The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-09-09

The monitor In charge of this play
ground is experienced and capable, her
work showing in the general uplift OF
the children who come under her care.
In this playground, more perhaps than
in any other this very marked i'm
provement is evident.
Many of the colored children do not
have the same chance which white
children have. Heretofore they have
been compelled to live on the streets
or play in little yards where the sani-
tary conditions were not always con-
dueive to good health.
with the establishment of this play
ground, however, they have found
wholesome, innocent yet ample amuse-
ment. The monitor ia on the watch
for those little faults which corrected
In childhood often keep the grown-up
I from prison The play ground Is OF
! course primarily for play, but the
/ moral side is by no means of I'M
( Importance for it IL shown that after
/ visiting the playground "A Few times
! and coming under the influence of the
monitor. even the most lncorrigible
7 boys and girls begin to show improve
ment Their language and general be-
( haVior often Objectionable at first be-
i come better and more refined. and
/ finally their whole moral natures are
/ changed into better channels and the
/ children are elevated to an entirely
new plane.
/ Their thoughts and lives are bet
ter and through the careful training
OF the monitor they come to see and
realize many of the higher things In
life to which they would otherwise re-
main blind and In ignorance. This of
course cannot fail to make better
citizens and that in the last analysis
( is what the monitor is doing; Max
/ ing citizens who by their lives will
( reflect credit not only upon the play
( grounds but upon their race
+ Special Feature.
one feature of the playground
training, or education as 1t really
amounts to, is the special class in
dancing and singing taught by each
monitor an exhibition of this work
being one of the principal numbers
on the entertainment program at Idle
wood Thursday. a beVy of little boys
and girls from the Madison play
ground under Miss Katie Kidwell ac-
quitting themselves with great credit,
winning the hearty applause of their
audience
As soon as the playground children
arrived at the park there was mad
rush for the merry-go-round, Like
bees they swarmed over everything.
Sitting proudly astride a fierce man
eating tiger would be some little boy
while his younger sister chung to the
legs The giraffe by reason of his
conveniently long supports was IA
popular beast one of the most popu-
liar on the list. and III less than half
a minute after the children reached
the merry go-round ne was the CEN
ter of miniature maelstrom OF little
humanity
The monitors, though with their
tnGt
control Of their charges They cleared
off the surplus. and allowed the
. merry go-round to run, holding back
the hundreds of children who wish
ed to crowd on and making each take
his turn.
From the merry o-round d trail
nf peanut hulls led - the roller coast
er. scarcely less popular than the
carousal with it's wooden animals
and The miniature men and women
nearly bursting with suppressed eX-
. citement were taken in the cars ane
p rushed around the incliues until they
were wild With GREATNESS delight
r Next they went to the circle
e swings, where they were swung RAJ
, out In the afr, far above the heads
/ of their waiting friends, who were
, clamorous for their turn.
Picture Taken.
/ Then they had their picture taker
all in one big gronp-and what
! ptcture-t taking 1t was!
Every little girl must get III tht
front line 60 show her pretty new
dress and bright bow of ribbon, ant
SO the poor little boys. pushed ant
tostled, were forced to the rear. ant
. would have been lost entirely had no
kindly monitors come forward an'
. made the girls give way-Just tnl'
{ 80 thptr Fntnra lords and mas
. tiers.
/ Then with the boys properly PLACED
among the fluttering crowd of excited
= femininity the whole throng mus
r needs climb right into the camera,
notice officer was summoned but wal
y soon hopelessly enveloped and coult
I hardly breath. SO closely was M
pressed in on all sides.
- Again the monitors were called
r upon. They spoke the magic words
Q and immediately-and for nearly
s. sacond--~pcaCe and quiet were re
y stored. Very quickly the picture maj
i clicked the shutter, and the picture
: was made. M,
the crowd then rushed In Wild STAN
e pede, and marshalling her little forc'
; az actors and actresses at one end o
the hall. Miss kidwell opened the en-
tertainment. the children singing th'
4 and going through a number OF driii
= and dances to the great delight of thei
4 audience. ~
: The Jockey dance by little Mise
Ruth Gatewood and Davis Werner wer'
t roundly applauded. was the SONG
Brothers Turning TO be Boy %
G little Miss Marie Gordon. The real Tea
z ture however. was the singing OF ny
: year old Doris Wann who scarce !,
able TO pronounce, sung Pony BOY u
"A manner never TO be forgotten.
Z Then it was over except for the pea
n nuts and popcorn which had no enc
e meeting the children as they got OF
From their first arrival nearly ever
little mouth was full of sugared corr
: while peanuts lavishly provided dis
Ct appeared by the quart, only the empt.
shells remaining to tell of the dread
= fur carnage.
q But after while il was all over
:, and collected by their monitors tn
c cars They were tired but still happy
x Many a pink bow which had stood "a
n proudly lay. rumped and limp 81
/. some little bodys hair. tapping wear
G lily over her face; many starche'
young gentleman was soiied and al
the mad whirl. Their faces betokene
T. WEAKNESS. but deep In their eye
IL shown the light OF contentment, an
= they took away with them the memor
, of an evening which they will treasur
= i~as long as they live.
v NEWSPAPER MAN AWAITING
OPERATION IN HOSPITAL
Mr. Tohu w Avery "a well know