Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-05-19
PUBLIC FAIRGROUNDS
Meeting at First Congrega-
tional Church.
MR.. ARMSTRONG TALKS
MATTER OF SUMMER OUTINGS
DISCUSSED AT LENGTH.
Charitable People Think of Hot Sum-
mer Days About to Arrive
Those Present.
MR.. ARMSTRONG TALKS

Several hundred of the charitable people
of the District gathered in the First Con-
lgregational Church last night, the occasion
being a mass meeting held under the aus
pices of the Associated Charities for the
purpose of perfecting the plans for the
hummer outings of the children and the
poor of the District.
Henry B, F. Macfarland presided and off,
cially represented the board of District
commissioners, making a brief address in
that capacity. On the platform with MIR.
mcfarland were Rev. B. H. Thompson,
who opened the meeting with prayer; r.
B. Armstrong assistant secretary of the
Treasury; Charles F. Weller. secretary Of
the Associated Charities; c. II. Rudolph.
iohairman OF the Associated Charities pub
lilo Fairgrounds committee: Carleton r.
Ball. W. F. GUIDE. Surgeon General Wyman
of the marine hospital service. ]. B. Q.
Topper. Miss Lucy NJ. Solger and Mrs.
Ellen Spencer Mussey. The principal ad-'
dress of the evening was made by Secre-
tary Armstrong. In opening the business
of the evening Mr.. mcfarland said:
IT am glad to be able to say to you that
! represent here the Commissioners Of the
District Of Columbia, and that we are
deeply interested in the work you are
doing. and In every movement for the i'm
fprovement of the conditions in the District
We are interested in this movement be-
cause 1t is particularly for the benefit of
the children who cannot get away from
the many distressing conditions of life here
during the summer months without the
help of just such men and women as are
here tonight.
''The work of the Commissioners with
Congress Is of course known to you, and 1
am glad to say that our efforts at the Capi-
tol have been In a measure fruitful, and
that they give promise of being more so
next session. We expect then to get more
playground tiOnS ha
or the public schools and to add In many
ways to the comfort and happiness of the
little ones who are in our care
Fortunately there is not much over
crowding in Washington. but In the hot
days and nights there Is always much suf-
fering for fresh air. But the government
cannot do everything There is a place
for private philanthropy In these things
The Commissioners recognize the valua BILE
work done by the Associated Charities and
have been glad to be able to provide play-
grounds for the children in Rock Creek
Park You may look for better things in
the future. too. Thousands of children In
TINS beautifuf city are looking to you to
help them and we are all going to do it.
This is a cause of which might be said as
spoke Lafayette during the American revo-
luton: When heard of 1t my heart was
enlisted
Mr.. Armstrong; Address.
He then introduced Mr.. Armstrong who
said that he was glad of the opportunity to
dren. appealing to the audience to do all
they could in the cause. even If they had to
cut down their vacation expenses this year
to give to the worthy charity in which they
all are interested
ut seems to me-" he said that each one
of us who takes an occasional ice cream
soda or smokes a ten-cent cigar could
forego one of those luxuries occasionally
and give the sum to the fund for the chill
dren. Ten cents for a soda will send some
int hl mt TOW In,y Il
may save human life. Washington is no
doubt the most beautiful city in the United
States Visitors come here from all over
the world and leave with It's praises ringing
from their lips. But these visitors see only
the great exDanse of green lawns and the
thousands of beautiful trees. They do not
see the alleys and the spaces where there
are no trees and where many a helpless
child has to spend months and years, never
knowing that any other conditions exist.
There are narrow, alleys in this city
where many people live who have never
been more than four or five blocks from
their homes in eighteen or twenty years
These are the people who want to get ost
into the country to breathe Gods pure air
and to teach them how to play and how
to breathe and how to live. The benefits of
the trolley rides that have been IN operation
for several years cannot be overlooked, but
there are even better things than these.
Last year there were 1900 trolley rides
given to the poor OF the District and the
indica lions are that the number will be
greatly augmented this year. Let US hope
so. and also that the work of giving the
children and their mothers fresh air will
go forward with a rush. / am with you in
all of 1t. Two or three dollars will send
some poor sick mother and her suffering
baby to the country for a week
Back to First Principles.
What we want to do is to get these chill
dren and their mothers back to first prin-
ciples. We want to teach them that there
are other things than drudgery and suffer
ing. Let them learn how to enjoy nature
and you Will make of them better citizens,
YOU will better the community and you will
better yourself A medical friend of mine
told me that last summer he was attending
seventeen children. He advised the moth
of all OF them to take them away from
the city. Sixteen of them went and got
Well: one remained and died. Is not such
evidence as that sufficient to show that
the true way to health and happiness Is
communion with nature? Let US do 1t for
the children, then, and every one of us lend
a hand in the good work"
Following the addresses Mr.. Weller show
ed quite a number of stereopticon pictures
of the Fairgrounds in Washington and some
OF the alley homes where the work of the
Associated Charities had been carried on.
In showing picture of public playground
in Chicago Mr.. Weller said that a better
memorial to President Mckinley than a
bronze one would be for the people to pur-
chase the land at the corner OF North Cap
itol and L streets and turn 1t into play
FOR tba anP ba In,