New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-06-04

large numbers. The children are always willing
to obey the matrons, and have a genuine af-
lection for them remembering them perfectly
from year to year.
"They think" said one matron the other day,
that l ought to remember them as well they
do me, which is impossible Of course seeing
thousands Of them as I do Yesterday a little
girl came UP, leading a smaller child by the
hand. This is Mamie; she can walk now" said
the older one proudly. pointing to the toddlIng
sister.
"'Oh,' said; that's fine. isn't it,? and by
making an effort I recalled that the two had
been frequent attendants last year when the
younger one a baby In arms"
When the piers are not too crowded all sorts
Of games allowed, provided they are not
too rough or violent. The boys play ball and
leapfrog; the girls have some quieter games Of
their own, and everybody joins in tag and hide
and-go-seek The saltwater. cake and candy
stand at one end or the pier is fairly well pat
ronized, though more by older persons in the
evenings than by the children, who have not
many spare pennies. The various slot machines
that stand around are worked at untirinSly by
enterprising youngsters to devise some way Of
extracting their contents without giving up he
requested cent Sometimes they succeed, and
on other occasions the machine beats them,
swallowing up their money and keeping ts
candy or chewing gum This always arouses
great Indignation and matrons, policemen and
the proprietor Of the soda water stand are all
appealed to to set it right
Recently the children have been much worked
up over the disappearance Of little Marion
Clark Of whom they all seem to have heard
On Memorial Day an excited little girl on the
East Thlrd-st. pier rushed up to the matron and
announced breathlessly
The kidnapper's down there; after some more
children. l sposer'
The matron laughed. but by the time she
reached the edge OF the pier and looked down
into the street the commoton seemed to have
subsidized and no cause for the childs idea could
be found.
The East Thrd-st. pier was the first Of them
all to be opened. in June 1897 so that it is
now beginning its third summer. 1t is about
three hundred feet long, and situated as II 10
in the midst OF a thickly crowded tenement
district, II is filed more constantly than some
/ OF the others. BY far the greater number OF
the children who go to it are Jews. The next
pier 10 be opened was the one at the root OK
East Twenty fourth-st, in September, lN9i
| tt is is more than twice as large as the Thrd-st
one II is in a German American and Irish
American neighborhood. The only other pier on
the East Side is at One-hundred and -twelfth-st'
where il is well patroniZed by the population of
| Little Italy" near by This was opened in the
! latter part OF August last year. on the West
| Side the Barrow or Christopher st. pier was
opened last June and this, near old Greenwich
| Village. is probably the only one of the six
which has many American children in attend
ance. The other two piers on the West side at
/ g nd Wace n l-ar d.
| twenty ninth-st., were first opened d week ago.
The season for the piers is from about June l
/ TO the latter part Of November and they are
| open every day during that time from a. IN.
to 1890 ?. m. In The evenings band plays
at each one Of them, and this draws large
crowds. 80 dancing is permitted, owing to lack
Of room. and the visitors must either occupy the
seats. which are provided by hundreds, or walk
around the pier in constantly moving pro-
+ cesson.