New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-06-25
BOYS SHOCK PATROLMEN
Omit Bathing Toys When Takinn
Dips in Park Fountains.
IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN
stover Has Plan to Stop Them.
and Discourses on Public
Abuse of Memorials

never again will the sense Of decency ana
tender sensibilties OF the habitues az CO.,
nan Park be outraged as they wera o,,.
Day last week when an unusuaIIv sh.r.
eyed patrolman spied three small hove n,.,.
only one pair Of trunks among them Lii.
annette kellermann stunts in the hiy fo,,,'
tain' and instead of leaving them IN d,sno..
themselves In the concealing brown den,bs
uroVe them forth to dodge behind troo,
ana the not too dense underground OF the
pdrh until relief corps arrived with tba
abandoned trousers and shirts.
But 1t VIII never happen again and rbo.
Is more there will be no more sailing .,
boats nor angling for mysterious .thIngsn
that loom dimly and grotesquelv from, a..
bottom of the basin.
NO. II won't be because a special patrol
man VIII be perched st. Simeon stylites
idshlon on the central pedestal Of the foun-
tain' nor VIII 1t be because a fence Is to bs
Duilt about the basin. Some audacous
small boy who endeavors 10 take a swim
when he thinks no "cop" IS in sight uilI
discover the reason, and he will have tba
surprise OF his life when he leaps from tba
dlzzy edge of the basin into an apparently
iui fountain to discover that the water mn
more than covers his toes
TUT TINS Is the diaboical plan Of Parle
commissioner Slower to reclaim nubI,c
fountains from the condition of public nu,-
sahces, and restore them TO the pos,tior q.
Ihihes OF beauty" they were originate
INTENDED TO occupy. Firm, closely wovan
CRAVINGS to be attached to the centra,
pedestal and edges OF the basin. ara heinz,
maze and few days will find them IN
position two inches or so below the ton os
the water and supposedly invisible.
"PitiabIe." Park COMMISSIONS Saw,
The condition OF most Of o,r .,,
FOUNTAINS is pitiable." exclaimed the Co.
missioner 1t Is all very well for m. 80
erase cltizen and the squib writer - 49,
amused by the boys splashing and co., -
is cruel to deprive them of their frr D. -
just look at the fountains,
rake case in point. the hig to,,..-,-
at East Broadway and Rutgar. IAN
o'yo SWIM IN II; they throw things in -.
ue 10 run over by trolley car, in bs
goes; another dog is added and a cat. ,hs
sun beats down on them and thew docon,
pose ana clog the drains. A pretty CO..
OF affairs. isn't IT? STATE
Inc FOUNTAIN overfows and some ma
mas TO be sent to turn off the wa,er ong
drain 1t out OF the fountain and o1 ,ba
streets. 1t isn't always possible N o., =.
all on and little stagnant pools for,, ~
endanger the health OF the whole netgbbor,
hood ''e'Oor-
Inc city can't afford to station q watch.
man at every fountain. It's prepostoro,s
70 expect everything TO be guarded AZ al
points at all times. ! have felt for lon,
ufne that something had to be done and
think this new device will meet all nrac,ica,
requirements. q
You know America is notorious to- 49,
treatment of public fountains. saw o.,
article recently in a German r,sgaz,..
about the fountains of the great o,,i.g :,
the world. There was . n,c,nr. :, ~
Deauoiui iountain we all know as Treves.
- tooheo crystal clear, and there was
nothing In It but Neptune and his 60.
horses, In spite Of the fact that IL IS a ,,,,cL
more inviting bath, with a bigger bowl
than our fountains.
Ihen there were pictures OF the foun.
tains at Versailles full OF gods and Pod.
desses and uermaids, and finally New
York fountain full OF kids"
But 1t isn't alone the big decorative
fountains that are worrying the soul of the
commissioner. The drinking fountains for
humans, particularly the ornamental me-
mortal ones, are fertile source OF trouble.
Abuse Of SIocum Memorial.
There is the memorial fountain IN
Tompkins Park 10 the children who per-
ished in the Slocum disaster" he said. II
was a beautiful thing, artistic, with a
chaste design of flowers and a little boy
and little girl, but now II is hldeously
marred by the vandalism of the children
who have marked 1t up and broken ths
cups
IF ever l hear OF any one who proposes
erecting a drinking fountain for humans [
urge him TO stop and think, and II refec-
ton doesn't bring change of mind rec-
ommend visit TO the big ornamental foun.
tains now in existence"
As far as the Park Department foun.
tains go-the little ones that are set up all
over-Commissioner Slower has solved the
problem of making them practical and
artistic at the same time.
A new fountain, simple in design, has
been evolved in the Commissioners own
Office, and Jumel Mansion will be honored
this week with the first one turned out.
Il hope in time TO replace all the old,
ugly ones by these new, artistic foun-
tains," said the Commissioner. waxing en-
thusiastc They are beautiful things,
splendid lines" he exclaimed, making
sculptorlike passes through the air with his
thumb.
Ten OF them will soon be set up in one
section OF Central Park and more will 90
placed In the new parkway mat will soon
be opened on 7th avenue. from 10th 10
1S3d street That is all being planted with
trees and shrubbery and fenced in like the
broadway plots, but ten Of these blocks at
equal intervals will be opened at 6otn
and babies. In each of these open blocks
will also go one OF these beautiful new
fountains"