The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-07-31
EAST SIDE "BOY FATHERS"
THEY ARE TENDING RABIES WITH
MORE OR LESS RESIGNATION.

Au0 N8NtNul IhIh NtAIOuHDl 70 hNpAN hNNNN
on these summer afternoons. but IL can't COM
pare In popularity with tho playground adjoin-
inR the recreation pier on East Third street.
On either slde OF the street. at tho entrance to
the pier. there are, or rather there were. vacHnS
lots. Enrly In the season sounds Of revelry
began to come from tho south lot and dribblo
out to the street. A whoezy barrel organ, with
n pathetic catch In It's voice, quayered out old
fashioned airs. like q broken-down music hall
soprano. Laughter and jokes Of dubious color
foated out through the gate, around which ale
ways clustered a crowd Of small boys and girla
with IN occasional grown-up idler.
In the yard wooden swings wcro lined up. In
rows. The children didn't seem to swing often.
but the older boys and girls kept the swings
going and carried on regulation east side alrta-
lions as they passed each other in midair.
Sometimes a boy and girl occupied ono swings
then the boy, in true masculine fashion.
strained every nerve to Impress the girl with
his strength and daring. and the girl. In true
feminine fashion. pretended to be nightly lm-
pressed and ~squealed In most satisfactory exc
element. and the spectators. in true worldly
fashion, commented upon the couple:
"Wud 70 LUX at Liz. You'd think abe wuB
clean gone on him; and It was only last night
that she was swinging with Jimmy. and I heard
her a-tellin' him he was the finest that ever.
She gifts moro swings than anybody"
The swing proprietor was on good terms with
Liz. When there wore no boys In sight he
rented swings to her at half price IN consldera-
ton Of the way she doomed business. Now hO
realizes. as does Jimmy. that her friendship In
not to be depended upon. The glory has dc.
parted from Israel: or. to be moro exact. Israel
has departed from the swing yard. A rival
entertainment has been set up on the otheR
side OF tho street and the tickle crowd has
transferred its allegiance. After all. swings
couldn't compete with a merry-Go-round, and
the broken-winded little organ has no show
against the gorgeous instrument which blares
out :" Star-SpangledB Banner" and "There'l BE
o Hot Time " while the horses prance round.
Tho deserted swing proprietor stands alone
beside his gate and chews the cud Of bitter res
dection-also pepsin gum. He seems philos
sophical. 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 has worn of. He placidly ohews. In
time to the strident tones OF the rival organ.
His own little organ Is quite drowned out. and
only an occasional high note, pitifully false.
| makes itself heard.
Around the merry-Ro-round the crowd Is cons
stantly changing, yet always looks much the
same. Very small boys. in frnGmentary clothes.
worm their way to tho front row and stare
dumbly at the lucky youngsters astride the
whirling horses. Bigger boys stop for q while
and then move on to TX ~'teeter boards across
the convenient sand piles; Little girls stand
%%fSs WHAT do tR Seg DC iee MitS 4 f6e t mil tneG VI fattia 5at they
turn turn o. op tn in the course Z c o. q year, On the outer
BILE flies. An older sister or brother. old to tho
extent OF some eight or ten years. has the baby
baS and sc" %seat SSEU the q flies Ees! With s seri o asi gravity fitH:
There Is a great deal written and said about
doesn't hear any, sentiment about the littis
tiSsthers: and yet they deserve shining halos al
tending business. Perhaps the girls have other
perhaps. the little mothers have struck. What:
eyer may be the explanation. almost every east
Outraged boy who despondently ioGgles q baby
wagon, or trots q baby on his knee. or keepsa
t E%aTS5aliini sSSn e The e s si6eRRs ii a and smssr thst it e
fa e. iin Is Eood % th Mit baS S,rt tS Hnd lI mrsh fsth SSnaP A.
real professional skill. but his heart isn't in the
i Eeefb; o sRH w e. % ass sssap M5fn i3i IN EtRss S syyddil se oi
the street. He deserves moro credit than the
lIssIS mF fSs m 81 ! a 81 q ,b L f fSfars 70 i sG Il SsI'
and even though, she may rebel against baby
ff eP 4 bG she r fiPSs T 4 seTtsio Of pI tse nSd IN b 1t 1n%
hapdsprings and craps dancing before his eyes.
66H I5yt tIsf1td I'd r lis Is 2 torn torment, and that her he resigns
tthe coal hole and make his escape, argues for
hi XII fi9 SeSor To fSe IIst Or h fdfb @9the TSa %q psin1p
ing TO see them wheel baby. wagons or lug
round, crowd and turn their backs, on bare
legged youngsters who are not bowed down by
robber den in certain empty sewer pipes.
One day. pot long ago. two young women
East Third, street, and joined the merry-eo-
round crowd. Business wasn't, brisk, and only
nickels and mounted the noble steeds. amid
universal 1Ir,S siGhs Of envy. The two tailor;mado
purses and made,a rash decision. They would
give twenty children free rides. but whore
We'll begin with the smallest and dirtiest."
esi 30 one en g1r dir and work up through degrees
puErists who claim that the word "blacker", is
b PSs ne tRan bIack. 0TfS 5S same eS erItI.s, IS fG intr DO
@ @nSsG to Fast trs third th street tSo c hadG would
should be struck out OF the Dictionary, be gsngr
nothing is dirtier than dirt. However. the mat
Ter OF size was IN easier standard Of choice and
much fun as the girls had expected, They had
pictured to ,. themselves enraptgred children.
gratitude. Instead they had a crowd Of ave.
struck youngsters with mute. gaping mouths
S ss :PSEs AO ~ s$f ~ TI!, %PS,ESs " t 4 e t sE = s lR s.' Sssa!t :
don't do those thlfnrFs.t"Y and the they p stuck t tReei.
t fbngG sro in their ar5 po oEnIna and idC dug tSslEtoes iaIto
Eparantees y so ooa1'ff aith. iR the; fd EHen Of T TIcF1
stiil looked scaredapd dubious. 'TIfR They gf had thRhesiEr
doubts as to whether the nickels were
al right and would be accepted by the
ffs sfIn Then, anyway. an npparition Of
scatter nickels ,recklessly was appalling and
SS91 rI 2 The little girls we're more eTedulous,
as to baby tendlngs; hut they, were quite as
ssoaT red,f A. the boys II Virgil had been familiar
claimed 20 Dea. ,cerap' Since they conidn't
SSHpTess their feeling that way. they gasped and
S Da,6dked ~ the goddesses like startled owls, and
They mounted the wooden. horses, grasped
Sne paEs, and spun AROUND and, around with I'M
nIckered across their faces. Theydidn't appear
TO mink that the thing was real. Then the
and speaked of into the crowd. where they
fuItiye awe. N