Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-27
PUBLIC FAIRGROUNDS
DIRECTOR CURTIS NOTES PROG
REss IN THE PLANS.
Children Provided With Athletic
Equipment and Competent In
Observation-Disclosures in Fund.

DR.. Henry s. Curtis. who is the supervisor
OF the public Fairgrounds Of the city. was
busy man today. He first visited the sew
erai grounds to see that all apparatus was
In place and securely attached. Then he
made tour of the public schools where
grounds had been set aside for the use of
the children. While there was no appa-
ratus erected In any Of the grounds, tho
teachers who are to instruct the little peo-
pie were on hand, and during the morning
hours the children had good time.
DR.. Curtis stated to a reporter of The Star
this afternoon that he was greatly encour-
aged with the way children took up the
idea. Within two weeks the apparatus will
be on hand. Steel structures will be erected
on foundations Of concrete. and upon these
the apparatus will be attached. In the
smaller schools, swings. see-saws and teter
ladders Will be put up, while at the Wal
ZACH and Jefferson buildings more elaborate
apparatus will be erected, such as horizon
tai bars. trapeze, travelling rings and rum
ming tracks. There will be some additions
to the paraphernalia at the Arthur and
Magruder schools which was put up last
year.
Instructors Provided.
Competent instructors, he said will teach
the little ones the of the apparatus. In
this they are very fortunate. Mr. Bernard
J. Wefers, who held many records as an
athlete. is the instructor at the open-air
grounds corner North Capitol and I.
streets, while several athletic principals Of
schools will look after the embryo gym
nasts and athletes at other places. Prof.
Craemer Of the Franklin School Is to have
charge at the Arthur School. Prof. MertZ
of the Force School will be director at nth
and Virginia avenue. Prof. Walker OF the
Syphax School tcolored) is in charge of the
grounds corner 1st and Delaware avenue,
while Prof. Hamlin, secretary of the Col
ored Y. NJ c. A. has charge of the embryo
athletes at the corner of 1st and p streets
northwest.
AT the grounds 18th and Gales streets
northeast Mr. and Mrs. Glfllan looked
after the little ones.
While the of the grounds connected
with the schools is limited to the hours Q
to IL I'm. and $3.50 to pm. the open-air
playground will be for the use of the chill
dren at all times, although there will be, no
instructor there save during the hours stip-
ulated in the public schools.
Dr. Curtis said the good to be derived
from the athletic training the little ones
will receive could not be estimated 1t
would develop their bodies and keep them
out of mischief.
have been located follows: Stevens,
Garrison, Curtis, Phillips, Webb. Bell,
Henry, Jefferson, Mott, Magruder and Wal
ZACH.
Outline Of the Plans.
mass meeting attended by members of
the board of directors and of the play
grounds committee held last evening
in the Franklin School. corner of 18th and
X streets northwest. Final arrangements
were made for the opening of the play
grounds of the city this morning at
o'clock and the small details incident to
such undertaking were thoroughly DIS
cuS s. pf
Fairgrounds, gave the workers quite a talk
on the different methods of keeping the
children amused and how to meet problems
which would necessarily arise in the con-
duct of the grounds. He said there was
great need for a number of enthusiastic
volunteers to aid in the movement.
Mr.. Cuno H. Rudolph, who has exhibited
a keen interest IN the Fairgrounds move
ment since its beginning, offered a few ne
marks on the outlook for the coming year.
He thought everything was propitious TOR
a most happy realization of the committees
plans and purposes In the great WORK I'M
dertaken by them.
Mr.. Curtis briefly went over the instrlic-
tions. Some of the Fairgrounds at the
schools have not yet been equipped with APP
paratus but this. he, said. would arrive
within a few days. He stated that in the
large grounds there would be held tourna-
ments and athletic games. and that under
direction of the committee medals and tro-
phies will be offered for winners in different
become popular, and where the grounds are
large enough base ball would form their
principal amusement. Mr.. Curtis reported
that the second district made It's contri-
button to the playground fund yesterday,
amounting to S13T "a. making a total con-
tributed by the school children of the Dis
trict 81 ,325
Contributions Acknowledged. "a
The contributions from the school chill
dren to aid the movement have all been
received. the second district giving S137.34,
making the total contributions from that
source $1,325, much larger amount than
had been expected. The total amount now
in the hands of the committee for pushing
the work is about 81 700. AS s., 600 is need
ed by the committee to make the movement
a complete success, the workers in it are
anxious that more contributions be sent to
Supervisor Henry s. Curtis at 92S F street
This morning contributions were received
from Miss Ida C. DeCaindry, So; Twentieth
Century Club, 50; Mrs. Claire w Stafford.
81, and the Anthony Bryan School, 1896