The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-10-28
AvOIO fOlICCtt 70
Gel NORMAL PLAY

l(Gntl1Ge0 BATHi 1dSN}
There are not but two or three parks
in the city of Richmond for the
children to play In and they are so
far away that some children can
go to them to play. i know how i
l don't have anywhere hardly TO
play
A Csaiid Expert.
She speaks from an experts point
of view.
A boy Of thirteen told his troubles
as follows;
We started playing in the street,
but a mounted policeman said that we
would have to stop paying IN the
street Then / said, Lets go out to
the new ball park. This we did and.
having gotten inside, We started 10
catching but no sooner had we
started. than a player told us TO STOP
and we had TO obey. The result is
we have nowhere to- llas. so l went
home and read the paper"
A high school boy wrote:
II went TO the moving pictures and
stayed until late. l would have
kicked football. but the people
I threw q rev rocks at some negroes.
For fun | get the football ana kick
! 4i until I'm told To go away ana
then 1 10 TO the alley ii cuts the
bali to have 1t hit on the cobbfe-
stones l. with several other boys,
play on the railroad bridge. jump
ing, resting from the heat of the sun
and learning to run fast and do tricks
on the ties: IL we are careful we don't
often skin our shins.'
A girl OF fourteen was very explicit
as TO where she thought the play
ground should be:
When 20 home in the evening
| after school | 60 walking with IA
| crowd of girls The, children In the
/ Nest End are more fortunate than
| others that live in the middle part OF
| the city. There Tin the West Endt
| are some parks and vacant fields Ia
| play in. ! wish that our yard was
| large enough TO play tennis or croquef
think that tina city of Richmano
| ought to have Fairgrounds.
Boosters for Richmond are always
| riad to see new buildings going up
| The effect of new buildings on the
/ children's play 10 told by the follow
/ Ing from a boy of thirteen:
| when we were In the midst Of
4 q
| MIR. Ms large windowpane. NO ont
/ could determine whose fault II was
| the batter's or the pitchers. To de-
| eide II. each put n a nickel apiece
] and paid for It. The owner WAS n'acs
/. surprised and pleased. but tntoi mes
us that a foundat.1a of holse w'.'
! going TO re built on cur playground
the next day"
SOME ~ the educational experts in
terested In wholesome ro erei,et"'. Zee
thai II n little wonder that eh,ldre'
have the distinction between r'Sht ali'
/ Wrong broken down IN their m-nds
| when II ~ necessary for them TO h'
! Forbid N to do thtnSs that are ne
| really " eng by the "pire, only n
! convenient under modern city con
! ditions.
What the Children DO.
The large ~. - Il "a - Uct untrf
F, by the streets s. play L.'acc Is shown
| by sonla Of the r,llnsI.g quotation.
| from school chiidr6n's g. -:
/ From a t,y e.f thirteen:
II ge CIT on the c,rner and pla'
I different e7in,,s with ~ hoy friefds.
/ From :. hoy nrteen'
! Il WIS on thu corner playing unit
/ 10 q CiurT m he evening,
From, . foy OF fifteen:
| corner intH o'clock"
From boy fourteen:
Nights we play games on our cor
ner."
From a girl OF twelve:
Last week during my spare tins
| / was playing on the street"
/ From a girl OF twelve;
II spend most Of my spare tim
| on the street"
| Worse than playing in the stree
| IL ioafng around with all the at
| tendant dangers.
| hoy of twelve wrote: THAT nigh
went mp town and stayed Ions
| time
! A boy of fourteen wrote; LAS
/. week we played some bah ana Iait
| around"
/ A boy Of twelve: II went over u
| the drug store and stayed" This APP
| parentiy being the informal recre
| alton center of the neighborhood.
/ Moving, Pictures Attract.
] A girl OF fourteen w-nte: Las
night we were on Broad street.
The children wrote during ths
! month Of May, and at that time th'
| moving picture shows did not occupy
i as large a part OF their time as II
/ the cooler months OF the year, bu
| of going TO these shows as an I'M
/ portant part OF their amusement. A
| boy Of thirteen wrote:
J II worked Saturday in grocery
+! store. After O'Clock I went UT
/ town and went To a lot Of movinf
. pictures that night, Tuesday ] wen
IN town ia the moving pictures
a girl Of fofftc@n wre@e.
! Last week went IN town one
! o. tvs evenings ard went to thu
I tse~,ers. where / enjoyed myself
fine"
a~o+ser hcv ~ th'r-r~r wss sri.
der'l~ moving picture show rounder
I hs rai7
~ went 10 the n-n~-snr pictures
/ merry ss-e-v evening 'sst week"
J TIE rcr~ms'tee IN charge ~ push
! ,rp -o- t,e evte~s!on of the recreation
svSsem IN Richmond. mean - cali
| the attention Of the city council 70
4 some of these play troubles of Rich
rnond children as described by them
/ selves,