New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-06-23
RipS Game and So-nd Box.

7 the city child with vacation pleasure
grounds Here a carnival 81 fun reigns the
whole summer through In some play
grounds there are horse buck and parallel
bars for the boys. with wand. Indian club
and dumbbell drills for the girls. On spe-
. cial occa sions. when the fathers. mothers,
sisters. cousins and aunts OF the children
are hidden. there are field days, when pur-
suit potato and pennant races. basketball
contests. rope quoits and handball are
among the attractions.
! In all probability there is no one who
feels the necessity Of children having some
place besides the street TO play in than does
Colonel Edward g. Cornell. president OF the
National Highways Protective Association.
! the only society of IT'S kind In the world
that seeks 70 prevent accidents by dissem-
mating knowledge and helping TO pass laws
10 protect persons from the dangers of the
public thoroughfare.
lust the figures relating to the number or
little children who are killed and MANNED
on the street are astounding 70 the unin-
itiated. In one month alone out Of 43 peo-
pie killed on the street. 80 were children
And 400 were killed last year.
so long as the children have no place
but the street TO play in, this sort OF thing
will go on" said Colonel Cornell. ut isn't
strange that these youngsters, cooped up
! all winter in musty tenements, should seek
! Gods fresh air and sunshine as soon as the
warm days arrive They are so intensely
interested In their games that they become
wholly Obvious 10 everything going on
around them. Their hearing is az dulled
as their sight, for children to a far greater
extent than grown persons concentrate on
! what they are doing. An automobile comes
along and IS upon them before they realize
its proximity, and you know the result
although we are doing what we can 20
open play spaces our field is yet limited.
but we have now two farm gardens, the free
use Of the land being permitted by generous
friends Of the association. One, opened last
year. is at Ssth street and Second avenue.
and tho new one which Augustus Scher-
merhorn made possible was recently opened
IN 6sth street, between First and Second
avenues.
although the number of children these
gardens keep off the street is small. stin
Il IS a start in the right direction, ana if
other land owners having vacant property
would give us the use OF IT the dangers
/
be greatly lessened Then the pleasure
which the amateur agriculturists nnd In
the garden is well worth while. We find,
too, that the child is seeking knowledge as
well as enjoyment. He is intensely Inter
ested I'm the growth OF plants and watches
with tho deepest interest the evolution from
the dry seed to the ripe vegetable.
Moreover, we have found that this eg-
ricultural training creates desire In the
child to live in the country, which under
the present congested conditions Of our
great cities is most TO be desired. An Illus
tratlon OF how this love OF nature, once
planted, stays by one is shown in our SUI
pervisor OF gardens. Mrs. Arthur owens,
who was one OF the original public school
farm garden children. That was twelve
years ago Since then she has married, but
so deep is her love for the work that she
| can't keep away from II, so she Ia looking
after our gardens for the sheer love or IT.
II ism, only New York that is doing
bIg things for the city child, for from the
playground Association of America comes
the report that 257 cities maintained play
Grounds last year at a cost OF nearly $780,
coo In 10 cities there were bond issues
for recreation purposes to the amount Of
A,50o0O
Already Chicago has spent about Nl,oco.-
600 In its system of Fairgrounds. and San
Francisco, since the earthquake. more than
q. 100000 San Francisco annually spends
about $4,000 OF municipal and state funds
for the support of its Fairgrounds. Grand
Rapids. Mich expends sl57.soo annually.
Cincinnati gives $17s,o0o for the upkeep OF
its Fairgrounds Cambridge. Mass, ND'
coo: Seattle, s2sl,6s4 Buffalo, $4,000; Los
Angeles, Cal, $4,000: Chicago. s27Sooo: Dem
yer, $4,000; Louisville. KY. $4,000; and
Sag Harbor, $4,000.