Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-05-25
FOR THE GOOD OF THE PUBLIC.
washington's Crying Need Of Free
Baths.
HOW SHE Is BEHIND OTHER CITIEs-Boys WHO
EAGERLY LISTEN FOR THE SUNSET eUN-sCESEs
ALONG THE RIVER FRONT DURING SUMNER EVEN
ISGs-How wHARF-RArs ELUDE THE POLICE.


Just as soon as the temperature of the water
gets about IS degrees the happiest days of the
small boys life have arrived. It's swimming
time, and that means great deal to him. 1t
fills him with thoughts of hours in the water,
of leaps from dizzy heights, and baths in cool
pools haunt his dreams and makes the musty
school-room bore. His opportunity for a
good bath in the streams about Washington Is,
however, exceedingly limited, and there are
few places where it may be had. and is as stolen
sweets with him, for the ever-present police
man Is always on the lookout. 1t is indeed a
poor specimen of small boy, though
that can't escape a policeman, and rarely
does the representative of the law make
a capture. Now and then he hands bundle of
clothing to the property clerk at headquarters,
the spolls of raid on the wharf-rats but the
owner cares little for his clothes. and quickly
swimming over to the flats, he sits on a rock
significantly putting his thumb on his nose and
giving his fingers peculiar twist. and there he
shlverlngly awaits the approach of darkness,
while the policeman marches off in semi
triumph with a poor little bundle of clothes
Then when daylight has melted into evening
the little fellow makes his way home. taking
advantage of every shadow and avoiding every
passer by. When he arrives home he Is sure Of
something, and, needless to say that something
isn't relished. 1t has no effect upon him, how
ever, for the next day he is on hand at the
river as promptly as ever.
WHEN THE HAPPY HOUR ARRIVES.
The sunset gun that booms out upon the still
| twilight every evening as old Sol sinks slowly
behind the western horizon means a great deal
TO the Washington small boy during the hot
sultry days of the summer. 1t is anxiously
waited and longed for by groups of youngsters
all along the river 'front.' and its echoes have
hardly ceased to reverberate among the hills
OF the Virginia shore when the water Is liter
ally alive with boys diving swimming. splash
ing, and extracting the pleasures from out
door life that only small boy can. One after
another, Ike so many gigantic frogs, they
spring from old piles, the yard-arms of vessels
distances that would make man dizzy wholly
unconscious of danger. The exuberance of
youth Is upon them, and thev shoot through
the air their voices sound high and shrill above
everything, and as their merry laughter falls
upon the ear of the saunterer along the river
front picture of his boyhood DAYS floats be-
fore him when the world seemed one great
play ground and he was shielded from the hard
KNOCKS OF life by tender, loving hands.
RIVER FRONT SCENES.
The river front in the afternoon is well
worth visit, and it does one good to linger a
moment and watch the boys. The policemen
are pOwerleSS to stop him after the sound of
sunset gun has foated up from the arsenal,
and no one enjoys the fun more than the good
natured man III blue and brass as he stands
| twlrllng his club. Now and then he has duty
TO perform, however. for the color line is
strictly drawn among the boys. and sometimes
results iii trouble. As general thing the two
Classes keep to themselves and respect an I'M
written bill of rights. but now and then some
reckless exponent of the fifteenth amend
ment will venture ont with his white-limbed
brothers, and the result is an aquatic battle,
! which generally results in numerous black
eyes, bruised noses and scratches.
THE NEED OF FREE BATHS.
The necessity of free baths in Washington
was never more evident than it is to-day, and
every visitor to the city is surprised to learn
that we have no such conveniences. This can
hardly be said of any other city in the country,
while few are well adapted for their estab-
llshment. Though no modern house is now
built without its bathroom, there still remain
many relics of the old DAYS without this neces-
sary Improvement, and the tenants in many
cases have to go for weeks without anything
better than sponge bath. poor substitute,
but better by far than nothing. There are, it
Is true, number of bath-houses in the city,
but, with few exceptions, they are of the most
expensive description, and none but the rich
can afford the luxury of becoming regular pa
irons of them. These small copper or tin ba-
sins, however, cannot and will never take the
place of the swimming BATH There is nothing
that Will brace man up so much, nothing that
Will make him feel that life is worth
living. nothing so refreshing and inyigOrating
as sudden plunge into pure running water
This he cannot have within any reasonable
distance about Washington. Its all very well
for the small boy to leap from the docks. but it
won't do for the man, and he would have to
walk couple of miles to reach place where
1t may be enjoyed. 1t has been urged against
the Introduction of free swimming baths along
the river front that the colored people would
monopolize them. This difficulty can be easily
obvlated, by having separate bath houses. and
both races would be better satisfied to have it
so. 1t has also been suggested that swim
ming bath be placed in the Eastern branch,
just above the nayy-yard and between that and
the arsenal, for the convenience of the people
In that section OF the city, and this bath would,
doubtlessly, be well patronized. Then one
might be located on the shore Just back of the
Washington monument, to be used by citizens
living In the central northwest section.
Georgetown people might have their bath
house built just above the Columbia boat
house. Many people, however, would prefer
TO cross the bridge and have the bath on the
Virginia side.
THESE THREE BATHS
would adequately supply the city with an in
stitution which has been found very successful
in other places, and they are almost necessary
to the health of any place. Bathing is neces-
sary to health, and but few people can afford
the time and money required by trip up or
down the river as often as would be well for
their comfort The introduction of swimming
baths In Washington would give pleasure to a
great many people and meet with the approval
OF anyone interested in the health Of the city.
RIvER-MAN's VIEWS
eyes, sir, / think its darn shame that the
boys don't have no place to SWIM" said an old
fisherman to STAR reporter few DAYS ago.
as the two were discussing the necessity of
public bath house. These hyar boys don't
have no peace of mind. They come down to
the river to take a wash and have to hide their
clothes and keep scout looking out for Their
police. tell you sir, Its shame that the people
that wants to be clean is SO harrassed But
taking all i'll all the boys manage to get thar
some how or other. In my time they wern't
disturbed, and many a nice swim I've had
around these wharves in good old days befo
the war. No, thar amt many cases of drown
ing round hyar," answered the old fisherman
to question "You see the BOYS learn to swim
befo they go in around the wharves, cause the
water Is upwards of rs foot deep"
HIS STORY
'Do you see that pile Of lumber over to de
right? Well, it was right in front of that that
/ saw de most painful sight that ever fell in nv
path, and have been followerin' the water ali
my life. Ill tell you how it was Nv boat
the Galloway Capt. Jim hewitt (some called
him Badly for shOrt), was laying about so wards
from shore, with load of lumber and il was inst
about shutdown. l was settn' on the cabin
splicing rope when my attention was called
to a gang of boys on the dock awaitin' for the
sundown-gun to go off before jumpin' over
ard he