The Washington times., 1905-08-03
PRIZES FOR MEET
ON FAIRGROUNDS
Trophies to Be Awarded
Youthful Athletes.
BIG BOYS BEHAVING WELL
Are Profting by Lessons Taught Them
by the Women Instructors
Early in Season.

The athletic instructors of the public
Fairgrounds are spending their efforts
these days in getting the boys in trim
for the athletic meet. which will be
held some time this fall. The boys have
been carefully instructed in all the ele-
ments of running jumping, pole vault
ing. and other sports.
Some of the boys are developing re-
markable speed for little fellows. The
favorite distance is 100 yards, although
some are working on the longer dis
Iances. The girls. too, are doing their
share of running. but no attempt is be-
ing made to show them any of the scien-
tific principles. as the instructors have
no desire of making sprinters of them
Prizes for the Meet.
Supervisor Curtis says that he expects
TO arrange list Of prizes for the meet,
and every boy finishing one, two, three.
in any event will be rewarded. OF
course. it would not be consistent to
consider purchasing medals this year,
when so much more money is needed
to properly equip the grounds, but the
generosity of the local merchants in
donating prizes for such events is so
we'll known that ii is thought there will
be little trouble in securing the trophies.
When the Fairgrounds were opened
this spring it was expected by the direc-
tors that there would be considerable
rowdyism to contend with among the
boys, especially the older ones That
there has not heen, and that there has
been noticeable scarcity of nights
speaks remarkably well for the man
ncr In which the directors have disciplin-
ed the boys. During the early part OF
the season large boys would attempt to
bull" the instructors. They would LOAF
around the different grounds, annoy the
smaller boys, and when told that tneil
presence could be dispensed with would
merely laugh and refuse to bulge. II
was finally decided to let the womer
instructors approach them and appea
to their better senses as gentlemen, as
1t was not desired TO call upon the police
| unless absolutely necessary.
Plan Worked Well.
| The plan worked admirably. When the
| situation was explained the boys wouit
often lift their caps and say. Yes
miss" and Immediately leave the
grounds, and in several cases
| these same boys are helping
watch the smaller children dur
ing the busy hours. One of the womeI
said yesterday that two boys who wer'
! the most annoying when she first came
| TO the grounds were now her most re
liable constituents. they had learned t
respect and like her and were on hanC
every dav willing to give her whateve
assistance they could.
The remarkable good that the play
grounds are doing Is strIkingly illustrat
| ed by the case Of a little hunchback boy
| He is sixteen years old. but scarcel!
more thar four feet tall His face
shrunken and thin and has the appear
ancc of old age more than youth. anC
! & complexion which shows sunshine an'
! fresh air have not been the chief fac
| tors in his life. Both parents are yer;
| poor The father is WorI<isg for q small
! salary most of which, 1t is said, goe'
| for drink. while the mother does mos
| of the bread-earntng. taking in weSh
| ing or anything she can get.
The little hunchback boy in speaking
of his life said that they lived in twl
back rooms. that the only place he haC
! to play was on the street. and this b.
/ never old. because whenever he wen
| out alone other boys made fun Of hin
| and would often congregate in a circl
and push him from one to the other.
! Life Almost Unbearable