The Washington herald., 1921-09-04
AMUSEMENT PARK
AND MOVIE HOUSE
BUILT BY N.Y.BOYS
Youth of Is Directs Work
While His PIaymates
Swing Picks.

ton Doye nave taiieo 10 equal. FIJI
teen boys Of the Bronx. New York.
have built an amusement park and
a vaudeville theater. They have
dono this with the help Of few
fathers and other parents. but all
the supervision Of the work was
story, which describes the work of
the New York boys, was written in
the New York World magazine by
Theodore Edwards:
Il 10 q bright Saturday afternoon,
and yet. the swings In Crotona Park
are deserted. the basketball court
and the swimming pool of Public
School No. Z. the Bronx, are empty,
and the Fairgrounds In Claremont
Park, near 172d street. are peopled
only with nursemaids and very
young infants. But from an empty
lot, on Fulton avenue there issue
sounds Of feverish youthful activity.
Four youngsters carrying the re-
mains Of an immense packing case
eye me suspiciously as I enter. In
deed, there seems to be no room for
an idler within.
A great pavilion and an elaborate
wooden scenic railway are in the
course Of construction here.
Git outa the way, mister, wiIlya1
We got to try out this car.
The speaker IL q young man Of
about Is. who seems to be bossinr
not only the. children and youths,
but even the few grown men who
are dutifully hammering and saw
ing in the most diligent manner.
Tue kaA
authoritative looking boys are sit
ting under a tent. gravely drinking
water and watching all the pro-
ceedings with a critical eye.
The car 10 hoisted mp on the
track. Let FER got" shouts the
boss. And with q rumble and a
clatter Il rushes down the incline.
sailing gloriously over the bumps
and derailing itself only when at
the end Of the line. $50 feet below.
where rail-laying 10 still In prog.
ress.
All the children Of the neighbor-
hood and many of the grown-ups
are to be found here. working like
beavers or looking on disconso-
lately when not favored with jobs
by the foreman"
Where and what 10 the guiding
spirit of this great Juvenile enter
prise? BY means of patient and
diligent inquiry I managed finally
to ferret out the following epicai
tale OF the victory Of mind and
ingenuity over malice and brawn-
an up-to-date story of the clever
Tom Sawyers and Penrods OF the
Bronx.
Two weeks ago there was no
such Joy as this at Fulton avenue.
Deep was the gloom OF the guiding
spirits Of the district. The great
triumvirate. consisting Of Johnny
Cariin, Eddie Debsky and Mickey
Kiwad. were In despair. They were
alone In the empty lot, lying about
on the meager grass in indolent
attitudes.
Seems like We can't do nothin'
but them tough gangs comes around
and busts Il all up on u.s." yroaned
Johnny. and Eddie and Mikey nodded
and groaned in unison. And well
might they groan: for all their
secret clubhouses. caves. gym
by their jealous rivals.
Their last building in the lot had
actually been burnt down in the
night by the bold bad men" Of
the neighborhood.
Nothing left for us now but
the reglar playground" said
Mickey, resignedly. Might as well
60 over to the schol yard an play
bali"
"yaa. amt ye got enough school
in the winter: You're a fne pirate.
you are!" Eddie was. seriously an
noyed. 'T tell you what-let's go
around to Third avenue an chip in
for a pair of dice-then we can
rattle the bones like reE'lar guys"
But Johnny had been thinking.
WATT" he called. 81 got an idea" I"
The other two waited. Johnny's
ideas were usually worth listening
to. The other night my day took
me over to Starlight Park. Why
couldn't we-why couldn't we start
an amusement park. right in this
here lot?"
"Aw, go on derided young
Debsky. "how dye think we could
do that? Gee, we'd want band
stand, an a scenic railway. an a
swimming pool an a movie house.
an -"
well, go slow. willya? think
we en- do it." Mikey began to warm
up to the idea. "Your dad put up
a little dog-tent here last summer.
What about thatT"z' .s
'That amt near enough" The
Carlin head had been working.
"what we want Is u big pavilion.
ar a railway that1l run down this
here hill on tracks. An we can
borrow a victrola for a band, and
hang up Jap lanterns nights. an
run prize fights an vaudeville acts.
too, an make lemonade. an sell
II, tool" i,
And charge admission 20 every
bodyr added pebsky: but what
about the gangs? Amt they goin'
to bust 1t ell up on us againT'
swe'u make 'em 50 Jealous they'll