St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-10-01

SAp1li0uCeo yOu may NC dolc W III Ill u
slight idea of how the 10000 school
children of Minneapolis enjoyed Park
day yesterday. But you can't imagine
it all. You don't understand to the full
what Park day meant to those 10000
young people unless you went out to
Harrie's shores or down 10 Minnehaha
aG9 actually saw those 10000 youngsters
All the arrangements for Park day
were perfect. The park board and the
school board had charge of the arrange
ments jointly, and no. a member of
either board shirked the Work. They
called in as assistants Superintendent
OF Schools Jordan and every teacher of
the public schools. The employees of
the street railway company also lent
their aid in the good work. The first
consignment of small humanity was
scheduled to start from the school houses
at $50 in the morning. 1t started on
time. The pupils from the schools
along the Hennepin and Harriet line
took the cars at the point nearest the
school buildings. The children from
the buildings more remote were
transferred to that line at Hennepin
and Washington. The first carloads be-
gan TO arrive at the starting point lit
tie after $50 in the morning. The cor
ner of Hennepin and Washington pre-
sented picture from that hour until
long after 10 O'clock. The street was
thronged with people to watch the little
ones. Every car was crowded. And
happier lot of people than those boys
and girls seemed could not be imagined.
One who is familiar with Palmer COX'S
pic lures of the Brownies can picture
for himself how they looked, swarming
all over the cars. 1t is not at all certain
that some of the boys did not find roosts
OH the trolley poles. But they were all
over platforms and steps and interior
Of every car, hanging on to the win
dows, and chattering, laughing and
singing. LucklesS was the man who
tried to joke those little people. They
were out for holiday. The entire city
was at their disposal and they knew it.
Out at the terminals was where the
scene was the iiyeliest though. At
Harriet something over $4,000 children
large children. but so few of them could
be found that it is not worth while COM
menting upon them. The little fellows
of both sexes were the ones who were
there ell masSe, and who made their
presence known. For once the keep
OFT the grass" signs and the grim adj
monitiOnS, Read the ordinance" we're
not needed. What was the grass for if
not to roll about on? So they rolled and
they tumbled. They did everything
that any boy or girl ever did before and
they did ali lndustriorsly. That was
what they We're there for. They had a
whole brass band all to themselves, too;
The band played and they yelled and
hooted and danced. They threw stones
into the lake, watched the fishes.
waded in the water. and many of the
boys INDUCED that one characteristic
mark OF the true boy-the irresistible
desire to climb tree.
SiDoWn at Minnehaha about 5000
children diSported themselves. They
followed the same plans as the children
at Harret-the true boy and girl planned
to get all there was in the day while
they were about 1t. They made so much
noise that the trees Quaked. While the
fun was at its height a shadOwy figure
with its arm around another ShadOwy
figure was seen to steal away from the
vicinity and make for the Milwaukee
shops. 1t was the ghost af Hiawatha
and his spirit wife looking for a quiet
spot
Too much cannot be said about the
way the children were managed. Presi-
dent a. j. BOardman. of the park board.
who conceived the idea, was the head
and front OF everything. He was
even caught assisting in some OF
the games of the boys. although
he climbed no trees for obvious
reasons. He was ably assisted by his
coadjutors on the park board and by
the members OF the school board. Toe
much cannot be said for the faithful
school teachers who assisted IN carrying
out the arrangements. Each teacher
took charge of her room as she would on
a regular school day, although her work
i'll managing brood of those young
colts was manifestly harder work than
looking after them in school. But the y
did their work faithfully, and seemed
to feel that they were rewarded by The
pleasure OF the youngsters. So far as
known, no accidents occurred beyond a
scraped shin or bruised finger.
Park day was success. 1t will live
long in the memories of the participants
i'll its joys. 1t will probably become a
regular annual feature.