Search America's historic newspaper pages from 1777-1963 or use the U.S. Newspaper Directory to find information about American newspapers published between 1690-present. Chronicling America is sponsored jointly by the National Endowment for the Humanities external link and the Library of Congress. Learn more
Image provided by: Montana Historical Society; Helena, MT
Newspaper Page Text
I.SPECIAL FEATURES, THE DAILY NMISSOULIAN EDITORIAL 8,O.1ON MISSOULA, MONTANA, SUNDAY MORNING, JULY 23, 11 ,1. MISSOULA PLAYGROUND WORK, FIRST IN MONTANA, GAINING SUPPORT AND DESERVEDLY SUCCESSFUL ..y2 * dK ; ", I , CROWNING THE FESTIVAL QUEEN DURING ONE QF,,~T;'H PLAY GROUND PICNICS AT TINE UNI VERSITY GROUNDS. GIRLS PLAYING CAPTAIN BALL AT WHITTIER GROUNDS. CHILDREN LINED UP TO TAKE THEIR TURN AT AILLARfD S I,1. Missom:a has the distinction of hav ing been the first city in Montana to inaugurate the systematic operation of playgrounds for children. fRo success ful has the work--started in such a small way--(become that the city is already proud of this distinction and the efforts of those who first became Interested in the movement is deserv ing of recognition. To the Missoula Woman's club Js due all the credit for having first brought the playground moVement to the attention of public spirited citizens of Mlissoula. Early this year thris organization, after hav ing had the question under discus sion for a number of months, suc ceeded In bringing to Missoula a speaker of the National Playground association who delivered the first playground lecture ever heard In the Garden city. So vidivdly did he de pk-t the great movement that im med:ately after his speech a tempo rary organization was perfected. This led to a permament organization, the Missoula Playground association, and a few days later active worKl was started, Dr. W. D, Harkins of the university being the moving spirit. After a short campaign for funds, all of which were raised by voluntary subserlptlons, the association found it self In a position to secure a trained playground director to conduct the locLI organization along the lines recognized 'by the national playground ussoclation. The dhoicy of the board tell on Dr. Bushnell and hils wife, of Wiscormin, both having had long prac tical experience in the work. Dr. pR. AND MRS. C. J. DUSHNELL. g INDOOR BASEBALL AT WHITTIER GROUNDS. Bushnell was the organizer of the Indlanapolls playground system and assisted in the work in Milwaukee, Appleton and other Wisconsin .o. . The university authorities and the city school ibomrd co-operated fully in ev ery feature of the work and with their umlistance it beCUame poeslble to establish four playground centers- one at the university, one , at the Willard school, another at the Whit tier groundls and the fourth, for young children only, at the Central school. These were equipped with the neces sary apparatus for the beginning in the work, which was started just as soon as Dr. and Mrs. Iushnell arrived. Whatever may be the final result of the unfdertaking it should be remem bered that thls sum:;u:; ; . work was undertaken by the Mls.,oula Play ground association merely as a dem onstration ti, show what the work really Is and habt It accomplishes, the object deshled being to make it a part of the educational work In MWi soula, the promoters .being hopeful that the city will ultimately take it up anld support it as an independent institution. Movement Spreading. The fact that within the last 10 years over 300 cities in the United States have opened playground sys tems, that now there are over 000 cities with such recreation systems in operation and with over $100,000,000 invested In the work; that last year the cities of Chicago and Cincinnati each voted by a large majority In fa vor of bond issues for public play grounds and that many other cities are passing similar measures; and that 184 of these cities during the year splent over $3,0)0,000 in operating their playgrounds-these ,aets indicate a widespread and rapid awakening of the American ipeople these days to the greatness of the playground idea and the playground movement. Of course there are still some peopllo who do not understand this ani ar.. not yet awake to the importance of such supervised public recretloon, Now and then one meets Intelligent people wlho, not }av Ing comne into sufficient Clrtact with this great movement, still think of au playground as just a weedy vacant lot witt a few swings and teeters where a few Idle children may "~ltnasa" themnselves for a few hours a day--preullntbly to help relieve their .oveib~rd#nad parento, gulch an idea, to be ture, wholly psist.s tile signifl cance of this great movement .and its tremendous power for upbilldlang the 4: THE SMALLER CHILDREN DELIGHT IN THE SAND PITS. °y . . - _ health and happiness of all the peo pie, old and young. One Example. As an example of what a true, neighborhood recreation ground really is, and there are many such examples, take that of the 50-acre playground valued at $50,000 that was recently given .by F. 8. Shedd to the city of Lowell, Mass. This playground is to have in it an outdoor wading pool, a swimming pool, a shallow pond for small boats In eammer and skaiing in winter, an open-air theater, two gymnasilum builitings--one for men and one for women-tennis courts for both sexes, an afthletio field and play grounds for small children besidus, perlhaps, provision for hbund music, li brary faililties, aseeirinbly rooms, Ilirch rooms, and slillllar aeeo.modatious for the neighborhood. Think what this means for the athletic, moral and general culture life of such a comn