The Washington times., 1925-06-06
UNDRE[)S
JUMP IN
COOL NVG
WATER
Wait Long II Line Before
Gates Swing AIar Songs
Rouse Neighborhoods

Mister, have 3 heart !"
ACome on let us in!''
sHey, my feet re gettin hot
'sOh, May-buII, come onl They'r
goin' TO open the gatel"
Leave that boy alone that's
my little brother!"
"Quit your shovin,' win yuh I
The chorus stood and sang its
ragged chant today at the gates
of the swimming pool at the
Georgetown Fairgrounds. Thirty
third street and Volta place
northwest. The chorus had beer
standing for some time, and now
it was 9:56. The opening tim
was 10 o'clock.
"Hey, Mister let rs in =
Worse Than Horatius' Job.
Dick Tennyson, director Of boys
sports for the District playground
department, smiled and looked i
his watch. Horatius ct the bridg
had an easy Job, compared to Dick
Horatius had q lot Of enemies q
hold in check. These children were
Dicks friends. and he fingered tths
lock and chain on the gate AMI
longed to open It. But reguIa
tions are regulations.
New arrivals. some clad In rain
coats thrown over their bathing
suits, joined the dusty, perspiring
chorus of those who stood and
waited.
'.All rightg' called Dick Tennyson
and swung open the gates. Six
boys and six girlsg'
They rushed In, in relays OF
twelves. Bath house doors slam
med and the clamor that accom-
panied the simple process Of dis
robing carried out on the heated
air. The pool OF tempting, cool
translucent green water remained
undisturbed.
Light-shod feet scuffled past the
guarded portals of the pool. Bare
feet pattered toward the showers.
Then q little boy, with an uncertain
" pinned purple suit. whoopcd and
jumped into the water.
Splash! Splash! Splash!
Thanks To the Times.
The others followed In swift sue
cession. The gates were no longer
besieRed. The pool was fun OF
happy. cheering youngsters! The
concrete walk around the pool
sSliofano5 xxyffIrz VyafeF
Little mermen and mermaids
frolicked, splashed, swan and
dived. They were enjoying the
first swim Of the summer.
There you are" grinned Dick
Tennyson. ''That to The Times
and the Washington fOlks!
But the gratitude for this first
swim belongs rightfully to the men
of washington who hadn't forgotten
what swimming means to a young
ster-to the men who opened their
hearts and their pocketbooks In
response to the appeal 0G The
Washington Times to raise $1,000
to open the playground pools be-
fore July 1, when the regular funds
from Congress became availabe.
The Swimming Pool Fund, which
saw the light of day in the Mid
OdX "a 4A0A o0eAJ .
was oversubscribed by $3.50 today.
The quota was raised by noon yes
terday.
On Half Hour Shifts.
BY orders Of Commissioner Cuno
H. Rudolph, having been assured
that the fund had been raised, the
Georgetown and Howard pools
opened today. The Rosedale pool
was opened late yesterday.
In all the pools, a one-hour SHIFT
is being followed.
Shortly after the first crowd OF
Youngsters plunged into the water
at Georgetown, another throng took
up its stand at the gates, to wait
an hour for admission.
If subscribers to The Times fund
want to see how their donations
are working, let them go to any
Of these pools today and look at
the merry, shouting children who
otherwise must have waited. in the
sweltering heat Of the city. until
the intricate Vaccinations Of an
appropriation law (which, by the
way. does not recognize high tenn
peratures and little warm bodiesl
made the money available for the
opening OF the only public bathing
facilities the Capital Of the Nation
can boast.