New-York tribune., 1906-07-04
THE ROOSEVELT GYM"
NeSo Building for Poor Boys To Be
Named After President.

When the Jacob A Riis house at No. 50 Henry
street which is now being renovated and enlarged
at an expense Of $500. reopens on October q it
wiIl have acquired a magnificent new gymnasium
built at an expense of 5000 by President Roose-
velt's friends and equipped and endowed by the
pupils OF half dozen private schools 1t will bear
the Presidents name and will stand, M FRiis
SAYS fer strong ideals of manhood and the square
deal" It is being built in the back yard of the
Settlement where the children of the neighborhood
have played for years and which was named in the
days when the institution bore the name OF the
Kings Sons and Daughters, The Kings Garden" ."
The old Kings Garden has been destroyed by the
building Of the gymnasium. but there will be
new one on the roof, where the little children can
play while their older brothers are enjoying more
strenuous sports underneath.
In the gymnasium will be placed a bronze taplet
bearing the Presidents face and the motto wnich
Mr. Riis has given him. Better faithful tnan
famous" The tablet will also bear the names OF
the schools that are to support the gymnasium.
In the assembly hall of the main building viii
be another tablet bearing the the following inscrp-
lion:
This house was freed from debt and set apart
for the use Of all Gods children in living memory
Of Elizabeth Ris. 1906
The day set for the reopening of the Settlement
and the presentation of the gymnasium TO the boys
OF the East Side is the Presidents birthday, and
Bishop Potter and Mayor Mcclellan have promised
assist at the ceremony.
The whole cost of restoring the Settlement House
proper and freeing il from debt will be $4,000 The
gymnasium is extra and an after thought It
came 70 Mr. Riis last spring when he lying i'll
sn St Luke,s Hospital.
1T is good thing to go to the hospital once
IN a while Mr. Riis said, in speaking of the gym
nasium. ''Jt gives you time to think As I was
lying III there thought that / would like to build
a gymnasium for the poor boys Of the East Side
and call it after President Roosevelt I wondered
Tor long time how ! could do II, but at last in
the night watches. it came to that I would get
the Presidents friends and classmates to do it.
The very next morning wrote to of them, and
he answered at once: That's bully idea go ahead
and III help you did go ahead, and now have
s2e0 I stil want 5000 but 1 don't think the
Presidents friends will go back on him.
But / still had TO provide for the eouipuent
slo ntellalce OF the gymnasium Then another
beautiful idea came TO me- Why shouldn't the
g1ch boys who have too much play, help the Door
boys. who haven't enough and can't become good
citizens without it, because you can't make whole
man out OF half a boy? Every year at graduation
time II Is privilege address the boys IN half
dozen or more OF the high class private schools
This year told them about the gymnasium and
what wanted. They simply jumped at the chance
one school promised TO equip the gymnasium and
five others promised TO contribute son a wear each
for SIS support The names Of these schools viii
be placed with that Of the President upon dedi-
catory tablet 70 witness forever to the children
f the poor that the rich boys are their friends and
brothers,