New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-05-26
HISTORIC SCENES
Greenwich House Youngsters
Take Part in Pageant.
"SNO0PS" HAS BUSY DAY
Indian Won't Stay Dead and
Redcoats Lack Enthusiasm,
but the Audience Is Pleased.

II vas certainly Snoopss busy day ycs-
terday What IL Snoops? Merely a little.
old. green-painted canoe. but around
Snoopss battered sides. for brief space
yesterday afternoon. ragged exciting way and
boodshcd Snoops brought Hendrick Hud-
son to Manhattan Island. helped I'm the
stamp riots and the destruction 81 the tea
and other incidents Of the Revolutionary
War. bore George Washington away after
his farewell TO his soldiers. and opened the
Erie Canal snoops, I'm short. was the
most important stage property in the open
air theatre into which Greenwich House.
the settlement No Is Jones street turned
Hudson Park yesterday. eclipsing even the
paper house that represented the Dutch
colonists' town. and the tepee that stood
for the Indians territory.
II was a terribly popular theatre. that at
Hudson Park. Judging from the rotously
enthusiastic way the neRhboring populace
swarmed into IT, Greenwich House might
have a performance there every day all
summer and never fail TO MI every seat
and all the standing room. But as very
small wild Indian said after IT was all over.
with a sigh. It's nawful hard JOB Ter
git up pageant"-and even actors nnd
actresses as ambitious as those who made
their debut yesterday don't want 20 work
all the time.
The Clarkson street school just across the
road from the park. supplied most OF the
cast
II was "A tremendously big cast. There
were scores upon scores OF wild Indians
dozens and dozens OF English soldiers in
funny red coats with cleft tails. and perfect
coolies Of Dutch coonists and American
patriots.
Player. Proud Of Their Jobs.
The cast stayed In the school yard. sim
ply swelling with pride at being chosen TO
take part in a really, truly historical
pageant until the benches ranged around
the sunk place in the middle Of the park
filed with visitors. The sunk place, with a
pond, and snoops in the centre, was the
stage.
Just before the hour for the pageant 10
begin the police let down the ropes at the
gates. o-oe-zp-b-r-r-r!-th pub
lie rushed, jumped and tumblcd In. II was
boys in large part which accounted for the
impctuous effect of the entrance, but there
were many grown-ups; tired looking moth
ers, poorly dressed workmen-for tho neigh
borhood Italian mostly. is exceedingly poor
Scene l OF the pageant was the entrance
of the Indians. in realistic costumes OF
brown crinkly stuff and red fringe. 1t IL
true the squaws' blankets didn't come TO
the bottom OF their petticoats, which showed
distinctly beneath, but the audience wasn't
critical.
After the Indians had marched round
and round the pond, and sat down TO smoke
the pipe of peace. and the squaws had
erected a tepee-to the Indignation of a
nine year-od suffragette In the audience,
who shifted "Ho, see tn women workin'
an the men sittin' still'-entered Snoops.
sailing majestically along with Hendrick
Hudson in her prov.
Crowds OF small boys almost extnguished
In huge, tall-crowned black hats-those
were Dutch colonists-accompanied Hen
drck Hudson, and there was fighting, and
been an imperfectIy trained Thespian. for
he didn't want to stay dead. and II was
necessary for actors not otherwise en-
ployed to take turns sitting on him in
order to keep him In anything at all resem
bling that condition.
Having taught the Indians their place.
the Dutch proceeded 10 erect house,
which they had brought on in sections. but
hardy was II up and hardly had their
capped and aproned wives gone TO house
keeping In 1t when the Redcoats were upon
them.
Redcoats Not Enthusiastic.
A noticeable lack OF enthusiasm pervaded
the Redcoats. A teacher in the audience
explained It by saying: THE boys don't
like to be English soldiers. What makes
them perfectly happy is to hold the Ameri-
can nag But they'd rather be Redcoats
than not be in the pageant at all.
They got up enough energy 10 have some
battles VITA the Americans. and the two