The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-09-14
PLAYGROUND.
IS CLOSED.
End Of It's First Season Marked
BY Interesting Public
Exercises.
HAS DONE A FINE WORK I
Mayor Mccarthy Speaks With
Entl1usiasf11-The Children
March, Sing and Dance.

~
interesting exercises marking the clos
Ing for the summer of the first free play
ground In this city, established under
the auspices Of the Civic Improvement
League. were held yesterday at the
in rear Of the Methodist 1nsti-
tute. at Nineteenth and Main Streets. he
programme embraced an ad-
dress by Mayor, Mccarthy, concert on by
5ardella's band, an athletic exhibition by
two y, NJ C. A. athletes, Mcssrs. S. J
Phillips anu Is. j. Coffman. and a series
Of exercises by the boys aud girls, VINO
frequent the Fairgrounds: The exercises
began at 4 O. clock and continued untll
nearly $3.50.
There were present besides Mayor Nc
Cartliy, Mr.. T. a. Cary. who donated the
money with which to equip the play
ground; Mr., j.. Mex. Judltins, secretary
Of tho Civic Improvement league. under
whose auspices the playground Is conduct
ed, and af.number ofilanies and gentle
men Interested Sin the work. Fully two
hundred children residing in the vicinity
Of the grounds were present and partici-
rated in the programme.
March by the Children. d
The exercises began with ~ grand march
by the children, conducted by the young
ladies who have given their time and
effort to instructing them IN kinder
gartcn work t.S Every child wore a5r,vDon&
radge and carried gas'miniaturebnat!o nal
flag. It was l1..interesttng study to see
those children and note:their' Interest and
their happiness. f FL was a. great array
ranging from tiny lads proud lin the pos
session OF their first trousers, and baby
girls. led by tho hand by their elder
sisters, to little misses almost grown and
stout lads almost grown%to manhood. The
tiny folks were In the majority, how
ever, and they enjoyed the exercises most
as their beaming faces attested more
elouuently than their infantile vocabulary.
could. Round and round the yard the
column Of young America marched In sim
gle file, and III column Of tWos, waving
their flags and singing and skipping along
With glee. After the grand march the
children all sang while the Juvenile color
sergeant hoisted old glory to Its staff
amid applause. And the children sa..i'
patriotic airs. @
The little ones, led by the ladies', then
gave an exhibition of their training in
motion songs and games and again
marched. Every child had on his or
her best, the girls being arrayed in
frocks Of red or pink, white or blue, vari-5
gated hues, green, black and all the col-
ors Of the spectrum. . There we're bare
footed girls and girls in shoes and stock
.ings, some In white hosiery, some in
black, some in brown some Of them
stout, some slender, some fair and some.
dark. some straight haired, others with,
curling tresses waving over their sholil-S
,ders and tied with ribbons of varied hues.
Every child was happy and when tho
music began they were all delighted. They
cake-walked and danced, and skipped and
promenaded, singly, in pairs and In tours
They ran hither and yon with nimbles
feet and mad e merry in many innocent
child-like ways.
Talk by the Mayor.
After the marching and the music. Mr..
Judklns, secretary Q the leagne, pre-
scented Mayor Mccarthy, an, enthusiastic
member of the league, and a, great friend
all occa slons. Mayor Mccarthy made an
informal talk, in the course of which he
assured tlie63l little ones that the play
ground had cornesto stay. All things, he
said. must have a small beginning. but
lie predicted that this movement would
grow until there were many such play
grounds in the, city and lin, other cities.
IL DelleNe, 5etlu flllts lNldy OT inc
of Richmond are about to learn a. very
important lesson: that the future Of this
city Is In the hands Fof these children,
and upon tlneirs training tnows-the- future
depends. MOI lar1,ouhtfyofis riioneytis too
great to be expended, gand {;no energy is
wasted that is devoted Ito training and
developing the children of theiland. The
hearts OF the children are the richest
ground for the cultivation Of happiness,
= n tu, F.,,
distant when the citizens OF Richmond
will give the world All example Of gem
erosity In their treatment OF tho chill
dreh and in their provisions for the hap
piness and training for citizenship OF
these men and womeniof the future"
E When the Mayor! had concluded the
band played Dixie amid enthusiasm on
the part oftztheIi children, a number Of
selections were played by the band, most
of them being rag-tlmc selections that
delighted the youngsters and tkt all
their feet to beating time, Navajo" and
IIiawatha were favorltc selections, and
then camo cake walk tunes which aroused
tho children to a very dainty exhibition Of
high stepping. Tho cake walking by the
little ones was feature Of the enter
tainment. and one which they enjoyed
to the fullest. \, ~ ls..3i.
Mr., 7. A. Cary to whose generosity
and public spirit the children owe this
oasis In the blsy, ncighborhood, was
urged to address tho children, but mod
estly remained In the background, as
surfing MI. judkins that he was repaid ten
10 one for his expenditure.
sa Athletic Exhibition.
Mr., s. *, Phillips and Mr.. b, ]. Coff-
man. OF tho y. NJ. G. A.. athletic class,
gave an exhibition OF pole vanlting, which
WAS viewed with interest by old and
young, Mr.. Phillips cleared tho height
OF eight feet in the pole vault amid great
applause, and Mr.. Coffman also did we'll
The two gentlemen then gave an-exhibi-
ton Of work on the horizontal bar. which
pleased the children greatly
'Thorc was more cake walking and music
and games and nerriment, the band play
ing anything the children desired, Finally
they closed With America, all the chill
dren joining In the hymn.
The two hundred chlldcn and the sixty
or seventy adults present equally shared
tho pleasure of the afternoon. The exer-
cises marked the formal closing of the
playground for the season. At Will be