach them how to play. The children were divided in two groups, trained teachers were secured, andjJlays , and games were taught them. For a few years the experiment was watched, and then, because of the bigness of the thing, a permanent organization was planned. It was perfected in the wtn ' ter of 1905."L i Last year the central board of education gave $7,500 for the . work, and the councils appropriated ' $36,000- for parks to be disbursed by . . the association.. Such, in brief. Is the ; history of almost every ctly's , play- rounds. First, they have been opened v private organizations, usually wo . men's clubs, and then when their value ? became known they have been Incor Twiratad in the educational work. Or the parks systems, or given over to a dls- ' tlnct organization such as Pittsburg 3 has. Last summer Pittsburg bad six 5 recreation parks open for eight weeks, ' In addition to the vacation ' schools. Some of the arts were taught rdens v ' were made, and In the smaller chll- 3 dren's grounds trained klndergartners J were In charge. Kvery Friday flowers J were distributed to tne cniiaren at tne I schools, parks and playground The total dally attendance in the vacation schools, parks and playgrounds this year 1- was over '4400. j More Play ni Crime. ',- Accordln- to President Roosevelt, the $ biggest civic' achievement in the world . 1s Chicago's South Side playground, f More than $16,000,00 has been invested 3 there. ' Chicago has found, as Denver I has, that there is a Strong relation be lt tween juvenile courts and playgrounds, f ' The more playgrounds there are where '? children can be kept from mischief, the fewer are the delinquents. Wherever ' a, park 'or a recreation center bas been opened in Chicago thare has been a de ll crease of 8 per cent in Juvenile delln 3 quency la that district Chicago's next J playrround feature is to be a circulate ing library branch on each ground. - From the 'immigrant population of i this country can be learned one of the best lessons in proper festival cele- bratlona "Where the Independence day i celebration of America Is usually a - carnival of noise and disaster,, foreign- era la big cities celebrate the days dear i to their hearts with processions and folk dances in publto parks. Last May 3 J,000 Norwegians celebrated In Chi 'f cago the independence' day of their i, fatherland In Humboldt park, a proces v slon of 10,000 children leading the way. f The Swedish and Hungarian festivals 4 are celebrated in a like fashion. This popularises the parks and playing cen ters. Reverence for fatherland tradl- .' tlons Is considered a strong argument for good citizenship in America. Xew Tork's Beoreatioa rand. "t 'Every year New. Tork sets ; aside $300,000 for playgrounds and $1,000,000 for small parks. Without counting parks ;.-' of less than one acre. New Tork's parks - and playgrounds are valued at figures T beyond $B00,000,0uO tne last valuation f of Central park being nearly half of this. In old New York the park and playground acreage . is 1.444, an acre lor every group of 1,48$ people. The recreation niers on the New Tork docks . cost $50,000 for musio alone, last year. There is a plan now on foot to place ' a herd of Jersey cattle in Cent raj . park, and give the milk to the children who play there. In Boston where the more courageous children played on the common years v ago, an addition of 200 acres was re cently made to the children's play grounds,! The first recorded sand gar den fot American children Was started there in 185.- In Boston harbor there Is an Island to which municipal boats '. furnished f re transportation to 14,000 children under IS last summer. At the last session ot the Massachusetts leg- lslature a law was passed requiring a ' ' referendum on the question of provid ing playgrounds in all cities or towns of 10.o60 population, 61 places In all, " and- the school committee of Boston has -voted $58,000 on its playgrounds, and to this the park department has added $25,000 more. 60 much for pro gress la New England, where two cen turies ago playing was deemed a sin. Congress Takes Motto. Newark's municipal camp la one of ' the blgtrest lessons in juvenile helpful - ties.. The city owns a tract of eleven acres at von-oy-ine-eea ana over 2000 children were g iven outingj .there last summer. .Trenton began the first work of the kind -last spring with a 'm.. f iiftll Ths fiia citv reservoir. long neglected and in ruins, was trans-j formed into a stadium, making one of the most vnlque and picturesque play- BTD11IH 5ft-HB WJUIllI. u mmm ieeded Is proved by the summer's at- terdance, T3.000. When playgrounds '.for the city of WashinKton were first proposed, a Cler r congrtissmni Is said to'have 'sug tei ihat such a Useless waste of money rotild be prevented by buying !-t of chesp brtlloons and releasing th'fw oh '"the - While 1 House grounds e.,rr .. stroay- afiernoon that this ""' 1 r.nUv i tit chfld'en more . 1 . lid .ivl forgotten -' v..j 'i.ta tity l.uJ i-tuyuJ.. maOe other plans. There are ' now - ten municipal and thirteen school play grounds In that city, with an attend ance for last summer of over $76,000. Bach playground waa at - first the charge of some private . philanthropy, and later was adopted as a municipal enterprise. c , Playground promoters there have an eye on reclaimed and made lands for future parks, the land made from ashes having . superior drainage, v : .