The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-08-01
COMMUNITY SWIMMING POOL
St. Johnsbury Editor Endeavoring to
Awake Public Sentiment.

has published in a recent issue of his
paper a Drama. st. Johnsbury has
a population nearly as large as that
of Bennington and the two towns pos
sess many similar features. So far
as summer bathing goes, st. Johns
bury is ahead of Bennington for there
must be opportunities at least for the
boys in the Passumsic river which
flows directly through the village
About the only place around Ben
nington where small boy is able to
get wet all over and stand straight
at the same time is the pond made by
the dam at the electric light station.
The statement is probably correct
that Bennington is more in need of
public swimming pool than St Johns
bury although this is no admission
that Benningtonians battle less fire.
Quently than the residents of the lilly
white burg AS the st. Johnsbury
editors Drama" seems to hit Ben
ningtCn as well as the leading town
Of Caledonia county the production is
herewith given in full:
Prologue
Time-Now-th season of the call
of the water; of youth at liberty,
learning and enjoying his aquatic
sports; Of worrying parents; Of
drowning horrors; and, later-the
session of the call of the fireside: of
youth housed developing or retard-
ing his physical powers of ill-venti-
lated rooms of parents who should
be worrying over youthful health Of
young people developing weak chests
and round shoulders; and of waning
vigor to combat disease. ~
Place-A live Vermont town With
wonderful facilities for mental de-
velopment-library, museum, excel
lent schools. daily paper:-a town
with no swimming pool, no suitable
gymnasium, no proper supervision of
physical deyelopment-where all en-
ergies are bent on brain growth with
little thought to physical vigor: "a
town which has oversubscribed each
War Loan and War Work Campaign,
thus attestng to its financial worth
"a town of philosophical citizens;
OF mems clubs and women's clubs de.
voted to the welfare of the communi-
ty; Of many churches where good
citizenship has an avowed part in the
work and where youths mentality is
carefully nurtured:-a town which
sent scores of its boys to the Great
War, with pride in their going. with
sadness for those who did not return,
and rousing welcome for those who
have come back.
Characters-An alert town club,
snappy organizing committee, eight
thousand good thinking citizens.
Properties. Well organized pro.
gram, enthusiasm, broad vision,
live newspaper.
Scene on Main Street Any Hot Day
Miss Main Street: Hello Miss
Summer. Have you seen my new
bathing suit Come in and see it.
Just the latest thing. Wish | had
some place to wear It,
Miss Summer; 1t is too bad we
do not have a place to battle except
in the old family tub.
Miss Main: My friend out in Pitts
burg wrote me today Of the delight
full afternoons they have at the
natatorium on their club days. They
wear their pretty suits and learn 10
swim at the same time.
Miss Summer: believe /, we
young people got togetheg we could !
urge the t0wnspeople to build a
natatorium here.
Act II
On Railroad Street Near the Station
Mr.. Busy Business Man: (Wiping |
sweat from his brow Say, George, !
| wish | was back down to the beach !
where could 90 in bathing.
Mr.. Professional Man Vol, we
don't need the beach. We have water |
enough up here if we used it.
Mr.. b. B. NJ. What do you mean? |
The old bath tub?
Mr.. p. NJ No, mean a coed |
swimming pool. | am just back from
Gardner, Mass. They have a fine
swimming pool down there and the |
business men have 1t for their use
two days week It's pretty fine
thing, both summer and winter. Ev-
eryone knows how to swim and the |
time is divided up so that different |
women and men clubs and young
peoples organizations have their diff |
ferent days and evenings. The tank
Is filled with fresh water every day |
Pretty fine thing for everybody.
Mr.. b. b. NJ. You said it.
Act III
On Portland Street Near the Railroad |
Track.
Little Jimmy Brown. Cum on kid |
cts go swimmn'.
Kid.-Nope, can't Mother say
be drowned.
Little ]. b. My cousins here from
Springfield. He knows how ter swim
He learned in the Y. NJ c. A. swim
MN pool. They have men there to
learn yer. Wished We lived III
Kid. Yer said it,
Epiloeue
Town club holds meeting and dis |
cusses project; snappy committee or
ganizes; citizens are informed thru
press OF purpose OF the club and !
committee to put across something
OF value for fhe town. aptb,,cioet,,