New-York tribune., 1903-08-23
PUBLIC PL4YGROTND,S
Boston Justly Proud Of It's Excel
lent System.

Boston, Aug. % (SpeciaD D.-~The boy without
playground is father to the man without job"
This is the motto Of one of the civic societies
OF Boston which has been instrumental in build
Ing UP the excellent system of public play
grounds of which the city is justly proud. 1t
Shows the point of view which Boston has taken
Of this Important problem. Even the Massa-
chusetts legislature was persuaded that chill
dren do not play because they are young; they
are young in order that they Jnay play" and
authorized the expenditure of $500 900 for play
grounds.
In pre~Revolutionary days, when Boston was
British headquarters. the boys of the town had
their playground on the Common. Any oldtime
school history viii tell how these Colonial
youngsters sent delegation General Gage 10
demonstrate against the soldiers interfering
with their games. The remonstrance was sue
cessful. and the boys have played on the Com
mon ever since. In sight of the skyscrapers-
little ones compared 10 those in New York, but
skyscrapers nevertheless-in fremont and Boyl-
ston sts.. you them any day this
mer busy with their baseball. The policeman
who would try them out would probably
come as near being mobbed any did
in Boston
AS far back as 1881 the vacation school idea
without textbooks and without compulsory at
tendance-tOok root in Boston. and there are
twenty OF them IN GlIeFent parts OI the
city A second step was in 1887, when piles of
clean yellow sand placed in the crowded
districts. and the children were allowed to play
in them as on an ocean beach. The idea came
from a friend of Mrs. Kate Gannett Wells of
the Massachusetts Emergency and Hygiene AS
ISOLATION who in Berlin, and had noticed
the sand piles in the parks there. Now there
are a number of sand gardens, each provided
with shade and q kindergarten is in charge. 1t
successfully solves the playground problem for
young children
Next in order was the opening of the Charles
hank playground on a beautiful site overlooking
Back Bay and the Brookline Hills Here the
first outdoor gymnasium in America was estab-
lished after the plan of DR.. Sargent, OF Har-
ward and il 1891, two years later woman 5
gymnasium was opened, and has since been
directed by Miss Ellen Nj. Tower and Mrs Kate
Gannett Wells Winter and summer Charles-
hank draws the crowd and every branch OF
s,ort receives attention In winter skating is
popular with attendance on a single day as
bfgh as five thousand persons. From this Bos-
toms gymnasium system has grown. There is
a,otber outdoor gym" at Woods tsiaild rark
end half a dozen indoor gymnasiums, with
others still in prospect.
The playground itself came IN lS9f' "heh
Franklin Field of seventy acres. was set ASIDE
for omen air meetings, for militia drills and as a
uublic playground The last named fIied 'he
greatest want, and the field has become 'he
centre Of play in Boston. where the district
teams play off their match games of base. foot
s basket ball and where boys from every part
of the city gather in athletic contests
Then four years later, came the small play
ground the father of which is Josiah quincy
ex-Mayor Of Boston. He interested the legls-
lature. and a bill was passed providing that d
eur, not greater than 100000 be expended on
email playCrounds in different parts Of the city
rota not greater than 100000 a year AS
q result there are twenty-five local Fairgrounds
40 acres in all. By spending the money in the
suburbs where property is still cheap but which
are rapidly filling up. much greater acreage
was secured Some of the slum districts are
still in need of relief but special bIhs are De'i's
manned to care for them.
eo-,a nrovision will have to be made for
rroner superyision of the public Fairgrounds for