Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-07-14
he NEVER PLAYED CARDS AGAIN.
BYsTANBER ADVOCATES A PUBLIC
PARK FUND.
What Might Be Done if Energy and
Enterprise Were the Order
of the Day.


People constituting the inhabitants of a
city, rich or poor, old or young, distin-
guished or humble, must have recreation.
Whether 1t is the laborer, the mechanic,
the tradesman or the banker, there must
be, in order to promote their happiness
and health, some means by which the
| shady side of life will for time be dis
placed by sunlight, and that means must
be an enjoyment accommodating to all.
To limited extent only does Sacra-
mento provide for the enjoyment of all
classes. 1t is true we have our open-air
| concerts In summer time, and the Capitol
Park and Plaza are always open to the ac-
! commodation of everybody. Then, again.
onr new Central Street Railway. running
| to Oak Park, furnishes to many an opportu-
| nifty for pleasant ride in the evening. and
| from the extent of its patronage one
| readily sees how fully the people in the
Capital City appreciates every facility af-
| torded them for inexpensive enjoyment;
but tor city claiming population of 49,
900 to be confined TO one little Plaza, and
a Park kept in order by State funds, is
surely not evidence Of most enterprising
community. What We need in Sacramento
more than any other of the many wants is
| large, roomy landscape park, within a
mile or two of the city, and carried on in
manner similar to parks maintained by
othe cities Of like proportion throughout
| the Union.
Take East Park, for instance. What
| beautiful spot that could be made Even
now, in its untidy and neglected condition.
it has many romantic and beautiful sur
roundings, and / never fail to drive Wis
iting friend and stranger around its shady
roadways, nor do | fail 10 tell him that
arrangements are about completed to re-
| claim and improve its condition, and by
nett gear 1t will be one Of the most delight
| full spots on earth
But we do really need some place where,
on Sunday, the people could go with their
children and enjoy the day of rest under
the cool shade of the trees, away from the
noise of the city, with its heat and its
dust and smoky atmosphere Take the
| housewife, for instance. How dearly she
would love to lie down on some green
| spot in a quiet nook and rest from her
many cares Of theweek, while her children
could romp and play without danger of
being run over by passing teams and
without causing the anxiety for their
safety that has daily brought another
mark of care on her wrinkled cheek.
Speaking of the wife and mother, lust
| think how prescribed are the limits of her
pastime and enjoyment from Monday
morning until Saturday night, in most in
stances, alone. 1t is true there are some
among the wealthy classes who have some
| diversions not given to the poor, but even
| among the rich how many, many wives
and mothers are there who never step be-
yond the threshold of the house for weeks.
Now some will say: "Why! that's all
| right; that's where they live; that's their
home; and be it ever so humble, there's no
place like home" Well now, that is we'll
| enough, but no law of nature has ever or
dained that woman's existence should be
confined within the walls of brick and
mortar or clapboards, any more than birds
should be Gagged
Yet birds, notwithstanding the freedom
of their creation, are Gagged, and they live,
and l suppose birds will be Gagged and
women housed, just as long as the world
revolves, but / say give the tired house
wife, or seaMlstress, or shop girl one day in
the week to rest, and provide suitable
place for them, even though a saloon
or two be closed in order to do it.
If every man in this city who
is married, and has children, will apply
one-half the money he spends for tobacco,
whisky, cards, billiards and bootbIackine
n n, n i
would have one surprising Golden Gate
Park in beauty, and enough on hand left
to make our wives and children happy for
lifetime. But what is the use of my
wasting ink in any such talk as this. Men
have spent their lifetime in vain irving to
stir up and arouse the better nature of
their fellOwmen, and when | see good.
true, Godlike women with their fingers
sticking out Of the ends of their gloves,
while their worthless husbands are PLAYING
cards or Setting 'em up" over some bar,
and spending enough in one debauch to
buy dozen pair, | am afraid many years
will elapse before they will be willing to
contribute to their enjoyment in the man
ner | have suggested above.
AS an important influence on society, the
question of these resorts, where people mix
Unfortunately, is one worth considering.
There is nothing better calculated to
insure the peace, quiet and safety of So
ciety than an occasional assimilation of
everybody" once wrote Elisha Yale. 1t
certainly has tendency to soothe all ieaI-
ouSies or envy that sometimes exist be-
tween the two extremes of humanity, and
whenever the distinguished and wealthy
man or woman steps from his or her car
riage, and mingles, or is to be seen among
the common herd in any sport or enter
tainment, and when such action is not
from necessity, but from choice, it is not
only American, it is not only decent and !
proper, but it is setting an example which, |
ifimitated by all our rich and distinguished |
personages, would do more to elevate both |
themselves and their fellow beings than all |
their so-called charitable acts would ac-
complish in century.
There is too great tendency to draw |
lines nowadays, and the quicker we get !
back to the good old time" style, when !
Everyone met on the common" in the even |
ing to discuss the affairs of the day, and in |
which discussion the statesman, the Cen
eral, the cobbler and the expressman, all |
had his say, and the estimation of each !
depended not on title, or wealth, but on |
loyalty and honor, the better. But first |
let us have a common; :" and as Sacra-
mento is famous for her "funds," let her |
next hear of Park Fund.
| really enjoy game of cards." re-
marked a young gentleman, who is in the
employ of a wholesale house in the city, !
the other evening, "but have played my /
last game, and the reason bringing about
my resolution is this:
went up to Marysville on one occa-
sion upon private matter connected with
the business of my firm, and upon my ar
rival there late in the evening | found
that the gentleman whom | specially
wished to see had passed me on the road,
on his way to Sacramento. Surprising
him to have gone down on the same mat
ter | have mentioned, and having some
papers in my pocket without which moth
ing could be done, resolved to at once
return, but found that the first train going
towards Sacramento would not arrive I'M
til 3:l5 in the morning. 1t was warm,
sultry evening, and after having lounged
around the hotel until 10 o'clock, and
finding the heat still oppressive, resolved
to sit up and drink ice-water until my
train should arrive.