The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1910-04-30

made for the Roswell Public play.
ground. The city owns @ little park
let lying north OF Tenth streetFnnd be-
tween Lea and Missouri -avenuss.@ It
was dedicated to the city by the Man
Who Blazed the Way. n late Captain
J. c Lea. In the rapid growth Of the
CITY. the municipal government mas
had no money available TO Improve
this tract as IL should be. and the
happy thought ACQUIRED to a mem
Der of this club: why should not
the Woman's Club take this little
park and turn IL into a playground
for the Children p. The idea was SO
wise that IL took root, and under the
direction of Mrs. Pruit, Mrs. William
SON and Mrs. Wilkinson, who had
been appointed as a committee, the
matter was brought before the park
commission and that body instantly
endorsed h plan, referring it to the
superior body, the city council, by
whom the park was turned over to
t.le club, without a dissenting vote.
The understanding is that the club
is to make the necessary improve
ments, and this work has already be-
suns Nv - ~ PA0 -
joining property owners, that they
agreed to turn their vacant lots into
the playground, for the use of the
children of the city. The tract is
ideally located. perfectly drained, N
it will! not take muc money to put 1t
into fine shape. Considering the diff
culties encountered at the beginning
and the many distractions, political
and otherwise. the committee n the
club have done extremely well, mo
II has been difficult to fix the minds
of the people upon the idea OF the
playground. This difficulty / hin
has now been largely overcome, n
il Is sincerely to De hoped that tle
matter of the playground will be car
ried tn completion before the nnual
summer adjournment Of the club, so
that il will not laaguish during the
summer, and so that the trees, grass
and flowers nav have the benefit of
this years growth.
1t is true that the need for this
playground is Just begun in Roswell,
which is moving from the ranks of
frontier towns to that of a stately and
modern city. God made a great party
tI tDt MHolt TttOS valley All Eb0S
well itself is one of the choicest bits.
bIt all of the open ground in the city
proper is being rapidly built up with
the homes of the people, and it will
not he long before there will be no
place for the children to play except
the streets. Death turks in the
streets. bad habits and temptation
are not far OF, nacleanly habits and
unsanitary conditions are there. The
hest motherhood Of Roswell could do
nothing to really help the children OF
a better class than in developing the
public playground. AS the years pass
by and the residence section becomes
more and more c~ongested, those of us
who help in this work will be called
blessed by children and parents alike,
and it should be a great pleasure and
privilege for we have 4 divine ad-
nonition that "inas-nuca as We have
done II unto the least of these, my
children, We have lone il unto me-"
TO provide a place for healthy. whole
some play is of almost as great In
Dortance az any other pause of child
culture. the grandest thing that is
laid upon the daughters of Eve, and
the mothers of the land.
The plans of the committee as I
understand them. do not call for the
expenditure of a great amount OF
money. IL simply means the use of
enough to clear the ground of the salt
grass. to plant and care for trees.
grass and flowers. and to place the
accessories mentioned. Properly be-
gun the annual cost of maintenance
will be very small considering the I'm
mense amount OF good it will do. and
for one | think that this club could do
nothing better than to give a good
part of its time from now on to sum-
mel adjournment to the matter of the
Children's Public playground, and to
have this consideration include the
neartiest and most effective support