The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1905-07-29
SLEEPING IN PARKS
ALL GRASSY PLACES IN NEW
YORK CITY THROWN
OPEN.
Keep-Of:the' Grass Signs Are Sus.
pended While Hot Weather
Continues.

New York, July 25.-New York
Sun: Come and sleep on the
grassein the parks" was the invita-
tion Manhattan sent out last night,
and the people responded by thous-
ands. From the little triangle
south Of Cooper Union to the slopes
of Riverside Park and in all the
downtown small parks the grass,
the benches and the grand stands
were populou<. The keep of.the-
grass signs we're called in.
They won't be put out again
this sum mer, either, if I can help
it," said Park Commissioner Pallas.
He sent a letter to Police Commis.
sioner McAdoo, in the afternoon, Of.
fering the parks within his jurisdic-
ton in the. boroughs of Manhattan
and Richmond to the weary and the
:overheated people, and this order
from Commissioner McAdoo was
read in all the station houses last
night: "By direction of Park Com
missioner Pallas, you will permit the
public to walk, eleep and lounge on
the grass or benches in all the parks
within your precincts, day and
night, during the hot spell, if they
so desire"
It did not take long for the news
to get about. By 9 P. M. Mulber-
ry Bend Park, in the italian quar-
ter, looked like the beach at Coney
Island on a hot day. There were
over 5000 women and children
there, with a fair per centsge of
men. The sleepers took to the
grass until there wasn't an availa-
Bile spot. Then they filled up the
band stand.
Every body in the park wore as
little clothing as the law allowed
A shirt and pair of trousers suffic-
ed for the men, while most of the
children slept under the stars in
their birthday dress.
There were over 5000 who sought
relief at the William H. Seward
Park, at East Broadway and Jeffer-
son streets. Only the benches at
Battery Park were overcrowded. I.
Few sought comfort on the grass.
The permission appealed might
ly to dwellers along the Norton
River. In Dewitt Clinton Park
early in the evening were at least
1000 persons, most of them women
and children. A large number OF
them had made arrangements 10
spend the night out of doors and
had brought pillows and blankets
Coverings were unanimously voted
to be unnecessary.
On the bank sloping down the
river from Riverside Drive space
was at premium in the early eve
ming. There was breeze off the
river, and weather conditions were
quite comfortable. 1t was not OBJ
servable that many intended t.
srend the, night there, the bank be
ing too steep in most places 10 In
sure tranquil rest. Nevertheless il
the late evening the bank was quit,
as crowded as earlier.
| Those who went into Contra
Park to keep cool were surprised
when the police failed to turn then
out at mignight. They hadn't ye
| heard of the new order. Many u
them, upon learning that they mig h
stay there all night if they chos
went home and got pillows
Through the side streets leading
the park entrances could be see
many ,Bohemians and Italians fror
the East Side making for the par
with pillows tucked under thei
arms.
In some spots whole families wer
stretched out On the grass side b
side. The. .favorite spots seem t
be places where there was an inclin
or embankment. Many who al
nightly homeless and general
sleep in areas and on doorstepl
went into the park when the polio
found them in their usual haunt
and told them of the new order.
Morn ngside and Mount Morr:
Parks, in Harlem, were both crowe
ed. At Jefferson Park, One Hur
dred and Twelfth street and Eal
River, Harlem Italians were eel
brating the fete of our Lady of M
Carmel, and hundreds of thel
slept in the Park afterthe celebr.
ton was over.
In the three Tenderloin parks tt
men deserted the benches fer IL
grass, but the few women sleepe
lstuck to the benches. In Madisc