Evening star., 1909-07-01
WYMAN STATES VIEWS FOR CHILDREN ONLY
Reports on Plan to Consolidate Ffteen Local School Play
Public Health Bureaus. grounds in Use Today
TAFT CONSIDERS PROJECT DR. STONEROAD IN CHARGE
Nav Urge Working Hard Ad
Great Department. dtional Grounds
NAGEL CALLS ON PRESIDENT BOYS WANT SWIMMING POOLS
Employes-Bradley Day Reps-outdoor Enter
Blames Postponed
Working Hard on Ad'
ditional Grounds.
BOYS WANT SWIMMING POOLS
Offer to Do the Excavating-Button
Day Receipts-Outdoor Enter
tainment Postponed.

Thousands of Washington children. boys
and girls of all ages, spent this morning
enjoying themselves in the numerous
Fairgrounds thrown open to them in diff
ferent parts of the city. Fifteen school
Fairgrounds were opened this morning.
and hundreds of children visited them, de-
lighted at the opportunity to go to a
school where all is recess and the school
yard the only classroom. The teacher
was there. it is true but merely for the
purpose of having general supervision
over the games and to see that the
smaller children did not become too ven
turesome in the games of their older play
mates.
The school Fairgrounds have been opened
in the summer during the last few years.
but they were under the supervision OF
the Fairgrounds Association This year
the board CT education has assumed the
management and placed 3h the grounds
under the supervision of DR.. Reoecca
Stoneroad the head of the department OF
physical culture in the grades. She is
aided by a corps of assistants Whom sne
has been training for some time
AOCdt1OA VI = Aay s. ooAANS'
The yards of the following schools
were opened as Fairgrounds to white
children this morning: Industrial Home
School, Curtis, Dennison, Henry. Ar
thur Ludlow, Wallach, ketcham and
jefferson.
The colored children have been pro-
vided for at the Stevens, Payne, CID
dings, Garrison, Phillips and Magruder
schools.
The hours are from $50 to 11:30 in
the morning and from to in the even
ing.
The playground association has already
opened several of the municipal play
grounds and is working hard on sew
eral others. The Rosedale grounds at
18th and Kramer streets northeast were
opened Saturday. The hours are from
. O'Clock in the morning until dark.
The playground occupies an entire block
and was purchased by congressional ap-
preparation. Five thousand dollars was
spent in grading and equipping 1t. The
most popular attraction is the wadlne
pool, which is twenty by fifty feet, ano
contains about eighteen inches of water
The moment it came the boys turn they
attempted to convert it into swimming
pool, going into the water with their
clothes on, in spite of the protests OF
the attendants who have supervision OF
the grounds.
Boys Offer to Dig Pool.
Whether the boys should be permitted
to get entirely under water brought on
discussion with the attendants, which wa!
finally settled by the suggestion of tht
boys that they dig their own swimming
pool and that the Playground Associa
tion furnish the cement and labor II
complete the work.
James E. West, who heard the sug
gestion of the boys, called 1t before th'
officers of the association and 1t was de
cided to accept the offer. The youngster
will begin at once to excavate for pool
making it 80 feet long, 20 wide and from
| 3 to ) feet deep. After the excavation i
made the association will put in tn
concrete lining.
| In addition TO the wading pool there ar
an open-air gymnasium. swings. see-saws
slides and other amuSementS. There ar
| five attendants, one night watchman an
| two men and two women who keep gen
eral supervision during the day. One o
| the attendants, who gives his services TO
nothing, is Edward s. Gilfillan, head o
| the Noel House.
In Charge of Association.
| Other Fairgrounds that have just beer
opened by the association are the
| Juvenile Court grounds, for children o
| all ages; grounds at 9TH and l. streets
southeast, for boys more than ten year:
| old; at Virginia avenue and 18th stree
southeast, for girls and boys under ten
Howard University grounds, for colore'
| children of all ages; at Garfield Park, fo
girls and boys under ten, and at Neigh
| borhood House, for small children.
| Plans are under way for four addltlona
| grounds, including one in Georgetown
| between 33d, saith, Z and X streets. TN
4 I1y. Sl on \
appropriation and contracts have alread.
| been let for the construction OF SWIM
ming pool.
Mr. West of the Fairgrounds Associa
| tion said today that 1T is the intention
| of the association to have swimming
pools in all the Fairgrounds and ultimate
| ly to have the Fairgrounds become par
| of the educational system OF the District
either under the direction of the Doar'
| of education or OF the District Com
mlSSlonerS.
The receipts from Button day are moi
| yet all in, but is is estimated that the.
| will amount to about $1,000. Tne bal
game between the Board Of Trade ant
the Chamber OF Commerce raised aoou
$4VO for the Fairgrounds movement.
Outdoor Entertainment Postponed.
The proposed entertainment to be giver
in the White House grounds for the bene'
hit of the Fairgrounds. Maude Adams pre-
senting Peter Pan. has been postponed
until fall, as it was thought that the ho
weather might prove handicap to sue
cess
In regard to the performance Mr.. Wes
has received letter from Miss Heller
Taft, who is said 10 take a great Interest
in the playground movement. setting fortf
that 1t viii be far better to postpone the
performance on the White House lawr
until the autumn, when there will be more
people in town TO take an interest In the
worthy charity of keeping open the play
grounds.
Upon my return" Miss Taft added. "l
shall be glad TO look over any plans yol
may send"