The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-08-22
THE FREE PLAYGRoUNDs.
Ahe Eaton school Outing and Other
 Features of the Work.

ton for six weeks, with what great success Is now very generally known. only two weeks more remain before the yards will have to be closed to make ready for the regular term. The tents and the see-saws, the sand-piles and the swings, all the delightful ap- pllances which have made the yards a paradise for the children. will disap- pear. The donations that have been received will carry the work through, ana next year it is hoped to open seve- l ial yards and give the advantages of the playgrounds to children in all parts of the city. The committee in charge of the work this summer have worked splendidly, and the great sue cess that has been achieved Is the re- suit of their untiring efforts. The number of children to be cared for has been so great that it would have been impossible for the two paid supervi- sors at each yard to handle them, and It has required the personal attention of the members of the committee. The task has been most greatful. however, and both time and strength have been gladly given
 l The Eaton-school children had their outing on Monday of this week. About two hundred and fifty went by special cars to Cosey Beach They were under the direction of their ma tron, Mrs. Lee, and her assistant Miss Dugan, and were accompanied by sev- eral members of the committee and friends of the movement. Among these were Mrs. Cole, Mrs. Herz, Mrs. Blake, Miss Ives, Miss Morris, Miss l Palmer, Miss Moody and Mrs. George B. Newcomb. MT. Stokes, the police- man of the yard, was also of the party, and he exercised a certain healthy re- | straining influence that was quite ef- fective. The children were noisy and boisterous, but not dangerously riotous at any time, and they undoubtedly had the time of their lives. The majority went in padding, and the joy of this | juvenile sport is known to be great The beach's treasure stores of pebbles and shells were quite depleted by the young marauders, and so many forts were built and stormed that the Span iards were bombarded so often and so 1 furiously that the place looked as though cavalry engagement had taken place there. The finding and re- adjustment of shoes and hosiery was a delicate operation, and it was an entire surprise to find that there were really enough to go around. As for keeping track of the children themselves, mo- body tried to. There were so many of them and they all look alike. After they had disported unrestrainedly for about an hour there was distribution of bananas and cakes. Of the latter each child was supposed to have two, and although there was a noble strug- gle on the part of the distributors to have things fair, some children came off without any, and one boy an- nounced triumphantly that he had had seven! Share and share alike" is one of the first principles taught at the playgrounds so it must be inferred that this particular boy was not regu- lar enough in his attendance. There was also a fine supply of peanuts, which were eaten on the cars on the way home. After the "feed' some of the larger boys had races, and the smaller children played games and sang their pretty kindergarten songs. On the cars there was much patriotic music, Yankee Doodle" and "Ameri- ca' being great favorites Some amazing words were sung to ''There'll Be a Hot Time" beginning, Spain, o Spain, you'd ought to be ashame'." The children were piled into the cars like sardines, and being so small, it would be expected that at any sudden curve they would spill out like peas. But they don't. The instinct of self preservation is very strong in them. The expedition was voted glorious success.
 These excursions have no connection . with the Rev. MT. Mossman's City mission outings, as some have thought The money was given by a friend of the playgrounds for this particular purpose.
 The efforts that have been made al both of the yards to "clean up" the children have been attended In various instances with indifferent success. IT
 the matter of cleansing and "depopu- lating" the heads there can be no eff fective results where the child returns
 to a home where no effort Is made tC continue the good work. Tn one in stance there were three children from one family who were exceptionally fil- thy, and finally call was made on the mother, and she was informed that un' less she would scrub her children, ol let it be done at the school-yards, hel children would be denied the use of the
 playground Consequently, the moth , CTS pride being injured, the children
 stayed away for a week, at the end ol which time they returned with changed faces. It is hoped that the ideas of hy
 giene inculcated at the playgrounds
 will gradually spread into the houses
 and accomplish a permanent good.
 Various punishments have to cure various evils. One girl used such wilt
 and profane speech that it was decided to try the od-fashioned remedy O , washing out her mouth. This was ac cordingly done with soapsuds with th
 result that for at least week her vo , calulary was singularly chaste ant pure.
 l The bath at the Zunder school is il 7 | operation and many of the mother have applied for permission to use it } i New Haven is slow in getting bath ? | e+ar+ed for the great unwaShed, but