Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-06-29
PARTIAL TO PARKS.
Amusement Seekers While Away the
Day in Shady Solitudes,
REPOSING IN RUSTIC RESORTS.
knowledge of Animal History Acquired in
Schenley Zoo.
SHELTER SOUGHT IN SYLVAN GIADES


| Schenley Park as a recreation ground
has not yet attained to the perfection it
will ultimately reach. In the eyes of a
good many people, though, rough as is its
surface and unfinished as are its roads and
walks, it is much more desirable loafng
place during Pittsburg Sabbath than the
sidewalks of the city. And so it is that the
Duquesne and Fifth avenue traction cars
are crowded every Sunday with passengers
for the park. Yesterday saw as many as
usual travelling out there, proposing to
spend the day in roaming over the acres of
undulating sward and within the shelter of
the trees. Shade of some kind was de-
cidedly necessary, for, although the day was
not as warm as the preceding "a hours, the
sun was sufficiently intense to chase people
into shady hooks and corners.
Progress of Work on the viaduct.
The inconvenience attached to getting
into the park proper, which now exists, will
be rectifed by next Sunday. The viaduct
across the ravine from the Forbes street ap-
proach will have been completed-or so,
the visitor to alight from Duquesne car at
the Forbes street entrance and reach the
park by an approach which will be prac-
tically level. Yesterday it required much
perseverance to reach the green fields from
Forbes street at Boquet street. Dust two
or three inches thick lay in the steep road
leading down into the ravine, to be sent up
in clouds by every vehicle which passed;
and they were pretty numerous. A score
of children, bare-legged and sunburned,
and appreciating what parched throats must
follow on the walk either way, accosted
passers-by with an invitation to drink from
spring which bubbled from the hillside at
Boquet street. The youngsters, mostly
girls, had provided themselves with glass
mugs, and the cool, limpid water looked
tempting as it was refreshing-nothihg else
being available.
'And how much do you charge for glass
of water?" gentleman asked one little
girl
"Oh! whatever you like to give, SIR" she
replied, "and nothing if you don't like to-"
which very diplomatic way of putting it
extracted dime from the mans pocket.
Refreshing in the Shade.
When the ravine had been crossed stiff
where it was refreshing to lie in the
shade of the trees fringing the slope
and gaze down pityingly on other
people toiling up in ones footsteps In the
middle of this field a well has been sunk,
but the water pumped up yesterday by
some of the thirsty was so muddy as to
be unfit for drinking
'They did forget to build walls of stone
at the bottom" said a man of Milesian ex-
traction, 'and the pipe do suck up mud
from all around, which concise and clear
explanation of the matter seemed perfectly
satisfactory to his audience. 1t would have
From this spot half an hours walk through
whilom stubble fields and orchards-the
latter with green fruit appearing in scanty
and hesitating fashion on the trees, as if
doubtful of the futility of endeavoring to
bear up against a lost prestige
brought one to the habitation of
james Armstrong, now known as the
"spring house" James was doling out
pure spring water in the cellar to group
of dusty and thirsty people which filled the
room, and whose numbers seemed to in
crease at every minute; and he did this
with expedition and dexterity worthy of a
frst-class bartender. The man who gets the
privilege of erecting pavilion here and
permission to sell on Sundays is going to
make fortune. Druid Hill Park in Bal
timore, Constitution Park at Wheeling and
Fairmount Park in Philadelphia have each
accommodations of this nature.
Scenes About the Score of Swings.
On the hill Immediately above the spring
house score or so swings set up under the
trees held numerous young ladies who swung
to and fro with very little exertion and
great show of crinoline. Here and there in
the bottoms other girls reposed in hammocks
swung between the trees, while a faithful
swain gently urged them in q rocking mo-
tion.
The principal attraction, however, was the
menagerie Gusky, the tame and Juvenile
elephant, submitted to having little boys
placed on his back, and was so good
as to lumber around the enclosure without
knocking them all off. The nine deer received
on Saturday from Grape Island were duly
admired. They are at liberty in the same
enclosure with Gusky. AS usual the antics
of the monkeys and the love-making of the
cockatoos seemed to amuse the crowd
More teams than usual seemed to be in
the park yesterday The drive mostly
taken was in through the Boquet street en-
trance to the menagerie, and then out again
by the Murdick farm, going out upon
Forbes street, where spin along the
asphalt road could be INDUCED In.
Excellent Possibilities for the Park.
The possibilities OF making an exceedingly
attractive resort of Schenley Park are un-
doubted but vast amount of work will
have been accomplished first. A boon to
numbers of people who are able to pay car
fare to the entrance but unable to walk
through the park would be the establish
ment of a line of stages such as arePin service
at Central Park, in New York City.
1t may have been due to the present in
accessibility of Schenley Park that the other
resorts were so much better patronized yes
terday. Heron Hill, Highland Park, and the
Allegheny Parks had crowds of visitors dur
ing the day. Those inclined for an outing
on the water were accommodated on the
Mayfower, which had full cargo of pas
sengers on its trip, which was conducted in
an orderly manner