Douglas daily dispatch., 1927-07-03
FISH ARE NOT
ALLO " EDIN
SWIMMIN' HOLE

When the leaves on the trees get
green-When men begin to discard
their coatS-waen the schools close
and the summer evenings grow long,
the thoughts of all men turn to the
old swimnin' hole. Many a boy of
generation ago, who is business man
IN Douglas now, learned to swim in
some muddy creek back in the middle
west. He probably~ could do a pretty
good swan dive before he ever saw
anyone wearing a bathing suit, and
when he die see one, he laughed at 1T.
Them days is gone forever The
substitute for them is a pool of nice
clean water with no fish or snakes i'll
it, no moss and no bull frogs. There
are no willow trees around it on
which to hang the pants and shirt
which was about all the kids used to
wear in the good ole summer time
unless they had their hats tied on.
The American legion swimming pool
is to Douglas youth and to Douglas
middle age as far as that goes, what
the old 5Wimmin' hole was to the
youth Of a past age. It is fine
pool, situated in the American legion
park two miles west of the main city.
The pool is operated by corpora
ton composed of Douglas business
men, and is operated for the sake of
swimming and for what profit can be
secured. from it after everyone has
had all the fun possible out of the
fine fresh water.
The water is secured from the
overflow from the city pumping plant
which occupies few acres of the
American legion park. This water,
the cleanest and purest obtainable, is
flowing into the pool all the time. In
addition to this constant changing OF
the water, the pool is drained and
thoroughly scrubbed twice each week.
The pool is large with plenty OF
room for the highest of high dives
and is divided into two parts, one for
the beginners, which is two feet deep
at the low end and five feet deep at
The deep end The deeper part tcr
those who know something about
swimming is five feet deep at the low
end and eight feet deep at the deep
end under the spring board.
The spring board is a good big one,
with plenty of spring, and is set high
enough above the water so that
good diver can turn several flips off
of it before he strikes. There is a
diving tower also with two landings
which permits more activity among
the exhibition divers.
Dressing rooms and showers are
provided, all neatly built at the deep
end of the pool, which is properly
fenced off and guarded. The swim
ming pool corporation keeps an ex-
pert swimmer on hand at all times to
see that no one gets out too deep
who does not know how to paddle
back. Every precaution is observed to
makes the pool absolutely safe. The
extreme clearneSs of the water is the
first. safeguard, as anyone standing
near the pool could see a drowning
person struggling even if he were
near the bottom OF the pool.
The pool is very popular. Hun
dredS of boys and girls go there daily
and many men and women take
plunge regularly through the sum-
mer months. The swimming season
in DOUGLAS in outdoor pools is a long
one owing to the mild climate, and
this pool is kept open all the season
Many parties are made up for
visit to the pool. There are bleachers
for spectators and these are usually
we'll filled during the afternoon and
evening, They are covered to make
a shade for those who do not swim,
but only sit and watch.
! The pool is lighted in the evening
and the sport continues often to a
/ Lotto hn1lr Every courtesy and service
! is shown those visiting the pool ana
it is the one place in the district
where one does not resent the re-
mark, You are all wet"