-.' '..' : Western Playrround System. , The state of Washington has ex celled all 29 of th states that attend ed the second congress of the Play- f round Association of America in New ork last September. The legislature passed a bill there at Its last session though it waa vetoed requiring that every city, when laid out should set aside ten per cent of its land for parka and playgrounds. The bill will come up again. In California ths enthusi asm over playgrounds is at its height Nearly a million and a half dollars has been set aside in that state for play ground uses. Ban Francisco, with the rreat burden of rebuilding, set aside 7.41,000 of this, Oakland $600,000, Berkeley $500,000 and Alameda $126, 000, while Los Angeles has one of the finest systems In all the country. In 189 the will of the Smiles of Philadelphia gave a bouse and a play ground in Fairmount Park to the chil dren of the city. It was the first pub lic playground In this country, and it has never been closed for a single day. Over fOO.OOO children nave piayea there, mil m. eomnlnta bosDltai equip ment, a trained nurse. Indoor playroms and outdoor athletio courts make of thia one of the most benencent De ques ts in the history of philanthropy. Next Tear the school children will hav ki mw niKvff-rmiTids. The De partment of Physical Education of the University of Missouri has organised summer -plays In 81 towns and villages, and offers special . training for play teacners. . . Pal Tales and Old Games. X The little Chicago child of the alums wno asKea the lot owner; -riease, tor. mnv I nut ro v fnjit on vour grass? has bean heard, and svmDathetlo cities are making grass plots as fast as they can lor the tirea utue leet iney turnlna- back to th older days ana re viving old' time games and folk dances, one time a part of the history of the various peoples. The story tellers in the parks are' repeopling the world of fancy with beloved figures from Rob In Hood, from the old Norse sages, from the German and Greek tnytholo- fles, and many a sin-befogged Uttle rain is already growing clear and clean. At Chicago's play festival last year there were 2000 participants, ana at New Tork's this year nearly as many. At the University of Tennessee summer school there was a play fes tival this year, and Pittsburg closed the year's play season with one of the most successful festivals of the time, Cheaper and Better Shan Crime. Aa preventive at disease and crime the playground Is the city's biggest helrier. It costs less than an epidemic or than the maintenance of hospitals, and vastly less than Juvenile courts, parental schools and reformatories. Knowing this, Birmingham, Knoxville, Harrisburg, Lowell, Roanoke, San An tonio and Syracuse . are among this year's recruits with the Inspiring ex. ample of Cleveland and its $60,000 ex penditures before them. . With ths play, tne stuay ana tne ouiaoor air 01 the nlavernunds thev mean to make healthful, wholesome citizens for th future good or tne nation. ... ; SCHOOL AUTHORITIES T3T EUGENE SEEK TO ABOLISH CIGARETTES (Special Dispatch to Th ftttrnal.) Eugene, Or., Dec. S.-rThe Eur ) gene school authorities have 4 taken up the matter of the smoking of cigarettes by the High school students. It is pur- posed to abolish the practice. The :' city authorities have bean con- suited In the matter and It la probable that a law prohibiting minors from smoking the "coffin - nails" will be the result of the agitation. . TDIBER-STONE ENTRIES BARRED (United press Leased Wire.) Walla Walla, Wash., Dec. 3 A tele gram from the Interior department to the local land office holds tip all Umber and stone entries until further Instruc tions. It Is believed here that the, de partment will not permit further ' en tries, pending efforts to repeal the act In accordance with Secretary Garfield's plan to have all timber on public lands appraised and sold under supervision of the forestry service. Lecture by Rabbi Wise, (Special Dispatch te Tb Jootnsl.) . Shedds, Or., Dec. 3. Rabbi Jonah B. Wise of Portland lectured in the United Presbyterian church at ehedd Tuesday evening, December 1, on "The Wandering- Jew," to a large and appreciative audience. This was the first in a course of lectures to be given this winter ar ranged by Rev. HT C. Marshall. -Dastor of the United Presbyterian church. The next lecture win ue given fr state Labor Commissioner Hoff, December 28, on "The Church and Laboring Men, Past Present and Future." Rev. H. C. Marshall, castor of the United Presbyterian church, will preach next eaoDatu, uecemoer n, in tne f irst Presbyterian church, Corvallis, In the absence 'of the pastor. Rev. J. R. N, Bell, D. D. Xelll to Be Reappointed. (United Press Leased Wtrsj Washington, Dec 8. President Roose velt bas Informed Labor Commissioner Neill that he will reappoint him. By painting c wheel rim with a paste composed of shellac and finely pow dered flake graphite, the evil effects of ruse win d mucn lessened. CURED OF RUPTURE C IS. Feretunn. mtft Normal An nhtwiM Writes: 'I wantto oa.v a word in win Tmnw9i the benefit ot the Buptured. I waa ruptured fot SO years and found no help untn I used Pr. Riee'a iraiunHH ana men I was completely oured. Tlffim infl nnnnttATl us, na(n a dmitM a mm kind and Ton do not lose a single day from your 1 iJZLlAV rwims my ladrferi around as a painter must, but a made do dulerenee. the-cure took nlaoa lust Uh. - ." " Dr. Rice wffl send a free trial of his Wderfol Rupture Cure If yon write him. Dont semi any sioney. JustfUl out the coupon below and send It t Dr.W. & Rioe.81 Main st,Adems.W.T. COUPON ' Please tenia, free trial of your method, to I Addeess. 1 JUnaLLLJ lUl Friday antl Saturday we will put our stock ot imported and domestic woolens on sale at your mercy. We must keep our working capacity going in full blast. Suits and Over coats we sold for $40 to. $60, made to order, will be put on sale at the following prices for two days only. We posi tively will not sell over 100 at these prices, as our shops know nothing but first class work. You can readily see we cannot afford many at these prices. Blue Serges, west of England make; Black cloth in Worsteds and Broad clothsold from $45 to $55, on sale for MADE '"TO ORDER All fancy Worsteds and Tweeds, sold from, $40 to $50 a Suit or Overcoat, on sale two days for SI MADE TO ORDER Now remember we'll make all these garments first class, use A-No.-l work and trim mings. You will never get a chance like this to get a first class garment for such a low price again. Come early and select the best. mm Mi 6m n. r1 KM ' j tT .0 WM&.. 1 1 i 1 h II T'T V r' ' I i ' ;!(h 1 1 i li KTH SIREfJ, CORNER STt : U . - :
