Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-12-17

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NJ FREDERIC ]. hASklN.
Especial Correspondence Of The Argus}
New YORK, Dec 15.-The younysr SET OF the
east side is now busily rehearsing or its great
est annual event, which is to occur tue night
after CHRISTMAS, whenr standing about bril-
liantly lighted evergreen tree, Il will sieg and
speak Of the henevolence Of Santa Claus. and
Of The Joys Of Decentralization with
;yuich il has slight acquaintance hat for wEirl:
it possesses . boundless enthusiasm.
Every afternoon, the club r.orns ,. the
Backyard playground association. which is
planning this gala occasion, are crowded with
shabby little girls. who speak tlei: 5teces anil
sing their songs proudly and dramatically Lit
tie Ennis Spadowsky has never .,wnec doll
how one should be crQoned to sleep SO that it
will not see, and In seeing destroy the gener-
GUS intentions Of old st. Nick. Pale little Ma
ria Giovanni can throw back her head and
speak 80 smouonally Of Mr.. and Mrs. Claus
that you would imagine they were personal
friends VI hers
"Nox. not quite 90 dramatic" the backyard
dramatic coach had to caution her the other
day, a. the little girl raised her eyes heaven
ward, claSped her hands tightly to her throat
In gesture she had evidently borrowed from
Theda Bara and spoke in shrill rhyme Of an
apron she had made for Santa Claus.
'They Just love it." said the coach when
little child had rushed out to the backyard
playground. 1T is the romance which appeals
to them-the chance to pretend for tho time
being that they are somebody else, and not
tenement youngsters. really think they en-
joy this period OF preparation almost - much
IS they do the actual celebration and toys we
manage to have for them.
|, THE toys are not new. to be sure. They
are contributed by various schools throughout
the CITY, and the city policemen bring them to
j US in their patrol wagons. You see, the par
ents OF these children cannot afford to buy
them toys they cannot even buy them enough
| to eat-not always. This 10 one Of the Oldest
and most dilapidated tenement districts OF New
York"
Yet the room in which the rehearsal had
Just been held was cheerful, neat and attrac-
tive. Sunlight streamed in its long windows,
gas logs burned in an arched fireplace. and
window boxes, containing bright green ever
greens added to the cheerful atmosphere Of the
room. So did the cretonne curtains which
draped its windows and doorways, although the
young lady In charge explained that they had
cost very little. The rest of the furnishings
were obviously cheap, but useful-the usual
chairs, q small table with bowl Of yellow
chrysanthemums and an old but gallant sofa
Our object" said the secretary Of the asso-
citation, Miss Lisette Trunk, opening white
painted door and leading the way into . sim
ilarly furnished club room, "is to keep the
place az simple as possible and much like the
leverage tenement room, so that tho people OF
the neighborhood will feel ~ homo here. We
want them to feel that It belongs to them
this playground center. We do not want to
Iprovide them with the things they have not,
but to teach them to make the best use Of the
things they have"
These club rooms are on the first floor OF
lone Of two houses ct 312 East Thirty-frst
street, which the association has leased, painted
1 ~nA nNA r1,s nhnI< liant q
view gradually to turning them into model
ftenenents. The association was compelled to
llcsse the houses in order to retain the back
yards which form the playground.
On the east side, backwards are not the COM
mon institutions they are in most communities
They are rare. All about them every inch OF
space 10 worn shabby by strenuous use, but
the backyards are apparently secred spots
carefully restricted by tenement landlords to
all save alley cats and janitors. The east slider
lis permitted to gaze wistfully out on the hack
yard Of his tenement, but there the intimacy
ends. He may not place = hammock in It; his
children may not play in It: his wife is for
hidden to hang the family wash in it. Even
in the summer. the backyard leads an idle. lazy
life, while the front steps and pavement sink
and crack under the heavy burden placed upon
them.
why this should be so is a mystery known
|only to the tenement landlords, but it is re.
Playground association, which is now carrying
on subtle campaign for the gradual reclama
ton Of backyards for east side communities
The playground is the principal thing. Il
consists OF two or moro backwards thrown to-
gether, with play apparatus, benches, flooring
for dancing and an awning in the summer time
There are swings, see-saws. basketball equip
lraent, and basket swings for babies. 1t is oper
Ito the children Of the neighborhood wheneve,
school 10 not in session. with the exception O.
Sundays. In the evenings when the weather
Is warm 1t is thrown open to their elder sis
tiers snd brothers for dancing and other socia
diversions.
In the winter, when the east side vastly
prefers to remain indoors. the club rooms es
! tablished in connection with three Of the play
ground centers are much more popular.
Here the children flock around the warn
gas-logs and learn to do many useful things
to sew, to cook, to knit, to folk-dance and Il
cobble. A cobbling class is held every Satur
lday, when the small boys of the neighborhoo
learn to mend their own shoes and those O
the other members Of their families. This elias
which was formerly conducted by a hired in
, structor, is now conducted by the italian JAM
tress Of the house on Thirty-nrst street. know,
to everybody as Mamie" who also acts a
the supervisor Of the playground and an inter
prefer whenever one is needed.