Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-30
new PLAYGROUND POPULAR.
GEORGETOWN CHILDREN EN-
JOY ITS FACILITIES.
Three Hundred Little Folks at Open
ing This Morning-ohcials
Pleased With Prospect.

Promptly at Q O'Clock this morning as
the informal opening of the new George
town playground, more than three hum
dred eager children swarmed into the
plot and took possession of swings. ten
mis- courts. slides, swinging rings and
the rest of the equipment placed there
for enjoyment and physical development.
IT was an enthusiastic band. Fifteen
minutes after the grounds were turned
over to them not boy or girl was idle.
Shouts Of pleasure and merry laughter.
as they scooted down the slides or
skinned the cat on one of the many
bars, were a source of keen joy to play
grounds officials present.
IT'S worth the worry and the trou-
BILE to afford happiness of that sort. re-
marked James r. West, secretary of the
Fairgrounds Association.
On Old Cemetery Site.
The new grounds are located at 34th
and Volta streets, Georgetown. and oc-
cupy three-quarters of the block known
as the old Presbyterian cemetery grounds
The property was acquired for playground
premises about four months ago. and from
that time up until several days ago a
force of men has been almost continuous
ly at work leveling, grading and terracing
The. plot in it's original condition was
uneven and full of rtlts and rocks. Nc
small amount of labor was necessary tC
place 1t In condition.
The Fairgrounds employees started to
erect the extensive equipment the early
part Of the week and this morning were
still at work on two tennis courts and
volley ball courts. These. ii is expected
will be finished by Monday or Tuesday
and the grounds will then go over II
| their present condition until next spring
when We open next year-the middle
or later part of April, I hope-several
more slides will be put up, a wading poo
Installed and possibly swimming pool,
said Secretary West today. The swim
grounds and / think will be extremely
popular.
"Other improvements in the spring will
be the erection Of a permanent rest
house and the sodding of the entire
plot
Mrs. Agnes Stewart of the Rosedae
Fairgrounds and Miss Caroline Stein
| metz. both experienced Fairgrounds
| teachers. We're assigned to take charge OF
the Georgetown grounds until the close
OF the season. Mrs. Stewart predicts q
great future for the grounds. She spent
| most of her time. as did Miss Steinmetz
In making the acquaintance of their new
charges, showing how to use the various
apparatus and teaching playground
games.
They are a fine lot of children Mrs
Stewart commented. surveying boys she
had just Strengthened out on the base
ball diamond. They are bright. and
seem instinctively to know what they
must and must not do. The teachers who
have these grounds next year will make a
tremendous success of them"
High School Boys Help.
Assisting Mrs. Stewart and Miss Stein
metz were a dozen Or so Western High
School boys, who kept what little order
was necessary and entered into the games
of base ball and basket ball with the
younger boys. During the morning there
were two or three base ball games, in
which the young men from the Western
High School played. several of them to
the side.
The chief equipment of the grounds
consists of base ball diamond. three
tennis courts, three vollsy ball courts. four
sets of swings and swinging r1ngs, see
saws a dozen or more chinnifs bars,
climbing ladders, two slides, basket ball
court and large iron frame equipped
with trapezes, rings. bars, climbing ropes
and poles.
This afternoon impromptu races for chill
dren, base ball games between school
mines and other athletic contests will be
held. A number of play ground and public
officials are expected to be present. in
Guiding one or two congressman Oh the
District committee who might be in the
city.