The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-08-11
END PLAY AUG. il
Play Grounds Season Closes
With Big Picnic That Day.
Topeka Riddles Have Had
Great Time This Summer.
DAILY ATTENDANCE 1850
$3.50 Have Enjoyed Vacation
Under Director Bearg.
Librarians and Harry /. Woods
Have Helped Work.
DAILY ATTENDANCE 1,15(

August II will be the closing day OF
the Topeka playground season On
that dat the boys and girls VINO are
enrolled at the eight Topeka play
grounds will hold a great picnic al
Cages park. Three thousand seven
hundred children who have spent
healthy, active outdoor summer W.
meet for the final contests of the year
In tennis. swimming and diving, three
branches of sport in which the play
ground directors have specialized this
season.
At cages there will he mighty
swimming contests including races.
tugs Of war. fancy diving, and con
tests for girl swimmers The SWIM
ming events will include p race across
Cages pool and back; contest for
the longest dive: the best divin,. stunt;
20 most graceful dive: d tug OF war
across the narrow end of the pool; the
best girls dive: a -irl swimming race
across tho lake. girls tub race; boy
tub race: diving for a ten-pound rock'
and as a grand finale iB the water
duckiug contest
big DuckinE Contest
in the ducking contest sixteen boys
will he chosen. two from each play
ground. divided into two teams. Inc
head of each poy will be covered with
ordinary flour dough. The two teams
will start from opposite sldss ~ me
pool, and zach will attempt TO WASH
The dough from the head of his OPP
ponent The team member on whose
heads he dough remains longest Will
win the contest.
While the swimming contests are IN
progress the tennis finals for the city
playground championship VIII De
paved off There are many real ten
mis- sharks among the boys who can
show UP many of their elders In tne
game. The fact that over 40 tennis
balls and seventy-five tennis rackets
have been in CONSTANT use over the
city in the hands of youthful players
on the twelve playground courts testl-
flies to their proficiency in the game
Many expert swimmers have been
developed this season. Teaching boys
and girls to swim has been one of the
chief aims of Elmer Bearg. super
visor of fairgrounds.
At noon everyone will enjoy an open
air dinner. and after dinner the KIDS
will go in swimming. Every boy and
girl will bring his or her own dinner,
and the members of each playground
group will picnic together A check
stand will be provided for each group,
where lunches can be checked in the
morning. Parents are invited to at
tend as the twenty-three playground
directors, will have their hands full to
manage their youthful charges.
The Topeka Fairgrounds have had
an enrolment of 1850 this summer
cording to records has exceeded 1850
Chesney park has the largest mem
bership with $50. Ripley comes sec
ond with TAI. The daily attendance
at Ripley is 275. 1t is the best
equipped and most favorably situated
of the parks and has a fine pool for
swimming.
The city has furnished large guam
titles of paraphernalia for the use of
the youngsters. Tennis balls, racquets,
dozen
league baseballS, sewing equipment
and materials for the girls are con-
tributed by the city. Last year bows
and arrows for archery practice and
boxing gloves for pursuance of the
manly art were supplied. but Super
dangerous when carelessly handled.
and the glove matches often ended in
smuggling contests and bloody noses.
No Serious Accidents.
No serious accidents have occurred
in the season. One broken arm is the
extent of the casualty list. Variety
has been afforded to the children'S
play by Miss Lulu Mckee and Miss
Wilson of the city library, who enter
tain them with stories charmingly told
Harry l. Woods, Boy Scout director,
has been active in organizing scout
units among playground boys He
has taken groups of them for over
night hikes. and has taken them to
the Washburn observatory. where he
is professor of astronomy. and let
them look thru the big telescope.
The summer on the playground. ac-
cording to Elmer Bearg. has given the
children healthful exercise. the variety
of sports has taught the proper use
of the body. they have been constantly
tors, and have acquired initiative and
self reliance