The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-03
CHICAGO'S POLAR PARKS
Scenes as Enlivening as in Midsum-
mer Days.
Bears of the Arctic Variety the Only
Animals Pleased When the lee
King Ruies-EaEer and Nfppinx
Airs Attract Hosts of skaters.

King Rules-EaEer and Nfppiux
Airs Attract Hosts Of skaters.
The great park system OF Chicago is al
most as popular "A public playground In
midwinter 1t Is when the lawns are
ankle deep in soft grass and the trees cast
grateful shade. Those mighty reaches
of public property are far from being
abandoned when the lagoons are held In
the grip OF the Ice King and snow covers
everything except the paths and drives.
Many thousands os people who prefer the
i nipping air of a winter afternoon now
ana then to the enervating heat OF par
| Tor turn to the parks as naturally as they
DO In summer when they seek rest and
shelter from the sun
Lincoln Park easily maintains its pre-
eminence among the parks in midwinter.
as II does in midsummer. IL has more win
ter attractions than any Of the others.
now that "A toboggan slide has been built
therer and IL numbers its daily visitors
Dy the thousands. Not for many years
mas 1here been such excellent skating for
nearly month, as has been afforded in
Lincoin Park this winter and the broad
Iagoons have been covered day and night
me employees have been at great pains to
Keep the ice in as perfect condition as pos
slbie- The shavings of ice ground off the
surface by the sharp skate; and covering
the skating held with sort OF snow have
oeeh swept away regularly. The cracks
~hlcn now and then appear in the icefield
nave been filled with water, which freez-
ing, mas restored the surface 20 its smooth
and even condition.
There has been SO much skating wealth
er this winter indeed that many children
nave tired of il. Those who rushed with
eagerness to the park a month or more
ago, FEARFUL lest the freeze would last but
Few days and anxious to get as much
run as possible out of the ice while IL last
ed, have found the exercise becoming as
TEDIOUS as walking when INDUCED In day
after DAY and have turned to the tobog-
gan slide for recreation. The novelty of
TINS form of winter sport in Chicago, for
II has been dead long enough to be a
novelty to the rising generation. has made
tne toboggan slide vastly popular Fiji
teen years ago, when there was a craze
FOR tobogganing In Chicago, the CITY was
dotted with slides which were run as
money-making enterprises Too many of
them Killed tine sport or IL followed the
usual course of amusSments which be-
come too popular and IL was soon drop-
ped. But since the Lincoln Park commits
sioners built the slide in the park this
winter there has been a great revival Of
interest in tobogganing. or rather in
eoasting on sleds, for there are few to-
boggans in Chicago nowadays
FROM the day the big slide near the
bridge was thrown open to the public IL
has been crowded every afternoon and
evening on which the weather permitted.
Tor winter sports. Children born in this
nat city who had never known the keen
delight of sliding downhiIl found il n rev
citation and could not be dragged from
the side until bedtime and the chances
are that next winter the commissioners
OF the parks in other sections OF the city.
taking hint from the popularity of the
Lincoln Park venture, will build tobor
gan or coastting slides early in the sea
son.
The animals In Lincoln Park do not en-
Joy the winter season-except the polar
bears This is their heyday and they are
making the most of it. Instead of s,tlk-
ing IN their cave as the brown bears and
grizzlies have done nearly all winter the
ing the frost and thinking about horu-
They plunge into the icy water in their
big tank and then sit around until their
wet coats are frozen stiff Then they are
happy and they loll on the ice which COW
ers the bottom of their den as though IL
were a soft cushion The other hardy
animals which can stand winter weather
in the open air. the buffalo. deer, foxes,
wolves. and the rest of them. stay in the
as much possible They do
not retreat to their shelters lest they
miss something to eat which the little
group of spectators might have brought
In the big anima1-house the lions and
tigers. the monkeys and the brilliant
teathered birds draw a big crowd every
lay. Winter or summer seem to make no
Inference in the attractions of the fierce
looking wild beasts. although even they
SUNSHINE of the summer afternoons to the
sitting heat of the animal-house. The
go through their antics for the
amusement OF the crowd as gayly as
though they were swinging from the trees
Of tropical forest instead of having
only pane of glass and few bars be-
-ween them and foot of snow.
The drives of the parks are dotted day
and evening with hundreds of cutters
and sleighing parties make the refecto-
ries their objective point. Great bob
sleds laden with happy young people
Jingle up to the refectories every half
hour or so and with much hallooing and
blowing of horns the crowd alIghts for
not soda and chocolate and to toast it's
shins. The park policemen.
to the chin in big listers, have
little to do. There is no grass to keep
respassers off. The skaters take care of
themselves with a little guidance. The
,oasting and sleighing parties break no
-ules The parks are simply gigantic
fairgrounds, as they are in SUMMERTIME
chicago Chronicle.