The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-08-31
EATING IN THE PARKS.

Chicago Tribune.

Chicago Tribune.
In all questions connected with charm of
living President Eliot, of Harvard, is sure
OF an attentive audience. 1t was fortunate,
therefore, that he was asked to deliver an
address at the recent meeting of the Amer
lean Park and Outdoor Art Association. No
man would be more likely to be successful
in calling the attention of the American
people TO a means of amusement and rec
reation which at present they seem inclined
to neglect.
Outdoor life in America is not developed
as it is in Europe. In summer time after
the theater, for instance, instead of crowd
ing into outdoor boulevard cafes. the
American audience must do its best with
indoor, and often basement, restaurants.
With our parks the case is similar. We
nave parks, it is true, and we use them,
but we have not yet learned to use them
in the completely delightful and satisfac-
tory way which is so common in European
countries. This is the burden of President
Eliot's remarks. Our state and municipal
pleasure grounds have not been exploited
fully and finally.
Take only one point. President Eliot
speaks Of the public meadows just outside
Prague. Thousands Of persons resort
TO these meadows every fine Sunday to eat
and drink in the open air. a whole family
VIII so together. They get a table near
one OF the restaurants and spend five or
six hours enjoying the open air, the sight
OF the meadows and the sky and the music
from a good band" Here is a suggestion
which American park boards might follow.
The American park is deficient in the ac-
cCmmodations it offers to people when they
are hungry.
What is needed in every large park is a
restaurant which shall serve at moderate
prices and which shall also be willing to
provide Its customers at the lowest possible
rates with those things which they cannot
well bring with them, such as tea, coffee.
and milk, assuming that the rest of the
meal is carried from home. There should.
therefore, be paviliOns, under which people
can shelter themselves while they are eat
ing. There should be chairs and tables.
Most people find that sitting on the ground
and eating off the grass is more idyllic
than satisfactory. Large pavilions, plenty
the chance to buy drinks for ones home
made lunch without having to buy a whole
meal-this is a programme that would
make a park board popular with all classes
of people.
The more attractive the city parks are
made the more profit the city will derive
from them not only in amusement. but
even in morals. As President Eliot well OBJ
serves, the park is a pleasure which a man
shares with his wife and children. 1T is
a safeguard for society to find means of
pleasure for men, women and children to-
gether. The pleasures men take with their
wives and children are likely to be safer
pleasures than those which they take by
themselves" This is eminently true of
outdoor excursions. One might almost say
the park. 1t is the family. Let the park
then be developed as much as possible. All
ways TO that end are worth trying. and the
idea OF setting up large and cheap restau-
rant pavilions seems to be a way of par
ticular promise.