The evening world., 1912-04-10
OWNS THE PARKS?

E
8 SPRING comes on and the day. grow longer and warmer the
~ psiu once more loom large in the life Of dweners in brick
and asphalt. On Sundays and holidays the four great
sky' pazks-Csntz.l, Bronx, Prospect and Van Cortandt-beoome
pleasure grounds for Thousands q men, women and children who
mnet make longer saouzsious.
In . certain instructive fsahaen people ss thankful sr the
psRts and enjoy them.
But do W ever think Of them in Just the right wsyi Dc we
svr consider the lawns and trsw and shrubbsy and lakes ~
whsa they really sre-our own property. 70 DO valued and cared for
WITH q much interest and attention - TIE vegetables in thu back
ysd Of the box Of nasturHums on the window al At homer Have
~ not rather . feeling that sitter Ill these parks are something
- smpsd oven md torn 10 pieces bseauss they belong 10 no one
= psxsalarf
Last sseurday w eas Il - A.ss I'm. sprtns days. The halt.
hGav hsssht people into ~ sr and sunshine. In the Bronx
s6haG sitting On ts gaA, rssdtns the pspsrs, lunchins In group.
xs.huns ed tss wssonsa them with The first tender touches
apsa'
~ ~ "a Asss p.opls l..v. when hoy went home,
bs6setA emp ground d nsvspspers, pspsr bsss boxes
$3.50 ~ snd hend srshi
An Asus wak sressh ~ prk told the story.
r. pssgAA . man and I've women, ut on the grass around
~ smnanb Il . tnnsbson Did they gather the fragments to-
shr - . s.nu. - b thrown IN some suitable p.0s' Not
-. ~ 4 ts IL picked up vhstsver lay nearest and threw "
AGh lin = far - BE- could. making . ring Of gsrtsss that could
~ b collected in IN hours Tina.
A little further On two clustering man boys stood by q hedge
ssa lad Just sproutng. Thsy id not even see what they wee
- TGs sws ware on . hs rdsng performance . hundred
- svsy.
4 yesng man lay On hi hA looking into me sy. With
~ regularity q . piston b lifted hi right he'd In the CIR and
- 4 Aasd Into IL tarf. Hs sehisvsd . hole half . foot deep.
h ~ midst Of IN sdnfing crowd . psscook summed itself and
6emd ~ geFgeous tail. A woman on the outskirts Of the circle
800 email boy forward With . drill command, "Look, johnnie!
q qpisk md gt . fssth9"
Il + hasd 70 believe that th~s people were n malicious d.
NtSysss. No doubt some q thm Ind carefully tended flowers q
49, Psrhsps lev q them would have left an unHdy table or
~ IN their own houses.
Bat bscauss they were In thss place Of uncertain ownership. q
taAatc psrk, thy scted like ~thoushtss hoodlums.
Why shouA this b peculiar to New York; Why did the open.
II Of the east side Of Central Pshk to the public result in appalling
rdn and ~devastation3
In the Bos Dc BoMosne Thousands Of people with camp chairs
(sA luncason baskets, games and ~plsything. spend whole day.
warming over the grass and through the trees. Yet they contrivs
~ leave tho beautiful plscs n fresh and clean each night a. they
found Il in the morning.
Let tho people Of New York make . special effort this season
Is look upon tho parks - very really their own property, their OWL
gardens. to BE- kept clean and fair. Let them resent the act Of tho
man who throws his Newspaper on tho grass in tho park q much
q Il he tossed Il over one Of their own fences.
The parks are tho property Of each and every one Of US. 1
should be our pride and pleasure to protect them.