The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-06-22
Railroads Have an OId-Time Excur-
siOn-Day Business, and Parties from
Many Towns Visit the City.
HANGING SIDEWALK REQUEST
PARK BOARD HAS ASKED WORKS
BOARD TO BUILD THEM.
Such Action Will Minimize the Danger
of Accidents-GOOd Weather
for Outings.

The man who could watch the crowds in
the parks yesterday and say to himself that
the city had spent money unwisely in beau
tifying the different places that form the
park system of Indianapolis must surely be
hopeless cynic. 1t seemed to be day of
glorious relaxation for everybody. 1.-The
biggest crowd of the season. was the tele-
phone message that came in from Fairview
last night. I'VE had 1900 at Riverside"
said ]. Clyde Power. superintendent of
parks.
The weather bureau predicted fair wealth
er for yesterday and the prediction was
backed up by a perfect day. 1t was not too
hot for comfort and was an ideal day for
summer apparel. At Riverside, which
seemed to be the most popular of the city
parks, the young women came out in their
pretty lawns and dimities and sailor hats
Riverside seems to have struck the popular
fancy this year. The men and women who
toll through the week and care for the open
air and a glimpse of natures smile Sum
day find it delightful at Riverside. There
were band concerts yesterday afternoon at
Riverside. Brookside and Spades Place. The
bands played from 3 to 6 and gave a va
riety of music that suited the taste of the
crowds. AT Riverside. where there are
more broad acres than in any of the other
parks, the crowds found it pleasant to roam
at will over the soft, sweeping meadows
and through the forests heavy In their
bright green garbs. The music could be
heard a long distance and the notes of
"Hiawatha, full and clear, fell across the
close-cropped meadow between the forest
and the bear pits and as the sun went down
could be heard by the crowds there.
NOT TOO CRITICAL.
These Riverside crowds are keenly ap-
preciative of music, but not too critical. A
mixed programme suits them best and they
are not sticklers for the extremely classi-
CAL They like a little rag-time occasional
4 ly, but not too much, and the bandmas sters
that have been playing there this year have
| begun to understand the audiences. The
only criticism the people had to offer yes
terday was that the band did not play often
| enough.
The crowds at Riverside found much to
| interest them The foxes and the bears
faet S everything than breathes and lves s in in
| the park delighted the people. They were
4 in the mood where they took the keenest
interest in everything; The double g.,
| takes mad flight up and down and
around end back, drew heavy patronage.
/ The steamer that plies up and down the
!
tom and rowing on the river was popular.
| The Laughing gallery with its mirrors
| that give one all sorts of ridiculous shapes,
has never grown old to Riverside crowds,
and they are still patronizing it. The big
crowds that passed back and forth over
the White river bridge at the park, gave
| Superintendent Power some uneasiness lest
| there should be an accident. AT numerous
times during the afternoon the bridge was
congested with vehicles and people.
HANGING SIDEWALKS.
The Park Board has asked the Board
of Works to build hanging sidewalks on
each side of the bridge in order that the
danger of accidents may be minimized
The board has not yet acted in the matter
although an urgent request has been made
Happily there were no accidents yester-
| day.
All of the other city parks were fairly
well patronized and at Fairview. the street
car company's pretty park, it was said the
crowd was the biggest OF the season. Thers
were concerts afternoon and night and the
! diving horses performed at different times
during the day and evening.
| At the Union Depot yesterday was saiC
! to he one of the oId-time excursion days
| There were crowds going and coming al
| day and evening. The Pennsylvania tool
two heavily-loaded excursion trains out o.
| the city to Louisville. The Big Four haC
| excursions to Greencastle and Terre Haute
and the Big Four sent an excursion to La
fayette The c., III. & ID. had an excursion
to Decatur. ILL.,, and the L. f. w. ran on
! to Michigan City. Among the incoming
excursions was one on the Big Four from
| Louisville; another on the Big Four from
| Elkhart and Union City and third from
| Champaign, H., and intermediate points
| The Pennsylvania line brought a crowd o
| people from Madison and from other towns
| along the line in Southern Indiana, an,
| brought an excursion from Milford Center
o.. picking up people at Piqua, Richmond
Cambridge City, Knightstown and othe
places along the line. The Vandalia brough
| crowds from Terre Haute and Greencastle
the L. f. & w. from Michigan City. tn
c.. II. ID. from Cincinnati and the Monol
from Hammond.