Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-07-10
Play on It and Lie on 1t, but Don't
Make Paths.
PUBLIC PARKS ARE FREE TO ALL
Col. Wilson ExpIodes Some Cher
ished Decisions.


The children OF washington apparently
do not appreciate the public playground
allotted to them by Congress. At any rate,
they have so far failed to avail themselves
Of the privileges accorded to them by sDe-
cial lie legislation. This playground is located
on the southern portion of the ellipse south
of the Presidents house. 1t has been open
for the free use OF the children of the Dis
trict for tennis croquet and other lawn
games since the list instant, but up to date
1t has been innocent of the tread of chill
dren in any form of pastime. Early last
week, as duly recorded in The Star at the
time, Col Wilson, who has charge of the
grounds, issued a permit to four boys liv-
ing in the vicinity of Both and N streets to
use the grounds for lawn games, but so
far none of them has taken advantage of
the privilege.
This seeming lack of interest in the mat
ter may be ascribed to several causes. 1t
may be sufficient, however. to mention but
one-the weather. The first week in the
month was too wet for outdoor diversion,
and the present week has been much too
hot for proper enjoyment of exercise in
the daytime.
Not Considered n Failure.
Col. Wilson does not consider the expert
ment Of opening the public parks to the
children failure, by any means. In his
opinion, the lack of interest displayed SO
far is due entirely to unfavorable condi-
lions Of the wea ther. He thinks, and there
are many others of similar mind that
1t Is too hot even for children to play
And then the public playground, is out of
the way, and 1t Is troublesome to take the
apparatus for the games SO far, get them
in position and then take them down and
lug them away again 20 distant homes
That is, all this is troublesome while the
thermometer is In the nineties; but what
n will tt,tn
mere pastime in the fall, when the weather
is cooler and altogether more favorable for
outdoor sports. Then. again, many of the
children who would be likely to use the
grounds are out of town lust now with
their parents. They will be back in the fall
in time for school, and unless Col Wilson's
predictions are at fault, they will want to
utilize just such a place as Congress has
placed at their disposal.
Popular Errors Corrected.
In a recent conversation with Star re-
porter Col Wilson took occasion to correct
an impression that seems to have a firm
hold in the public mind about the exclu-
siveness of the public perks. He said that
these parks We're public in fact as well as
in name. and are as free to the people as
they possibly could be. AS he put it, "a
man can do anything in them that he
would do In his own garden" He said he
didn't think anybody ought to ask greater
privileges tnan that. The ch1ldl en- are free
to play on the, grass, he said, and so also
are the older people If they feel like it A
man can, lie down on the lawn under the
shade of the trees If he feels like it, lust
as he "woul1 do in lis own garden. The
only restriction that is made is that they
shall not break the shrubbery, injure the
flower beds or make what are called tres
pass paths across the lawns. Col Wilson
ADDED that n 1856. nearly ten years ago,
he ordered the signs of Keep of the erass'
removed from all the parks in the District.
and that they nave since been conspicuous
ry their absence. There was only one ex-
ceptien, however. and that was in the case
OF the ellipse south of the White House
where, in order to make what is known as
short cut" the people had begun to
spoll the lawn by making a trespass path
across one corner. With this exception he
SAID, none of the signs to which exception
mas been taken by some correspondents of
Inc star has appeared in any of the parks
OF reservations in the District for nearly
ten wears.