Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-09-17
HOW A CITY HELPED
RIVER RATS DECIDE
AN OLD, OLD PROBLEM
Harrisburg After Many Years
Solves the Question of the IN
evitable interruption
ORGANIZE PLAYGROUND WORK
Some Highlights About Harris
burg's Wonderful Development in
ChiIdren's Recreation Movement

burgs Wonderful development IN
ChiIdren's Recreation Movement
The spectators on the lumber pile
bIeachers waited. hushed, tense, ex-
pectant. Reddy Smith was at the
hat. Much depended upon Reddy
Smith
standing, the problem of who's who
in baseballdom. was about to be set
tied between the River Rats and the
Second Street Juniors. The game was
nearing its close. the Juniors way be-
hind by two runs, with two men. OUT
hoasted of two men on bases. Much
depended upon Reddy Smith. Reddy
Smith was the 800 man of the Rats.
And this was the ninth inning.
The Interruption
That Reddy Smith did the yeoman
service expected of him goes without
saying. He was on his way around
"fourbagger" when the Interruption
came-the always. inevitable, expect
ed Interruption of the board yard or
the building lot or the commons or
the side street baseball game way
back on the summer afternoons OF
the Road to Yesterday.
The Policeman, backed by the Jani-
tor or the Watchman, doomed large
on the horizon.
Future major leaguers disappeared.
Years and years rolled by before the
problem of the River Rats and the
Second Street Juniors was finally set
tied.
Harrisburg officially went into tho
playground business in 1905: 1t
brought the system down to a definite
workable basis in 1907.
Harrisburg's Fairgrounds To-day
To-day Harrisburg boasts of thir-
teen splendidly equipped Fairgrounds,
two of them with running tracks. an
other about to be laid out for similar
purposes, scores of tennis courts, base
ball diamonds-and whole city who
is heart and soul with the movement
to provide municipal Fairgrounds for
its youngsters.
The story of the development of the
playground system as a part of the
city park department is long, rather
arduous and not without its high
lights. And to one V. Grant Forrer,
former secretary and superintendent
CT the Park Department. Belongs the
larger share of individual credit, per-
haps, in the pioneer movement for the
betterment of the play conditions OF
Iiarrisburg's thousands of kids.
Supervision and Equipment
With the purchase of the Sycamore
nd Thfrfnnnfh nd "a nd
erald street grounds this summer by
City Commissioner M. Harvey Taylor,
superintendent of parks and public
property, Harrisburg now boasts of
recreation places of its kids at Reser-
voir, Twelfth street, Fourth street near
Penn. Boas. Calder. Seventh and Kel-
ker, Eighth ward, for colored young
sters, and on the island
Baseball To-day!
Just a word as to baseball. In one
year, an average year. 1,071 permits
were issued to play ball on the island
diamonds alone. Reservoir Park
boasts of the finest tennis courts and
tennis club houses in Central Penn
sylvania.
The Big Track Meets
In 1907 the first big intercollegiate
and interscholastic meets on the island
were held. Now half a dozen other
track meets. including the grammar
school and the interplayground meets,
are held every year.
Golf Links
Formal organization of city ANA
teur baseball league was a direct re-
suit of the playground movement and
the splendid golf links at Reservoir
alone have made possible the organ
ization of the Harrisburg Park Golf
Club. 1t now boasts of a we'll
appointed, modern clubhouse, erected
during the past year by Commissioner
Taylor.
wildwood Lake, the great expanse
Of water in Wildwood Park, with its
motor and row boat facilities and boat
house provided by the city, yearly
draws hundreds of people.
Skating On wildwood Lake
And. when winter rolls down its
white blanket and tightens its grasp
on the waters of the lake, thousands
Of Harrisburgers. old and young. hunt
up their skates, sharpen 'em and
crowd cars and automob biles for Wild
wood Lake!
The Problem is Decided
Stroll over to the island Fairgrounds
most any evening nowadays On the
two or three diamonds as many min
iature baseball teams, most of them
trinity uniformed. are busy preparing
the ground work for future major
league jobs.
One game especially might interest
you. The ninth inning is just closing.
The team at bat is two runs behind
Its grinning opponents. with two men
out-and with two on bases. Then
the 800 map steps up to face the
pitcher. And the smack of his bat.
the yells of an appreciative following
and the pounding of spiked shoes as
one. two and three small men cross
the plate testifies to the reputation of
another ''heavy man with the willow"
The park Cop languidly watched the
game from the bieachers.
The River Rats and the Second
Street Juniors after many years finally
and uninterruptedly decided a certain
problem.
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