New-York tribune., 1909-05-26
JOLLY MAY PARTY
Mayor McCIeIan UmmreS Ball
Game of School Girls.

was an afternoon full of events for the Wash
ington Irving High School girls-that of yester-
day-with four special subway trains to carry them
the Spuyten Duyvil Meadows, at 2I6th street
and Broadway; Mayor Mcclellan umpire their
ball games. the school commissioners TO applaud
their maypole dances loads Of ice cream, and
day Of sunshine and clearIair and greenery which
might have been made expressly for them.
1t the fifth get together party of the
Washington Irving High School Association, and
was managed entirely by the girls Arriving at the
2l6th station at $50 o'clock. they marched.
twenty-one hundred strong, up the winding road,
through Nhe green lawns of the old DyCkman es-
tate. with lone but proud policeman. officer Cum
mings. walking at the head. the band playing, and
the teachers walking modestly behind
Up in the fiat meadows beside the Spuyten Duy-
vii the fun began, Mayor and Mrs.
Mcclellan and the other guests had arrived. II
pretty sight the girls made. in the bright
costumes they for the various folk dances.
OF course, the flag up and everybody sang
The Star Spangled Banner" Her royal highness
Elsie Bauer crowned Queen OF May and En-
press OF Fairgrounds. with four white robed maids
Of honor attend her and eighty sub-maids Of
honor dressed in crepe paper. to represent daisies
pansies. peoples and chrysanthemums to perform
a dance on the green in her glory.
john Whalen. through whose offices the meadow
obtained for this festival, made speech in
which he said that Mayor Mcclellan was always
doing what he believed TO be best the girls and
boys Of the public schools Miss Helen Prince
formally welcomed the Mayor, and told him that
his appointment OF the Playground Commission
which event yesterdays meet commemorated-
would be gratefully remembered OF his admins
traton."
Pm glad 70 be here" said the Mayor-he wasn't
the programme. but he had to speak. I'm
even more gratifed the reason of this meet
But the credit for the Fairgrounds Commission
doesn't belong to The credit is Mr.. Sullivans.
He realized that one OF the great lacks in this
city IS Fairgrounds; we talked about il, and
result I appointed this commission Of which our
dear old friend Mr.. MCGOWAN is chairman, and
which is determine where and how Fairgrounds
shall be placed. And l believe that in few
months shall have report from the commits
sion which viii be satisfactory to every one"
Then the cheer mistress, Miss Kate Schechter,
led cheers for the Mayor, Controller Metz and an
the commissioners, and twenty-one hundred glrlish
throats chanted wireless message TO Patrick
+ MCGOWAN. who Is in St. Louis.
Washington Irving girls send greetings. 'Rah!
'Rah! Washington Irving
There two maypole dances One
dance in the style. made up by the girls OF
the Grand street division. The other done
the villagers danced in Cornwall, once upon a time
Sixteen girls from the Twelfth street division in
floating dresses Of pink, yellow lavender, green,
blue and rose. advanced and retreated, winding the
green and white ribbons around the pole and
when the ribbons got tangled they didn't get
''rlttled' but waited till man tossed them
knife. when they the Goriian knot
There were Swedish dances and Polish dances
In costume but the great excitement came when
tie girls ran races. Jumped hurdles and so forth.
Then il that the girl spectators rooted for
their particular schools shameessly. and made
the lives Of The eleven policemen who were there
from the 7ith Precinct 70 keep order, quite miser-
able.
How are you getting on?" yelled a man in
the background OF big officer vino trying TO
get crowd Of eager girls 10 move back and give
the Roman chariots' room for tieir race
Not very WELL he said. I'd rather handle
men than women any time
SrnaM Gertrude GoIlsten. from he sd street