The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-05-10
GREAT DRAMA Of
CHILD LIFE GIVEN
IN RESERVOIR PARK
Over 500 School Children Take
Part in Demonstration of
Play Activities
CLIMAX OF BIG
RECREATION CONGRESS
Hundreds Watch Interesting
Maneuvers F rom Hillsides Of
Natural Amphitheater.
VIII Adjourn Today


In Gods great out-of- doors. under
the blue canopy OF heaven. with the
greensward Of William Byrd Park.
and its beautiful enyirons for a set
king the promoters OF the Playground
ind Recreation congress yesterday
presented q great drama Of child
HE in . practical demonstration or
play activities, while hundreds OF In
Eofested spectators. who occupied re-
erved seats on the hillsides around
khis natural amphitheater looked on,
and applauded for three hours.
I Over five hundred Richmond school
children took part in this festival OF
play, the feature of which perhaps
was the folk dances and old-fashioned
minuet presented by a score or more
of pretty girls In white dresses and
rod sashes from the Grace Arents
school to the music Of a piano hauled
to the park in wagon for the oc-
CASTOR. and which was directed oy
Professor Jeanette, who has perfect
ed a playground in that school which
the visiting experts pronounce the
best yet.
A Festival Of Play.
The old fashioned games. the new
fashioned games--tennis, baseball
volley ball. basketball relay races the
terest with the Farmer in the Dell.
.Loudon Bridge" Baby Lost the
kew and a thousand and one other
familiar plays for the girls, down 10
story telling. which was not prosaic
because the stories were told by men
and women who have studied the Ar.
Experts Of this new science OF play
men and women---were in charge OF
the demonstration and following we'll
laid plans, gave Richmonders drama
without intermission that was not only
we'll worth while. but q demonstraIon.
which layq the foundation Tor the
propagation OF the gcspsl the organi-
ration IL preacAing---the profitable en-
pIoyment OF the leisure hours OF the
Caosing Night sceaion.
The closing night session OF the
congress. which was transferred from
the City auditorium TO the Jenerson
audience and was featured by TWO
hiehly interesting addresses. ono
aeri Va and the other seriousiy
humorous George A. Parker. the
austere superintendent OF parks OF
Hartford. Conn. presented inc
Right of Every Girl to be Courted
Under Decent Conditions" and MISS
Mary E. Mcdowell. head OF the Uni
versity Of Chicago settlement Work.
discussed the Recreation Movement
A. Fundamental Attempt at Demo
cracy."
SUPERINTENDENT Parker declared
that courtship has graduated rom
the ranks of the domestic pursuits
and ia gathering unto itself a lhera-
ture and q litany or It's OWL a.
recreation. He made plea tor the
efrls OF the congested tenement dis
fricts who had no opportunity 20
court at home. and TO whom the
marks presented the only opportunity
FOR the development OF loves young
dream, which he believed 10 ne an
entirely proper scenario under the
right supervision. MT. rarker. VINO
modestly admitted that he was q
~ridower OF some nineteen years
standing. grew poetic In his perora-
ton. thusly:
'Tf any Eirl here is In love with me,
She'll md me as young as used 10
be-"
Settlement Worker witty.
Miss Mcdowell. the noted Chicago
settlement worker. who was intro
ducsd by President Lee as the wo-
man who put eco" In Chicago, got
In q bright retaliatory with the story
Of the Boston woman-from winch
port the president and FOUNDER OF
tho organisation hails-who was
asked how the Bostonians pronounced
mention IT," president Lee not
only condescends to mention It," said
Miss Mcdowell. but he condescends
TO play with u.s."
Miss Mcdowell drew rather a dole
full picture Of the conditions she had
found In her work In the Windy City.
and placed the blame for much OF
young on cl.iid labor particularly
and long hours In general. She made
an earnest plea for the Saturday
half-holiday which would bring
thirty.six hours Of rest and express
ed the belief that this 10 only to
be accomplished by statutory provis-
ion. Moral suasion. at least In
result, The long hours to which the
Z girl clerks are subjected beget wcari-
ness, beEcts carelessness and careless
ness begets viciousness She cited the
case II Chicago gtrl she recently
encountered, who. when remonstrat-
ed with when found In questionable
resort 1t night. declared that she was
10 tired out after ten hours Of work
each day that she didn't care where
she went ct night.
"A quixs congress-. at which Mis-:
McDowsll underwent 2 rapid nre OF
sral ana interesting discussion Of the
subject In hand.
win Aayssrn To-day.
same hou T ana i places viii Be held this
morning IN the Jefferson hotel. accord:
Ing 70 program, and the congrsss viii
sHs i e i r. en ociocR the jsssrson
hotel auditorium ut which three noted
speahers VIII discuss problems pertin-
81 .s sss VII an spssk ssan
H!ftysii :scr:sary s q he Has Massa.