Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-22
POOR CHILDREN
ROMP AT BEACH
SALVATION ARMY PICNIC IS
GREAT SUCCESS
TIRED MOTHERS ENJOY DAY OF
UNBRokEN REST
Hundreds of Kids Splash in Ocean,
Play in Sand, Gambol in Plunge
and Consume Enormous
Meal
Especial to The Herald.l

long BEACH, July 2l.-SWeet
charity afforded 600 care-worn mothers
and poor children of Los Angeles a
fine all day outing at this beach today.
The excursion is one arranged an
nually by the Salvation Army in Los
Angeles and the army's ab.1ty to treat
its friends to a day at the seasnore
is due to the generosity OF the SAT-
Lake Railway company, Which provides
the transportation free. Several special
coaches are used each year in bringing
the crowd to the beach. There were
59S in the party today, al but a rev
of whome were children.
With merry shouts of giee and anti
cipatory giggles of delight the children
greeted each other this morning when
they gathered to start on the trip TO
the seashore. Some of tAem were so
anxious to start that theg would have
begun walking toward tle beach had
they not been restrained
mo Weston stunts for you today,
said Capt. Joe Norton. You are TO
have the pleasure of riding on the
soft cushions"
The mothers gathered happily too,
greeted each other cheerfully and the
Salvation Aarmy officers gratefully.
The ride toward the beach along the
pleasing route of the salt Lake was
the occasion of considerable hllarity,
the youngsters singing and shouting
and waving to the people whom the
train swept past. AS the train ap-
preached the station here, hats, hand
kerchiefs and hands pretruded waving
madly. A large crowd of residents
gathered at the depot and watched the
arrival of the picnickers with much en-
joyment.
Drop from Windows
BEFORE the train had fully stopped the
little "tads" began dropping from the
windows of the special cars. In rapid
succession one after another dropped
from the windows to the pavement.
Comparatively few left via the door
Ways. one barefoot uTchin found the
cement walk hard landing, but he soon
recovered sufficiently TO be on his way.
Straight toward the beach raced the
children and within ten minutes the
surf was thronged with kiddies with
high rolled trousersf or high pinned
dresses. who gayly splashed about in
the water.
Gee. Dis is great" many a Sunny
Jim was heard to texclaim. Dis is
somethin' like Wow Quit yer splash
in water on me, youse kids
The office of the bath house company
was soon in a state of siege. The en-
ployes behind the counter supplied
diminuitive bathing suits and good,
coarse towels to scores and scores of
youngsters, who We're passed promptly
through the turnstile, soon afterward
to appear from the dressing rooms clad
for a dip.
off the cementt curb around the
plunge they dived into the briny, or
down the chute they "shoOted,' pell-
NELL singly or by. twos and threes
Many We're the interesting eXclamations
and questions heard from the happy
children.
rs dis real. ocean water?" rs it free
to go out in the 'ocean?" can you
come back in again without payin' eX-
tra?" Every child had some momen-
tous question to lay before the plunge
guards.
Confusion on Beach
Out on the beach there was n scene
of romping and confusion. The life
savers watched the children in the
surf, warning tllem against going out
too far No accidents occurred in the
surf during the day.
It was reported that one little boy
Carl Lemans, fell from the porch of
the Auditorium. s-fracturing his collar
bone, and was taken to Los Angeles.
Teh mothers who came with the pic
mic party passed the day to good ad-
vantage, resting just resting. Many
of them needed it sorely. a pathetic
spectacle was that afforded by some
of them who sat along the strand or
along the pier, gazing out over the
sea. Some of them were alone and
without acquaintances in the crowd. For
them the day was one of meditation
and retrospection as we'll as of rest.
One old woman, who was quite weak.
shaded her eyes with one hand and
leaned against the pier rail for long
time, looking steadily out over the
shimmering sea a S if she could almost
discern the forms and faces of loved
ones waiting her coming on far-dis-
tant shore.
About II o'clock signs of great ac-
tivity We're noted on the dining deck
of the Auditorium building.
A principal sign of activity was Capt
Joe Norton, who was ordering things
about in a sklllful manner. Dinner
was III progress Of preparation and
Captain Norton was commissary officer.
Hey, sonny bub, clear OUT" he
would sing out once in a while, Din
ner will be ready at noon. Leave things
alone, please, iii then"
The dinner was immense and the way
the boys and girls, and the mothers,
too, went at il was "a sight"
Big Dinner Eaten
Maj. John c. Smith, who was in gen
erOI charge of the picnic, offered thanks
when dinner started at u o'clock Mrs.
Smith. his Wife, was in charge of the
serving. Long tables had been ar
ranged along the east one-half of the
dining deck. The following material
was consumed by the eager diners,
whose appettes had been Whetted TO
a keen edge by the activities of the
morning. Two hundred large loaves of
bread, 100 email loaves, 80 gallons of
Ice cream 300 pounds of potatoes, 80
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