The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-03
ENTERS THE QUEEN O. THE MAY
SHE AND HER FOLLOWERS NOW
HOLD CENTRAL PARK.
It's Hard on the Cops and on the Shrubbery.
but There's No Doubt About the Pleas.
urc to the ChtIdren-And New Works.
May Parties Now Extend Into June.

It IL quite possible that the month of May
is the maddest Of all the year to the Park pc.
liceman, but extremely doubtful il he ever
finds it the msrriest. One thing is certain
During that particular time not only are
his hours of rest curtailed in behalf Of the
Queens O the May and their legion Of fol
lowers, who for the time being virtually
own the park, but to inset the exigencies
Of the occasion he is Obliged while on duty
to exchange his customary digniied gait
for lively quiok.step.
Now to be obliged to move on the double
quick for several hours at stretch day in
and out for month or 80 is enough to ruff
fie anybody's temper. Park policemen
would not be dsoonsolate II May parties
went completely out Of fashion; but so far
there Is not the slightest indication that
they ever will. On the contrary last years
celebrations ran well over into June, the
Park Commissioner good-naturedly ex-
tending the time for granting permits be-
cause one or two Saturdays IN May were
shivery and showery enough to cause some
postponemert Of ooutemp lated parties.
Although May parties are not confined to
any one day Of the week, the favored day
OF days with BE Dig army Ct public school
children. as most people knew. is Saturday,
for the reason that they can't attend them
at any other time. Therefore 1t goes with
out saying that raiiy Saturday in May
ii was a May Saturday that broke the
record la year with a count Of $4,000 May
PARTY children in Central Park at the anne
time. In the May PARTIES Of the lea: on
held in Central Park alone there we're about
oaO mo rbildyap In tho faro IF ,tati, tirs
like the e. naturally the men who collect
them are not showing any anxiety on the
tubject Of race uicide.
There r. every indication that there will
be no falling of in this years May parties
According e long e. ta BIZ !, rule, any
u ambitious to celebrate the 'fes tival in
hard from a Park Commit tioner .0nall
private Iarties may ditrenle with this
iormalityl; and the demand EN- IN for the'e per-
What was probably the largest May
party given lHt year the country over,
and OF which one man was the host, took
place In Central Park. The guest s were
EAT Side children-l,7oo ftrong--who,
that number Of Queens O. the May, marched
to tho "Eai Green by way Of the Seventy
6 econd street and Fifth avenue entrance
early In the forenoon and held the green
for the day AGAIN. all later oomers. There
was no room on II for another child.
One Of the Commissioners said later that
parties OF this size are almost too big for
Central Park.
sThey would do better by going up to
Van Cortlandt Park, which repi esents i.ls2
acres Of land said he, but then very
few Of the children OF Manhattan want to
20 there. For some reason Central Park
is by far the most popular New York play
ground with children Of all classes-the
richest as well ss tie poorest"
In anticipation Ct the May visitations
this year the Park Commissioners have set
aside. seven large tracts Of ground for the
especial Use Of queens and their cohorts
the background, OF about fifteen acres, which
lies bot tween Sixtieth and Sixty-sxth streets
on the west side: the East Green, the Ram
BILE, which extends from Seventy. second
10 Seventy ninth streets; Cherry Hill, q
little further north. the North Meadows,
Cedar Hill and Peacock Lawn.
They have also made some other prepar.
ations. At every one Of these points several
large iron rsceptacles have been placed
for discarded lunch boxes fruit skis and
other refuse, together with printed requests
that they shall Be used. Judging from what
happened last year. though, niLe cur. Ct
1very ten picnicksrs VIII leave the detIi