The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-07-16
WANT A LAKE MADE
WICHITA BOYS WANT TO HAVE
A BOATING RESORT.
They Say That " Permission is Granted
Them They VIII Construct Fine Bath
ing Pool Near the Maple Street Bridge
and Organize q Society Having Strict
Rules and the City Will Not be Asked
for q Cent-They Have Their Plans al
Perfected and the Move is Becoming
Popular With Parents.

Bows are coming to the front in WITCH
tia and while they have been threaten
ed with the Curfew bell and other
stringent measures that have ten
dency TO curtail their freedom, they in
s;st that they should be granted some
privileges. and are now asking that
tbe city council shall grant them the
privilege Of constructing a bathins
lake within the city and have chosen
their ground.
Tn speaking Of the case one of the
managers said: There is no use try
t,g n NIT old heads on young shoulders.
bow that does not enjoy bathing al
this time of the year is one OF lnose
roodv. goody boys that dies IN ms
routh and never amounts 10 anychlns
In the world. There is no use LOT ia'h-
Frs and mothers to try 10 convince lheih-
reIy,os that their boys don't go near the
water II their boy has any pluck aoou'
him he not only goes into the water,
hut no has his hair perfectly dry when
ne gets home. A boy VIII go IN the
ur,ter and if would be much better that
ne would go with the permission OF ms
parents at a place where there would
be no danger, and where ne Cdh p0
found when wanted.
ssT-his place can be constructed With
ont a cents outlay and the work VIII
be done by the boys themselves, ana
they can get their own bathing Suits
md the modesty of no one Will be
shocked lust south of the Maple
street bridge a lake of pure water or
from four to six feet can be construct
ed by the moving of a small sand bar
and the changing Of the current from
cutting in on the east bank to the CEN
ter of the river. Just below the bridge
is the natural basin and the work VIII
all be done by the boys themselves"
The boys have secured the assistance
Of o. T. Simmons in their movement
and in speaking of the subject to a re-
porter for the Eagle he said:
'Why cannot Wichita have a popular
bathing resort? This idea was suggest
ed by a mother in this city who has had
considerable trouble with her children
straying into remote parts Of the city
suburbs. and no doubt, has been the
cause of many of our sad accidents of
late
Crossing the Maple street bridge to-
day, I noticed forty or fifty boys bath
ing between the Maple street and Doug
las avenue bridges. and took occasion
to investigate the bathing place that
The boys had there. The water at the
greatest depth is perhaps five or six
feet deep. From that it gradually
slopes out to a sandy beach. With but
little Improvement, which am sure the
youth of this city would perform gratu-
tiously by removing some small sand
bars, there might be a beautiful little
lake of four or five acres of bright clear
running water made at this point 1t
would be a central place where the
youth could enjoy all the pleasures of a
Coney Island. or Newport resort.
Besides this, anxious fathers and
mothers would know just where to find
their children; and the large number
that would resort to this central point,
would no doubt raise the standard Of
bathing decorum several points.
II think the city could well afford to
grant this privilege to the youth, with
the understanding of course, that all
should wear a suitable bathing suit.
The matter is ait least worth considera-
fiOn"