munity-what It means e ieclally for the future lives of tile children who will now 'up it. Lal4dve ness lMedueed It Is now a fact, demonstrated be yond all question, that these recreation centers in our cities reduce the law lessness and disorder among the yOung people of their neoihborhood s nearly 50 per cent. They mean regulated, earnest disclpline for futtire oitizen ship. The play of a e1il4 Is by 4q means mnere "anmusement" in the sense which that word has for the adult. It is the child's natural method of preparatlon for future ife and merits the most careful consideration and ex pert guidance that can ibe given. This question ought to be looked at in this large Wayr with reference to the dL velopmenilt of moral, heaulthy civic life. indeed our cities are coating to seei that tlhe proper uttention to thils nog-. lected field of contunnilty recreation is becominlg an absolute necessity for the welfare, not to say the very ex istence, o of our cities thlilnsettles. Not 'by ciany nloeans everyone understands that in our collntry today, with it+ strenuous, nervotI s, crowded llfe, hI+ sanity inca'asing three tilies tita frut Ias thie ,i tiii lt~-hn, aunl itlso s iiioe.e tempernelt i,, doriestic infidelity, in eIqulitwiblo dilstrtiblniio of wealth and i other evil. tIhat iare attankilg the very fnlllllatiilis of ir national life and all incretihng fiaster tllnii the plpullt. tlou 'T'hoio.. wllo b i ei stt1iglttl tisti t l ii i, y c ,l'pt ,a le, l e I. i tl ate tlenU, but thely also di t,t elleve that they will right thiimasl', \i ithltout earnest, sell'f-sntrifiniln piL :l.' co-ol ,erution for a better talit ilthi'r life. In view of thiic f't is the most ef ficiettt ieerltlioin work is now coin 'lng to unify ihn otn sysitil thiui va Irous fuaturi of tublicy adiUsµdtewt latd 8N .1 SWINGS FOR TIE LITTLE TOTS ARE ON EVERY PLAYGROUNA puIlti' health. Thus playgrounds, pub. lie bathe, evening recreation centers, the regulation of street play, the reg ulation of mnotion picture theaters and the public dance halls, the celebra lion of natlnllal holHdays like the Fourth of July, the arrangements for civic pageants-all of these and other lneilaur undertakingi are being unified In the mnost progresslve cities under the Imlanagemnellt of properly-organized pu tbllo recreation commnlisslons, ent ploying paid expert secretaries and expe.rt play leaders. This is being done in accordance with three well rucognized principles. Flirat, that pub lic provislon for the recreation of the citizens Is as fundamental and proper a work In the modern city as Is pro. vision for any other human need cecond, that only as the different kinds of putblic recre(toln are properly related and stioervised can we have a dgoree of effrclency. Third, wx pert leadershlp and direction are be. coming demanded and supplied for work thet year around. Thirty-two of the hlading cbties of thi, country l. s year alone emplo)yed 643 workers throughout the whik. ..y a1.W the demand for s;"t'8i ,export worwkrs is ex ceetllng tihle Nuly. A most Important part of, I!i ereeation movement Is tilt lrllitu tl of the schoollhluseli 1Vt-11lgls as recreationll cnters fir tihe older emlll lllers of th l.ighlirlt,,,, as well ail t yh 'ull.,r, w r't O l t .,II)ly ti-al reralt n l ln o\ Vl e ll,*.jielI, but \iher+ iw.gh}oul'y wl t uon; ,at tth,,r to iliptrllb+4.e tio ill. nilly In this way c'4qit oulr 'l it ai h, to develop an in tellhigeitl I tll fi*t'leltnt detoll c l.racy. An thle 11"p,! "giln t See the Iln Iportill'nce of tills grout public work they will tlilpirt it financie.!.: Jw.5 as rea;ly suld whith ,'b.,t 44 i4)tu rea su i as they ",.. ltplJptrt the publil tHllre in l Mlsoula we are ,iHow In the begIlllllli+g of it very hopfllul moIve. Inent for t!eo -tabtlshintet (or thi+ recreation conters. Thu peoplo have seemed unusually cordial and Inlatl gent in taking up this work and th. matnagenbunt of the ployground asso iatluon hasl beun fortunatetrn securlag a corps uf enthuslastic and efflcliet local psay directors on tha four play ialujnds that hu±vu now been opened. As has beuloru been suggested, each pi.uylrounu.l is urgaited to secure not only 4he .ainarntum of physical de v'c.up.ent and healthy play fot tg chiluren, but alai the proper moral anld ciic developmnont whlclt mlaay bu hu ea.l.y taught upon a playground. The directors, a man for the older boys oand a womlnU for the girls and little boys, entilit with them, in the cuntrul u. the playground, the cap tail1l tf thu varlious teanls to congstl tutu the play ground coucitl for the ddauppruval ut cases of alleged viola tiou of the playgaound rules :adopted by the chllidrun theltnselve.s In their lnlleral tasahrblly. These ruleo provide for lpenailtles, c-hiefly suslpelaton trolu the playground, tur each oftinse, as chacatint or destruction of propurty or dlortder'ly or improper conduct, and have been applied thus far during the itllltlll.r Wtil good discretiO. onI the part uo the directors and their coun cils. liirectcrwi for the playground work were vlectt'ld several wcks ago and it.ilgnlitt to the sevuclal giu'nids, all indi " the up trvii.t.in of ir. ltiihinull, ac follows; Whttllllr school--C. E. Rupp and aiiss Ma'ry Allen. \illard acuul--aid L,\'er and .aliss timrte ?'lyl. L'uiirtrlty c.tlipuis--tlcllrt II. Cary tind .Mrs. I J. BushnUtll. 0- 1t' lA .'hu t l- M.l!os .\1 , e lillrug. 'ltis week two new tirs tura were pputlhtted--Mias M.Lton tU. PritUh a;llt andl iMli May Murphy oun the Willard anid Central schila)l play grounul., reupet ilvety, in the places of Mist Gradce ?ynn andl Miss iaule nutnue04 en------ lie Ttre tCuutlnuu. on I Three~l