The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-04-25
AGE FORGOTTEN IN
CITY FARM SPORTS
Three Day Spring Carnival at
Staten Island Colony
Opens.
1000 PRIZES BRING JOY

There VAS not a single old man over
at the city farm colony at Castle
ton Corners. Staten Island. yester-
day. though the average age OF the
inmates II so. There were white hairs.
wrinklcd cheeks. the outward tokens OF
age, but inwardiy every one Of the 1900
was a youngster again. all interested
and excited over the frst day OF the
color Us spring carnival.
The feature OF the day. aside from
pleasant speechmakine, was the field
sports, a track meet such as few SPORT
Ing reporters ever have been privileged
to "cover." And 1t took more than
leaden skies and autumnlike winds to
chill the enthusiasm OF those who only
looked on. seated on the lawn behind
the main building were Ave hundred
visitors, and behind ana around them
we're the old men made young again.
When Benny Ions, who 3 60. II n 10
to believe him. won the crutch race right
AFTER he and Pat Costello. also so. had
run we'll enough to win the three legged
race a howl went up that sounded like
the winning run In the last half OF the
aihth.
The whole thing a supt. Joseph b.
F1ick's idea, to rave a three days spring
festival, give his young old charges a
good time and a little spring limbering
up and stimulate their interest In the
farm community. Yesterday was called
Tiernan Day. after Judge J. II. Herman,
and II val the athletic day.
The distribution Of prizes began. and
for the three days they will gladden. the
sixty.year-old youths hearts rs once did
he first real ~jackknife. Mr.. Flick ex-
hibited proudly yesterday q o sized
room Allied with the prizes and presents
that friends had sent to the number Of
s,oOo-"and more coming" he aid.
There was everything from safety razors
to shoestrings for the men. and bonnets
for their wives.
The big prizes yesterday were watches.
George Asquith. who really 10 frivolously
young-not yet so. beat John McCabe
in . 50 yard walk. and got the first
watch. After that there really was no
helding George.
But that other boy. Benny Long, just
would not be satisfied until he had a
watch too. SO what did Benny do but
win Q potato race. the three legged race
and crutch race and finished second In
the 50 yard dash. He had no Easy time.
however. for such athletes as Charley
Barrett. who IL GO. II was said Johnny
Cooney and Billy Gisseii entered with
such p~rodigious energy that they pushed
Benny and young M. Asquith hard.
Before the field sports Capt. Ed Smith.
who was an active FIRE fighter not long
r and still IL an active instructor In
the farm fire drill. led The inmates In
sn exhibition rescue from a burning"
building. Don't need city bremen here.
We DON'T said one Of the rescued. aged
GS. I'VE can take care Of ourselves with
our own FIRE drill"
In the assembly hall. before the largest
bald headed row ever assembled. there
were songs. speeches and music by the
band Of crippled boys from Randalls
Island. Again the applause was as
youthful as applause we'll could be. and
the bald headed row-or rows and rows
broke into laughter when the singer
q a decidedly sentimental ballad SAM
u at Miss Aida Schaiply. one Of the
Judges.
There will he two days more Of jolli-
fcation. so Mr.. Flick thought they had
better call II a day after that. Rather
slowly and somewhat stifiiy the audience
ffed put. but talking and laughing nap
PLY about ''that sing,n' fellow" and the
''band music to go to bed at 8 o'clock,
so as to be UP bright and early to-day
for Cromwell Day, named for State Sen
ator George Cromwell.
Some OF those who went up to Castle
ton Corners to help the aged people feel
young again we're. besides Senator Crom-
we'll and Judge Herman. Henry c.
Wright. Deputy Charities Commissioner
Sylvester Taesert, Thomas Mckinley,
Albert G. Each. James l.. Vail. DIR. Il. 8
insolvency. Judson J. worrell. Matthew
J. Gavin and Mr.. and Mrs. Stephen
Stephens. Besides these. the prizes and
presents cane from George Mc.Aneny,
Bishop Burch. Otto KavanauRh and Mrs
VpHl1la m II pouch. Among others.