The San Francisco call., 1908-05-17
EAGER TOTS GIVEN
DAY OF GREAT Joy
Orphan Children Made Happy by
Treat Provided in the
Park Stadium
BY Kathleen Thompson

BY Kathleen Thompson
/ About 1900 little noses were pressed
against as many window panes at an
early hour yesterday morning, when
the orphan children in the city's big
I asylums scrambled out of bed and
rushed 10 find out what the weather
! promised to be for their long awaited
holiday. Not that it was long awaited
4 in a grown up sense of the term. for
/ yesterdays big picnic in the stadium
/ for the children of the different or
/ phanages was planned only few days
ago. But even few days can seem
4 long 70 eager. impatient childhood.
Most of them went TO bed Friday night
with their hearts humping like ham
mers and their thoughts a confused
whirl OF bluejsckets, grass, ginger
bread, music and games. Holiday raj
ment was spread out on every little
( chair between the rows and rows of
+ iron beds. and a general blissful air
4 OF impending excitement pervaded every
dormitory from North beach TO Mount
/ Saint Joseph.
/ Me and Hazel was afraid we was GO
/ ing 10 die in the night said Gertie
/ Walsh. when she was on her sixth
coolSy yesterday and could spare sec
I ond for talk I'VE told sister We
thing would happen and we couldn't
go to the picnic.n
4 Obviously. however. Death himself is
afraid of resolute children like Ger
( tie, for neither she nor Hazel missed
! second of yesterdays good time.
They, like THOUSAND others. crowded
enough enjoyment into the hours be-
tween 10 o'clock and to last for
many reminiscent hour to come The
various cars that brought the children
started from all parts of the city at
about 10 o'clock. In several cases
especial arrangements had been made:
the children's car from Telegraph hill
and that from Mount Saint Joseph MAX
I Ing the "trip without single transfer
I by series OF complicated switches
i from track to track. Through the
courtesy of the railroad all the chill
dren were given a spin out to the
beach before they were finally deposited
at the gate of the stadium.
WEATHER FAVORs TOTS
| The weather. perhaps impressed bv a
thousand earnest little PRAYERS. was
perfect all day long. There was lust
/ enough breeze TO lift the immense flag
! that has been placed at the entrance of
! the stadium and keep IT ruff1ing against
the sky. The grass upon which they
scrambled and tumbled was new to the
children. the great circle of pines and
sand hills was new. many of them had
never seen the ocean before and were
frankly awed by the crowd and the
sailors; but they all knew the flag and
! hailed it as an old friend.
That's the three cheers fer the red
white an blue, isn't it?'' said a 4 year
/ old confidently.
In an astonishingly short time they
took possession of the stadium and
made friends with the little groups of
sailors that were drifting in all the
morning. Jack ashore was very kind to
| the friendly, merry babies, and whales
1 and pirates figured obligingiy in many
a yarn that was told on the grassy
! slope of the stadium yesterday. No one
! looking on would have dreamed that
the children were to be classed in the
ranks Of the unfortunate. the orphaned
and the abandoned.
| They were a rosy, sturdy crowd with
bright eyes. delightful manners and an
absolutely irrepressible gayety They
wanted peanuts, but they didn't hint
/ for a single bag; their small legs got
tired, but they were still having a
/ lovely time. thank you, ma'am; they
We're never too thirsty to wait for their
turns at the drinking fountain
We drank his apple cider by mis-
take because we thought it was pro-
yfded for u.s. said one of the South
park boys. alluding to an incident that
threatened to cloud the days cheerful
ness, and the COMMITTEES will pay for
! II; but he had no right TO call down the
/ lady that said we could have it.'
GREAT TREAT FOR CHILDREN
At noon the, children We're seated at
long tables and induiged in what a
theatrical firm might call capacity
business" The nuns in their tapping
Breton caps and a group of society
women waited on them and kept the
plates of sandwiches. the lemonade the
cakes and the candy travelling up and
down the lines at rapid rate.t Among
these volunteer mattresses were:
Miss Sally Maynard Mrs Arthur Cornwall
Miss Elizabeth Ashe Mrs. Horace Coffin
Miss Edith Berry Mrs Bentley
Mrs. Jack Connor Miss Gertrude Miller
Mrs. Laura Bride Pow Sidney Peixotto
ers
After luncheon there were all sorts
of games The boys from the Bovs'
Aid home in khaki uniforms did some
drilling that made the soldiers and
bluejacixets lift their caps to the en-
bryo officers Their band also played
several times during the afternoon.
The pole vaulting, tugs OF war and the
various races We're all applauded en-
Enthusiastically from the grass and when
at 5 o'clock the weary little feet turned
toward the cars again the cityss little
dependents left day of joy behind
them that will color their thoughts
easily for many q week TO cons