The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1902-08-15
ENJOYED BY THE CHILDREN.
Milwaukee Public Playground is
Fully Appreciated.
RACING MUD TURTLES.
Children Instructed in the Art of Horti
culture and Gardening-Settle-
ment Playground.

LII many lota!l;lCI the playground system |
Is almost as important as the park syS-
tenn. both being under the direction OF
the board Of park commissioners. In Ali
waukee the public playground is III \
stage Of struggling inripiency. The pan
Of providing Fairgrounds in thickl? popu-
lated districts meets with hearty approval
of the parents of children who would
otherwise he obliged to play on the
streets. which ut best are poor subst
tutcs for what the child heart so earnest
~ desires. Il field. Il common or what
ever It may be. where games and play
are not disturbed by the passing Of teams
A Beginning Accomplished.
The start toward public Fairgrounds
has been made i'll some of the par ks
where athletic apparatus has been in
stalled. y public playground has been
provided for the children Of the longest
ed territory in the haymarkct district
but this can hardly be said to be Il
public affair. since the property is owned
hJ private individuals anu the city has
nothing whatever to do with it. The
ladies' Of the Settlement secured permits
SION some time ago from the Jling Brew
Ing Company to use a vacant lot on Ga,
lena street. near Fifth street, as a play
ground. Eventually the city will pro-
vide such facilities for the children.
The Settlement playground. being
more nearly like what the ideal play
ground is meant 70 be, will receive prin-
cipal attention. The lot is not a large
one, in fact it is hardly more than an
ordinary building site. 1t has quite 4
Well-kept lawn and is shaded by several
trees and 1T the south end of the lot
there is 4 depression which is a regular
sand pit. Here the youngsters make
sand pies. and root about to their hearts
Turtles Race in Trough.
Near by. under the shade of large
tree. is a long trough OF tank partly
filled with water 1t was originally in
tended for sailing tiny boats, but the
boys have found q more entertaining
sport in racing mud turtles Each Of
the participants has a turtle and at
the signal go each of the ugly rep
tiles is started down the course urged
on by his master. OF course the turtles
do not understand what is required of
them, but they afford good sport for
the boys nevertheless. One of the pic
lures shows a group of boys ready to
start their turtles down the course.
The playground is equipped with lawn
seats and chairs and double swing,
where the little ones make merry all day
long. A tent has also been erected and
shelter is afforded both from the sun and
from rain.
From 50 to 100 children may be found
at the playground at all times OF the
day. The noise is sometimes so great
that the neighbors wonder if the crowd
Of children is not augmented by the pres
ence Of children from all parts Of the
city. In fact the neighbors some time
ago formulated petition to the Jung
brewing Gompany asking it to revoke
the permission it gave to use the lot.
The petition was not needed and the
children continue to use it on every
favorable day.
A Garden for Children.
Il short distance away, OH Cherry
street, between Fourth and Fifth streets,
is the Settlement garden where the chill
,2ren Of tho neighborhood are instructed
in the AIT of horticulture and gardening
The tract has been divided into forty
c!gt!t beds end some of the beds have
been suh1ividc,l into smaller ones, so
that Il large number OF children have
raise Vegetables and flowers as they
choose. Ih!s IS q departure from the
playground idea as it has been adopted
in some of the large cities. but it has
the same end in view. the occupuatior
of the minds and muscles Of the young
during leisure hours with work or play
that is conducive to good health and hap
pincss.
In the city of Boston there are no less
than siNterp Fairgrounds owned by the
city and cared for by employees OF the
park board. These Fairgrounds are not
parks in the general sense in which the
term is used, but Fairgrounds in fact
where apparatus for the development Of
muscle are provided, sand hills, baseball
fields. tennis courts and shelter buildings
may be found.
John a. Pettigrev, formerly of the
Milwaukee public park systems. is SUI
perintendent OF the Boston parks and
Fairgrounds. In his last annual report
there are many pictures of Boston's
Fairgrounds.
1t is believed that in milwaukee, the
playground is bound to come AS the
city grows and the congestion Of popu-
Ention becomes greater the demand for
lots where boys and girls may play and
frolic will increase and the city authori-
ties must eventually meet this demand
\ public playground in the Third ward
is soon to be opened.
New York's City "Farm."
The New York Herald tells of a city
farm recently esta blished in that city:
To give city children practical instruction
in gardening and to interest them in prac
T os
Forty-fourth street. an inspector in the
public schools, through whose efforts De
witt tunGOn tlrk, between the hudson
river, Tenth avenue and Fifty-second and
Fifty-third streets, has been much improved
and a part Of 1t laid out into what several
hundred enthusiastic youngsters have
named 1.-The farm.
Butter beans, string BEANS lettuce. peas.
corn. turnips and radishes were among the
seeds planted. Each youngster has part Of
4 row, ut the end Of which a stake has
been set up on which his number in the
club rolls appears. Some of them put out
all Of their part of "the farm to some par
ticular variety Of vegetable Of which they
are especially fond, but most of them
begged to be allowed to try Il few seeds of
all the varieties Obtainable.
In the center Of 1.-The farm is flower
bed and Immediately surrounding it is
small plot over which the gardener has
supervision. BY watching his method Of
caring for his plot the boys and girls are
expected to learn how to take care of their
own plots. i is not expected. of course
that what is planted at this time of year
will amount to very much. but if the young
steers learn to take interest in farming. even
this small scale, Mrs. Parsons will feel
more than repaid for her labors
Besides 1.-The farm large tent has been
erected, under which tables. chairs, several
blackboards and other necessaries have been
placed. Strict discipline Is maintained. but
the supervision that was at first necessary
is needed no longer. so interested have the