The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-06-22
SCENE OF ANIMATION.
A Glimpse at the Children's Playground
at North Barre.

With fully hundred juvenile citizens
of the north end daily seeking the rec
reative advantages offered, the children 3
playground just west of the Berlin street
bridge is again open fc II @ason and
the project undertake ciHoDt Z rre
Civic Federation in 1910 Nate i
amply justify its existence by ne.f
to solve the problem OF how to keep
the young people away from the streets.
Under the watchful eye of Miss Mar
guerite Shattuck, 1912 graduate OF the
Sargent Normal school at Cambridge,
Mass, many boys and girls of the north
section are allowed free swing in work
ing off their surfeit of animal spirits
in healthy and wholesome way. For
there is little that sayors of restraint
at the Berlin street pleasure ground;
and the tired mother who places her
children in care of Miss Shattuck need
not dress the young ones up in Sunday
attire.
The playground at Berlin street opens
this year under the most propitious cir
cumstances. Through the generosity Of
Angelo Scampini, the land occupied by
the youthful pleasure seekers is utilized
by the Civic Federation without charge.
Through the liberality of the Italian
club, the wide expanse of Rangers field
is also placed at the disposal of the
youngsters and their directress. The
Federation has equipped the playground
with splendid facilities for healthy and
vigorous exercise. Apart from the age
restrictions. the wisdom of which is
plainly obvious, boys and girls who
frequent the place are given every de-
sirable liberty Both are allowed to
use the swings, travelling rings, see saws,
giant strides, etc. No pains are spared
to develop a desire for healthy kinds
OF play and children are counseled not
to be selfish in the various devices placed
at their disposal.
From 0 o'clock in the morning until
noon, and from ] 80 until o'clock, the
preceptress is present on the grounds
A revision of last years rules governing
the place permits the children to enter
the Fairgrounds during other hours.
Boys over twelve are not supposed to
frequent the grounds, although girls are
hindered by no age limit
A visitor to the Berlin street grounds
is apt to receive several lasting i'm
pressions. After inspecting the crowd,
composed of all sorts and conditions OF
youngsters of both sexes he win remem
ber the proneness of youth toward mis-
chief and straight way form a new idea
of youthful contentment and happiness.
The playing tendencies OF many children,
allowed to run at large are apt to know
no bounds. in eurbing the more bois-
ferrous manifestations OF youth and spir
it, and shaping the course of healthy
amusement for these children, the pub
lie playground serves one of it's pest |
purposes. Visitors to the place are
always welcome and to those who have |
charge of the work, the increase of the
number of parents who stop at the |
grounds occasionally is one of the en-
signs Of the whole project.
1t is the present plan of the Civic |
Federation to again emphasize its use |
fulness in the community by establish !
ing a simila' playground in another sec
ton of the eitv With the BERN stree; |
experiment already emerging from IT'S
period of recrudescenee, the Federation |
Is encouraged 10 exploit its success in |
the north end in another section. Viewed |
from any angle the grounds at North |
Barre have been signally successful in
lrawing the younger population within
is bounds and the members of the
Federation believe its popularity justi-
les second Que in the city.
Although the playground plan had
been carried out with gratifying success
N number Of outside cities by 1910,
Barre was the first Vermont town to
establish such utility and with TIE
possible exception of one or two places,
t stands alone in this work to day.
Bennington has operated a playground,
md the plan has been seriously dis
ussed in several other towns. The fol
owing paragraph from Vermont news
'aper contemporary shows that Ba.re's
fTorts along the line of providing a
,ublic place of recreation for its future
itizens is likely to be copied elsewhere;
The towns of Ludlow, Montpelier and
are soon to have public play
rounds. In Ludlow subscription of
200 has been raised for the work.