The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-08-19
THEIR ONLY HAVEN
Natures Nakedness Hidden to
Poor at City Park.
Yet Topeka Shrugs Her Shout
der and Calls 1t Tough.
IT'S A MUNICIPAL HOTEL
Hoboes and UnfOrtunates
Spend Days and Nights.
Want Ads Are FavOrite Literal
ture of the Visitors.
IT'S A MUNICIPAL HOTEL

Automobiles pass City park ran
sas avenue and the Kaw river, hun
dreds of times with barely a fleeting
glance. Street car passengers pay as
little heed. Occasionally visitor
points a finger at the pretty park and
wonders about it
That's where the hobnes loaf"
they are told. tough place at night"
1t may be tough at night In fact.
the police court records show that en-
tertainments other than those looked
upon with favor by Sunday schools
have been staged there. 1t may be
the loafing place of hoboes.
Their Only Refuge
But where else in all Topeka do
the hoboes. the poor children with
barely enough to cover their naked
ness, the young fellows down and out
and other unfortunates have an OPP
portunity to see and enjoy nature real
ly dressed up. nature lacking the
harshness and heat of the barren
yards of the shanties, nature lacking
the heat of the railroad tracks and
the dirt and dust of sun-baked vege-
tation prevalent thruout Kansas. Gage
park. Chesney park or Garfield park
are not half so welcome to the people
from the stores and factories as the
little park on the Kaw river
Realizing the advertised toughness
of the park a curious visitor chose a
morning for his explorations rather
than a night, of the last week. First.
he spied a Mexican laborer lying I'M
| der the shade of a big tree, sound
asleep at 10 o'clock in the morning.
his head pillowed on a curb separating
| the cinder walk from the grass
| A young fellow with white shoes
soiled, a badly rumpled shirt and a
| stubby beard was taking great in
terest in passing street cars Finally
| a newspaper fluttered from the win
! dow of car.
Looking for a Job.
The fellow sprang to his feet and
| dashed to the street where he picked
up the paper and returned to the
bench. A glance over his shoulder
revealed that he was eagerly scanning
the want ads.
Back farther in the park was g
group of young fellows, most of them
smoking cigarettes. They were hold
ing an animated conversation. It was
all about the yards of Omaha, Kansas
| City, and other cities and their ad-
| ventures on box car trips over the en-
tire country.
Half dozen other men were found
in different parts of the park. Some
sat gloomily looking into space. 9th
| ers read newspapers but all appeared
| strange and out of place in comparison
with the ordinary man. In the rear
some colored children were playing
croquet-
A Strangers Philosophy.
On one bench sat a well dressed
man. He, too, had been curious and
visited the park for the purpose oil
looking at its inmates. More or less
philosophy was in his makeup.
/ Did you ever think" he asked
that these parks are the only places
in the cities where the real beauty and
spirit of the Lord is open to these pee
pie? True, there are the welfare
homes and such organizations for
them but they are barren and lack the
beauty and wonder of the things ol
nature which impress US when we
visit the parks and are bound to i'm
press everyone else
Where in all Topeka, excepting tbs
park. would fellows like that" and hs
pointed to the PROSTATE Mexican, ''bs
welcome in a place builded by mar
for the purpose of acquainting and
creating awe and worship for this
wonderments and beauty of the maker
of the world"
1t seemed out of place, philosoph,
OF this sort outside of the covers OF
magazines. in a park filled with such
motley crowd of hoboes, failures and
poor people But, maybe it's true
after all and maybe the pretty flower,
and the green grass and such thing:
impress, at times, people of this sorl
in City park. Topeka, the same Al
they do the other men and women ir
the parks used by them.