The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-07-02
PLEASURE AHEAD.
The Civic Club Pro
vides Amusement
for Children.
SUMMER FAIRGROUNDS.
Manual Training for Nine
ty- six Fortunate
Youngsters.

With the closing of the public schools
and the coming on of the terrible dog
days, the season of the public play
ground and the vacation school opens,
park commissioners, civic clubs. school
committees and the great public of in
terested, kindly people cooperating to
give the children of the slums and
poorer tenement house quarters, a
taste of that summer outing which the
children of the more fortunate claim
as their annual right. So general has
this effort after a wholesomer sum
mer life for the little folk of the slums
become that every summer sees an
other sand garden opened here, another
vacation school there all being so
many expressions of that large move
ment for the amelioration of child-l!fa
which will be known to future histo-
rians as one of the most impressive
and characteristic of this period
Boston, the cradle of so many pillar
thropies, had the first summer play
ground. Twelve years ago, DIR. Marie
E. Zakrzewske wrote to the chairman
of the executive committee of the Mas
sachusettS Emergency and Hygiene
association, saying that in the public
parks of Berlin there were heaps of
sand in which children were allowed
to play and dig as if on a mimic sea-
shore, under the care of the city 20
lice Could not something of the kind
be done in Boston? she asked. The sug-
gestion commended itself to the COM
mittee, and as beginning three piles
of yellow sand were placed in as many
yards in the poorer parts of the city.
The following year saw ten heaps OF
sand placed in the courts of tenement
houses, the yards of mission churches
and homes, and one in the yard of
school house.
Then came the thought of utilizing
other school yards. On all sides was an
outcry for open spaces and fresh air
for the people. why not use the school
yards which have hitherto remained
closed and empty in vacations. while
the children of the city, to whom they
rightfully belong, are crowded into
streets and alleys?" was asked. and
the upshot was that pens were built
in seven yards to contain the sand,
toys, shovels and pals were purchased
by the dozen, and under the care o1
matrons the yards were opened for
four half days each week THAI year
saw an average attendance of four
hundred. Two years ago the attendance
ndQ risen TO 10UZ cnllOren 1Oc edCn Gay
in a season of ten weeks.
New York, Chicago, Brooklyn, Phil
adelphia, Providence, Cambridge and
Worcester now have public play
grounds, modelled more or less closely
upon the Boston Fairgrounds.
The idea reached this city in 1897,
when Miss Marie A. Estabroolk visited
the sand gardens of Boston. talked
with their promoters and came back,
fired with determination to organize
sand garden in Worcester. She
turned to DIR. Eldridge Mix head of the
City Missionary society, who saw the
school committee, with the result that
the yard of Thomas street school vas
fitted up as sand garden and pleas
ure ground for the children of that
neighborhood. Great success followed
the undertaking. All the rest of the
summer, for five forenoons a week, an
average of more than 100 children, who
ranged from tots to II and IL wears
of age, spent their mornings from to
II O'Clock in the happy enclosure,
Last year public playground was
opened at Lamartine street school, and
between 200 and 300 children were daily
entertained there and in the Thomas
street school yard. This year a third
school yard-that at Shrewsbury street
will be opened, the amount of money
necessary to the carrying on of the
three playgrounds-$12 5-havine been
met by private subscription. With the
expansion of the fresh air WORK, the
City Missionary society found itself IN
able to conduct the public Fairgrounds
another year, SO the Civic club has
assumed charge of them through a
committee composed of Miss Helen A.
Ball, Miss Clara B. Rood and Mrs.
Helen A. B. Morse, chairman.
In previous years the Fairgrounds
have been in charge of volunteer work
ers, the kindergarten teachers having
offered their services and evincing the
greatest fidelity and resourcefulness in
the conduct of them. Now the move
ment has enlisted so much practical