The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1915-06-22
Play opens
ON GROUNDS
OF SCHOOLS
Children s " ar m 40
Fields; Instructors
Are Kept Busy
SOME APPARATUS
STILL MISSING

Thousands OF Detroit children
"whooped 1t up" Monday morning.
IN two-score school Fairgrounds. and
kept their instructors pusy IN spite
Of the lack OF q considerable part
Of the apparatus.
II was opening day for the recrea-
ton commission. The instructors
who passed the civil service exam
nations last week, and had been
assigned to duty were on hand. and
the experience Of the early hours
showed them that they would have
considerable to do.
Warren J. Frye, who with Emil
Katz is supervisor Of the boys de-
partment. started out. Monday
morning. to visit % many Of the
Fairgrounds as he could. Wherever
he went. he found the children
ready and eager for play. and .
group Of busy instructors. trying to
keep them In order and prevent
fights.
The Bishop playground was the
first visited. There janitor had
carefully locked up all the equip
ment and had disappeared. A mad
hunt for keys ensued. amid con-
sternation and wrath. The young
sters OF the neishborhood. dssistins
from their usual occupation Of hurl-
ing stones through the windows.
stood afar on and wondered what
was going on. A few bold spirits
approached and clamored for .
baseball. They didn't get Il.
League baseballs are to DO minus
quantities in the Fairgrounds. this
year, because they make too hard
missiles. A softer ball viii be fur.
nished; but teams will be organized
to play on various athletic fields, In
Guiding those Of Belle Isle. and
games will be arranged between the
schools.
The girls were more active than
the boys. Since the apparatus was
not In place. the instructors got
them Interested In circle games. 70
curing little or no paraphernalia.
and In a little while there were
busy groups all over the play
ground.
At the Russell school. the appar-
atus was In place. and pandemon.
ium was in full swing. assisted by
about $50 boys and girls. The small
canvas swings, where young moth.
ers" are supposed to rock their
charges. were all occupied: in many
cases the young mother herself did
not disdain the comfort offered by
the oscillating seat. One instructor
had her hands full, trying to see
that each person, at some time or
other. got q chance at the swings.
In another part Of the field. boys
and girls were swinging more wild
ly and athletically. Careful policing
was required to keep needless chill
dren from getting in the way Of
these entbusiasts' rapidly moving
feet. A. so-called giant stride" was
in full operation. with about two
boys per hand-hold. The sand pile
had q dozen little girls pudding
about In It. patting the sand in vari-
Gus shapes. A slide was resurrect-
ed from some part of the school
building, and In two minutes there
we're so youngsters lined up In
more or less orderly fashion, walt
ing their turn to mount the ladder
for the gay descent--three minutes
OF waiting for one second Of vivid
pleasure.
There were almost as many young
people busy In the playground Of
the George Junior high school.
where about one.half Of the appar-
atus had been set up. There was
plenty of competition. especially
for the swings. and when the In.
structor was not on the lookout
there was more or less mauling Of
faces. One youngster who had
made up his mind that Q friend Of
his had enjoyed the swing long
enough. deliberately got in the way.
and forced the swinser to stop.
When he could not eject the occu-
pant BY grabbing him about the
neck. he landed several severe slaps.
and ended by an abortive attempt
to spit In his friends face. an at
tempt which was emulated By the