Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1924-08-12
Washington IS GREAT
RECREATION CENTER
Uncle Sam Believes Good Play
ers Make Good Workers and
Provides Fairgrounds
BY HARRY B. HUNT

BY HARRY B. HUNT
WASHINGTON, August r.
Washington is no summer resort.
Through many weeks each year the
capital city stews in a humid heat
that saps the energy and frazzles
the nerves.
At such times bureau chiefs and
department heads have a habit of
finding important government bust
ness calling them elsewhere. Dip
lomats, being less diplomatic,
frankly pack their portfolios and
portmanteaux and seek cooler spots.
But for many thousands of gov
eminent workers, no such opportu-
nifty to dodge the sizzling dog-days
can be found.
To offset this situation for the
stay-at-homes, the workers who
must carry on the governments
business while the bosses are away,
Uncle Sam has provided what is
probably the most extensive and
varied recreational layout to be
found in any city, anywhere.
Inside the 73 square miles of the
District of Columbia there are no
less than sos government reserva-
tions,'' ranging from small grass
plots of a few hundred square feet
to Potomac and Rock Greek parks,
the latter containing 100 acres.
And on all the larger of these
reservations, play spaces have been
set aside and facilities provided for
almost any kind of outdoor sport
that can be imagined.
| Swimming, golfing, boating, base
ball, tennis, football and basket
ball are of course provided. Those
are the standard brands of recrea-
ton provided in most public play
places.
But in addition to these, Wash
ington also offers its tired work.
ers a cricket field, two polo fields,
la crosse fields, a hurting ball field,
and archery court, volley ball
courts, hockey fields, soccer fields,
quot courts and a general athletic
field.
For golf alone there are no less
than four courses, two of nine holes
and two of 10.
There are So public tennis courts
and II baseball diamonds.
And in addition to the public
bathing beach in the tidal basin,
there is, near the Washington
monument, a juvenile swimming
pool.
According to the records, golf is
the most popular sport in the capt.
tai, 277,7F7 players having checked
in on the public links last year.
. Swimming comes second, with 49,
! 100, and tennis third with $4,000.
Croquet-we almost forgot the
icroquet courts provided the thrills
for 1923 of the less strenuously
inclined.
The next extension of the pub
lie play program of the capital may
be the Inauguration of public rid
ing stables, to provide mounts for
folks who would like to ramble on
horseback along the Districts bride
paths.
There are already more than so
miles of these bride paths, but to
date they have been exclusive. y
Only folks who own their own
mounts, or who can afford the high
charges assessed by private riding
academies, have been able to en-
| 10y them.
Col. G. O. Sheriff., in charge of
public grounds, now recommends
that cavalry horses, superannuat-
ed from active service, be utilized
to stock stable near one of the
parks, from which they can be
rented at a nominal sum to the
public.
If that is done, the last "exclu-
sive" recreation of the capital will
have been made common property!
But Uncle Sam believes good
players make good workers and no
Dart of his public expenditure is
figured as returning better divi-
lends than those dollars put into
providing public recreation.