Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-02-24

PETERSBURG, Va, Feb. "a
One day last summer a little girl
in a swimming pool in one of the
Petersburg Fairgrounds gave a sharp
cry of pain-she had stepped on a
tack in the bottom of the pool. In
a moment there were other cries,
and at the bottom of the pool were
found a score or more of big, sharp
tacks.
A 'life-guard, aged IS, but uni
formed in blue and white with the
red badge of his profession exactly
on the Atlantic City model, seized
a youngster of his own age hanging
about the edge of the pool, and car
ried him to the playground super
visor.
This boy threw tacks in the pool,
he cried.
The boy at first denied, then con-
fessed his guilt and said that he did
it because he did not have bathing
suit so he could go in the pool. The
supervisor told him he had done
wrong, that she would get him one
of the bathing suits given by the
Elks if the secretary of the Asso-
ciated Charities on investigation
found he was too poor to buy one,
but that he had done wrong and she
must send for a policeWoman. The
policeWoman came and took the boy
home and reported the case to the
Associated Charities and had the
boy come to Juvenile Court.
The judge there placed him on
probation and he was turned over
to the probation officer who took him
to the Health Center. He was SO
thin that tuberculosis was suspected,
but the tuberculosis clinic found
him all right and turned him over
TO the child welfare clinic. There
were bad tonsils, which were taken
out and milk, was provided from the
milk fund maintained by the Red
Cross out of money derived from
the community chest. And when
the boy came back from the hospital
there was a bathing suit for him and
he went into the pool, where he had
thrown the tacks, every day except
when he was working as a caddy at
the country club where the proba-
ton officer had found him q berth
until school should begin in the
fall.
That could not have happened in
Petersburg before the city manager
government came into effect, nearly
two years before.
It could not have happened be-
cause then there wasn't any SWIM
ming pool, there weren't any boy
life guards, there weren't any play
ground supervisors, there weren't
any policeWomen, there wasn't any
Associated Charities to investigate
for the Elks, there wasn't any juve-
nile court and there was no proba-
tion officer. There wasn't any Health
center and there were no such things
as q tuberculosis clinic and child
welfare clinic, and there was no milk
fund and no community chest. And
there weren't any jobs as caddies,
because there wasn't any country
club.
Boys Pals Also Helped
The boy who threw the tacks in
the pool now is hard at work in
school and he is in good health and
the probation officer is his guide,
philosopher and friend. The city
manager government has meant
much to this youngster, who had just
started on the downward path with
a gang that rejoiced in the name OF
'Tn6 DIRTY Dozen. ne udo DIOu54lt
his associates into the circle and
they all are volunteer workers for
the Fairgrounds.
There is much to tell of new pave
rnents and other physical improve
ments, but first the things that have
been done for the health and the
comfort and the pleasure of the peo-
pie of Petersburg by its new govern
ment will be considered.
There are six Fairgrounds now
where there was none before-four
for white and two for colored chill
dren. Three of these are equipped
| with concrete swimming pools. and
two more will have such pools by
| the beginning OF the summer. And
In addition to these pools there is a
big swimming beach at Lee Park In
a lake that Is three-quarters of a
mile long and 40 feet deep in places.
There was no place to swim in Pet
ersburg before the city manager
came, and no place for children to
play but in the streets.
AS for parks? There were two
both beautiful, but children were
made to keep off the grass. Now
there is playground and pool ir
| each. There are also new parks
Me- REowulow wanted 70 put q play.