The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-30
G]RLS'DAY IN EAST SIDE PARK
SMALL BOYS, BARRED, STAND
WITHOUT AND JEER.
sL,r,ed Youngsters Play and Sing in Temp.
kins square and Commissioner Pailas
Was There TO watch Them--Elag Drill
NJ rs Girls Pleases the Big Crowd.

Lins SoIIare and Commissioner Pallas
was There TO Watch Them--Flag Drill
NJ 2s Girls Pleases the Big Crowd.
Half Of Tompkins Square Park looked
like windswept field OF peoples yeeter-
day afternoon when 5000 little girls IN
fright reds. yellows. green's and pinks
skpped and danced, jumped and jigged,
vbirled In circles and played rs hard as
they knew how until tired little legs and
empty stomachs sept them home with
rush that almost swept the big cops of
their feet.
The 5000 girls were the guests Of the
Park Department In exercises and kinder
sarten games on the girls playground In
the park. Some of them came fro m Hamil-
ton Fish Park, some from Seward. some
from Corears Hook. some from East
Seventeenth street and the rest were at
hone In Tompkins square. At each one
81 these parks and at others in the city
tbe Park Department employs teachers to
direct the children in their games and to
teach them that all work and no play makes
Rosie a dull girl. Every day after school
is out children flock to these parks to get
rid Of what the teachers call superfluous
energy. The business Of the teachers Is
10 see that the superflous energy doesn't
make too much Of racket
Of course the little boys are not forgotten
In this arrangement, but 1t was no place
for Knockers at Tomphns Square yester-
dsv afternoon. They howed aloud without
the gates. put stubby fingers to soiled
noses and derided the maidens at their
sports They had no place in the games,
but they got even by sneering bitterly
at such sports as bean bag, hustle ball,
three deep and croquet
Several times while the little girls were
absorbed in their contests, Knockers in
roundabouts, knee breeches and stock
ings torn at the knee would wriggle through
the line of policemen and teachers and
create something approaching riot.
Even the babies are not forgotten by the
Park Department. At Tompkins Square
there are delightful sand piles, rooted over
IN case Of wet weather, for babies to roll
and tumble in, build wonderful castles and
arrive at satisfactory state OF CRIME
and good nature. There are microscopic
swings with ropes no bigger than strings
and seats that are chairs the size Of mans
hat
But the boy babies were not wanted
Yesterday. AS fast as the roly-po)ys
tumbled into the sand piles or climbed into
the swings they were elected by maicens
of a size and strength hopeless for very
small man to struggle against.
Get out o here. now, youse, was the
we COILS is de whole cheese to-day.
Before the exercises started Commits
sioner Pallas arrived and got photographed.
Something like 1900 little girls were tum-
bling around him, grabbing at his legs or
admiring him with wide open, wonder
Miss jackson, Miss Van Orden and Miss
Mellen, the Tompkius Square Park teachers,
did their best to straighten out the
little girls, but they nigh might = as Wsll have
The picture man just took chance and
pressed the button several times hoping
Tor the best.
Then the exercises commenced, and
5000 shrill little voices sang There Are
Many Flags" 1t was very appropriate
song for Tompkins Square yesterday. be-
cause there were little girls there of almost
every nationality. GRETCHEN and Giusep-
pima, Katie and Yetta. Olga and Rose sang
in tie best English they knew. -
played LOO BY Loo Loo by Loo Is a
circle dance that is worth seeing. Round
and round the circle danced to the chant Of:
Ns %0v we s 60 81 LOBBY f%oSy L f9sbt
Nov, we go LOBBY Loo,
All on Saturday night.
They played Fly, Little Birdie, Fly after
that. but the raiders arrived from the
other side of the park about the middle
Of the game and It exploded into a chorus
OF excited voices.
The prettiest exercise OF the afternoon
was the flag drill by Miss Jacksons class
Of tweaty-eight girls. Theirbright dresses
and brighter faces moved the audience
30 wild hand clapping. Then 1000 children,
with Miss Mellen as the leader, danced
'Grandma's Minuet." They didn't have any
music, but they sang the tune and looked
very quaint in the stately steps Of the old
fashioned dance.
A team OF little girls from Hamilton
Fish Park played team from Tompkins
at volley ball. Tompldns was beaten
IN the volley ball game and the chagrined
little girls came In for narrowing remarks
from the little boys who had Witnessed their
defeat. They had a pursuit race, bell
race and an egg and spoon race after that.
The egg and spoon race was something
u . tragedy, too. One little girl stubbed
her toe, fell fiat and broke an egg all over
her best dress.
The exercises ended with an exhibition
Of drawings, basketry and needlework
done by the children.
II was announced by Commissioner Pallas
yesterday that the Park Department in
tends to keep the Fairgrounds open for
~. ~ all urtntar