Evening star., 1922-03-05
MOTHERS IN VIGIL
OVER MUD PER|LS
Kansas Avenue Mire Scene of
Thrilling Rescue by Daring
| Four.Year.0Id.
BRO0KLAND ROADS RISKY
Dumped Cinders Provide Scant
Paths for Traffic Through Mazes
Of Ruts and Puddles.

Constant vigil is maintained by a
voluntary .life-saving corps of wo-
men to protect Young America from
sinking to suffocation in the quick
sand-like mud Of one Of Washing
toms streets out Kansas avenue and
Shepherd street way, The Star man
found in his tour Of the city yester-
day during the heavy rains There
they stand at the windows and on
the front porches during the play
time, keeping a vigilant watch over
the proud heirs and heiresses, and
bark a warning call If the young
sters get too near the danger line
marked by the edge of the sidewalk.
The formation of the life watches
has been forced on the mothers out
that way by several recent incidents.
the most recent Of which was yester-
day. when Miss Dorothy Fess, four
and-a-half-year-old daughter of H.
Lehr Fess, parliamentarian of the
House Of Representatives. disregard
ed all the dangers and cast aside
all fear, and proved herself a heroine
medal.
Bold Teddy Gets Mired.
Little Teddy Fess. an active little
fellow. ~of three years. born to the
spirit of the American pioneer, which
reckons with no danger, tentured out
into the middle of Kansas avenue. He
looked with a disdainful eye at his
playmates as they called him to stop,
but only a few minutes later, as
Teddy was fast disappearing into the
mud, there passed over his face a
look Of horror, as If death stalked
grimly in spectral proximity. He
struggled and pulled with all of his
thzee years of strength, but every
move carried him deeper.
Miss Dorothy, standing on the
shore, made a hasty survey of the
situation and thought about calling
for help, but quickly coming to a
realization that time was a factor
and action was necessary, she waded
into the sea of mud. She pulled and
tugged, and Teddy squirmed. In the
union of their strength they worked
loose and back to the pavement and
safety. Then the story Of the strug-
gle and the rescue spread fast.
Grown-Ups Start Watch.
The grown-ups came to a quick
realization of the dangers which their
children faced during the daylight
hours. They decided on action. The
man folks had to be away all day, and
to lessen their worries the woman
folks relieved their minds by coming
to a quick decision to keep constant
watch during play hours, no less
trying than the constant and lonely
vigil kept on the coast by the life
savers who watch for ships that pass
in the night.
Teddy's father says that there is
no relief in sight for these volunteer
life savers. Mr.. Fess said that petit
tion after petition Had been made for
paving of the swamp" as he said
the residents there call it, but they
either had fallen on deaf ears or
had been left to rot away in pigeon
holes. They have given up petition
inx, he said, and the man folks go
home every evening and content
themselves with the relief of finding
that their little ones are safe for
that day.
So many automobiles have been
stuck there recently that many of
them will not venture any more.
IN to a few days ago 1t was an
hourly ocoafrence almost to see
trucks and other vehicles away above
their axles in the swamp.
After listening to these troubles
1QogfI11sd o. FsSe 3. coanmn -