The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-10-10
MEN YORK boy Fathers"
ARE TENDING BABIES WITH MORE
OR LESS RESIGNATION.
Picture of Child Life as Seen on
East Third Street-SwiuSa and
Merry-Go-Round Near the Recre-
alton Sfer-Incursiono of Two Girls

The Central Park carrousel IS a lively
pace on these summer afternoons hut il
can : compare IN popularity with the play
ground adjoining the recreation pier on
last Third street. On either side OF tie
street, al the entrance 10 the pier, there
are, or rather there we're vacant los.
tarIy II the season sounds Of reve,ry b.
gan 10 come from the south lot and orb
Die o1t 70 the street 4 wheeZv barrel
organ, with q pathetic catch III It's voice
auaVered out old-fashioned airs like
broken down music hail soprano Laugh
ter and Joke Of DUBIOUS color ffoated au.
through the gate. around which always
Clustered crowd o. small boys and girs
with an occasional grown-up i5ler
In the yard wooden swings were lined II,
IN rows Tie children didn't seem to swing
often, hut the older bays and girls ker.
the swings going and carried on reg.la-
ton east side tiirtar:ons as they passed
each other in Uid-air. Sometimes A boy
and girl occupied one swing: then The hoy.
in trua masculine fashion. strained every
nerve 70 impress the girl with his strength
and daring, and the girl. In true feminine
fashion. pretended 10 be nightly I'M
pressed and sqGealed in most satisfactory
r> -iEent AMI the SPECTATORS In true
worldly fashion. commented upon the
couple:
"Wud ye lux at LIZ You'd think she
wuz clean gone on him: and il was only
last night that she was swinging with
Jimmy. ana heard her a-tel!in' him he
was the finest that ever She gifts more
swings than anybody
The swing proprietor was on good terms
with Liz When there were no bows in
sight he rented swings to her at half
price in consideration of the way she
doomed business. Now he realizes. az
does jimmy. that her friendship is not 10
ne Id ha oil has
ed from Israel. or 10 be more exact
Israel has departed from the swing yard
rival entertainment has been set up on
the other side of the street. and the tickle
crowd had transferred It's allegiance. Aft
er all. swings couldn't compete with a
merry-go round, and the broken winded
U;tls organ has no show against the gor-
geous instrument which blarea out Star
Spangled Banner" ana "There'I Be a Hot
Time" while the horses prance around.
The deserted swing proprietor stands
alone beside his gate and chews the cud
OF bitter refection-also pepsin gum. He
seems philosophical. Perhaps he has been
through the experience before. and knows
that the tide will ebb back to him when
| the novelty OF the new arrival wears of.
He placidly chews. In time TO the strident
| tones Of the rival organ. His own little
| organ is quite drowned out. and only an
| occasional high note. ptifully false. makes
| itself heard
| Around the merry go-round the crowd IS
| constantly changing. yet always looks
! much the same. Very small boys. In frag-
| inentary clothes worm their way 10 the
| front row and stare dumbly q the lucky
| youngsters aetride the whirling horses.
| Bigger boys stop for a while and then
| move on 10 fix ''teeter boards" across the
| convenient sand piles. Little girls stand
| watching and reel:ng off the Inevitable
! In " q
| OF ta;t3ng they turn out in the course OF
| a year? on the outer edge OF the crowd
| is a fringe of baby carriages in which are
| very sticky babies and jnnumerable flies
| An older sister or brother Old IA the ex-
| tent Of some or 10 years. has the baby
| and flies and wagon in charge. and quiets
| the baby aud scatters the flies with seri-
| Gus gravity.
| There is great deal written and said
| about the little mothers" among the poor.
| One doesn't hear any sentime Mt about Me
| little fathers; and yet they deserve shin
| ing haios all their own. Now that school
| days are over. the boys seem to have the
| Hons share Of tho baby tending business.
| Perhaps the girls have other work since
| the boys are eligible for nurses, or, per-
| haps, the little mothers have struck
| Whatever may be the explanation. almost
| every East Side doorstep is occupied by i
| dirty-faCed, discouraged hoy, who despond-
! emily joggles a baby wagon or trots baby
| on his knee or keeps watchfUl eye on 4
scrap OF humanity that is tumbI!ne about
| the sidewalk and srne airing its face Impair
, tally with dirt and mashed banana.
| He il good 10 the baby. this little father.
| He rescues It, consoles It. and amuses IL
| with real professional skill, but his heart
| isn't In the work. and he watches. with
| longing eyes the free boys who are scrap
| ping in the middle Of the street. He de-
! serves more credit than the little mother