The Somerset reporter., 1907-08-15
10000 Children.
Dorchester Centre. Mass

Iwant to tell you
something of what has happened here
in the last week. You know it has
been Old Home Week, and it has
come and gone with all of its many
and varied attractions. 1t really has
been a wonderful week, filled with
parades, reviews, games, fireworks
and entertainments of various kinds;
but the browning feature of the whole
a fitting climax to week of great
events, took place Thursday in Frank
lin Park, where more than 10000 chill
dren, most of them little tots, assem-
bled for glorious Field day.
Idoubt if any one living ever saw
such day as we saw here August 1st.
Can you imagine, Mr.. Editor, as you
sit in your cosy Office, writing the
news of Somerset county and the
State and Nation in general, what
40, 600 children in one field all in view
at one time really means? There
were ten times as many children as
all of the people, old and young, in
your town.
1t was a beautiful sight, and anyone
who could have followed that cele-
bration from the beginning until the
last child had gone out of the park at
night would have been very busy in
deed. The affair was in the hands of
q competent committee, and all of the
details had been carefully mapped
out, and were followed to perfection.
There was something going on all of
the time, In fact good many things.
1t was like q three ring circus; you
had to have eyes in the back OF your
head in order to see everything. One
of the finest city bands was playing
all of the time. Half a dozen hurdy-
gurdies dispensed music in different
parts of toe park. There we're graph
ophones. There was a dog show,
half q dozen theatrical performances,
principally by the children, a Punch
and Judy show. The committee had
arranged for and presented with all
of it's elaborate and exquisite details,
the living flag, a wonderful sight and
a lesson in patriotism never to be for
gotten. There were day fire works;
dozens of baby elephants, Teddy
bears, horses and chariots; in fact
none but the children could remem-
Der Just what went up in the shape of
day fire works.
No one not acquainted with Frank
lin Park can imagine just what per-
feet place it is for such celebration.
1t contains six hundred and seventy
acres, and the surface is very much
diversified. The central point for
= III 10 hand
stand in Abbott Woods.
To take care of, manage, police and
provision such an army, 10000 chill
Fifty -four policemen, many teachers,
nurses, regular relief station, and
everything necessary to successfully
conduct this days outing were pro
vided. There was Lost and Found
station, as of course the children were
constantly getting lost from parent
or teacher. There was hospital for
the injured or those who might be
overcome with the heat, or taken III
from any cause whatever.
There were the water wagons, the
feature OF the day, the thing that just
completed their comfort and happl-
ness. Five enormous sprinkllng wa
CONS filed with ice water were drawn
into the field near the band stand, and
dist ributed along the brow of the hill
where most of the children were.
Did you ever take one child to a pic
mic, and do you remember how much
ice water that child drank? Multiply
that by 10000, and the kennebec
river would hardly furnish the supply
No one who ever was child, or ever
had child, or ever took child any
where, has forgotten the eternal cry;
81 amt dink amt dink!" The park
is well supplied with drinking foun-
tains; everybody that knows any
thing about Franklin Park knows OF
its famous spring, but it was put out
of business before the tenth part OF
the children had arrived. 1t could no
more supply the thirst of August 1st,
than it could supply New York City
have spoken of the entertainers
but the busiest entertainers OF the
whole day were the sheep. They
were a constant source of pleasure TO
the little folks from the city, who had
never seen sheep, who had rarely
ever seen green grass or trees. A
little boy, at least twelve years old
who stood by my carriage wheels as
sat watching the children said:
"Aint they funny? When they
open their mouths they say "Baa!
never saw anything like that"
One can hardly imagine with &c
much country and so many trees, sc
much grass, and 80 many animals,
that a child could grow to the age oil
twelve without having seen them
But there are thousands in Boston
and every large city, who never had
glimpse of the country.
have told only half of the things
that happened in Franklin Park on
this wonderful day. could go on de
failing interesting little things; but ii
would take the entire space Of the pa
per. Enough to say that the finest
thing of Old Home Week, and the
finest card that Mayor Fitzgerald ever
played, was played on August 1st
when the great Children's day was
planned for and carried out. He Wis
tied them during the day and made
| them a speech. They cheered him;
he thanked them, and was a boy with
them. They climbed all over his au-
tomobile, and chung 80 closely TO hin
that he found it difficult to get away
1t was then he made his most telling
speech of the whole week and of any
political campaign:
"Chil rem, if my automobile were a.
big as my heart, | would take you al
home in it'll"
Each one of the 40, 900 children had
luncheon basket or box. Between
| twelve and one thew all fell to- IdrOye