Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-19

The question Of proper play spaces
for children becomes more important as
cities are built up. Those of us who are
not so very old, but who are growing
older, can easily remember when there
we're enough vacant lots in Washington
for all the children to play on.
That happy state of affairs was
helped, We like to believe, by a different
frame OF mind among the children, who
found their amusement In playing In
dians" base ball. foot ball and similar
sports which demanded the vacant lot.
Today the boys seem satisfied to bat
tennis balls from one to another in the
street, to throw and catch base balls
in the same, or just to wander up and
down the sidewalks.
One may wonder where the young
sters practice to form all the insect"
mines which readers of the sports
name for you! The term insect" as
applied to boys around 9 to IL years
Of age, is happy AmericaniSm which
always brings a smile.
Apartment houses seem to have taken
the places formerly occupied by the i'm
promptu play SpaceS-the vacant lots.
Much has been done in the way of
school Fairgrounds, but we always have
wondered whether the children utilize
JIlSIH Us IuuCH Us tIlSN II1lRnb.
There can be no question, however,
that the properly supervised playground
is an essential part of the equipment Of
modern educational institutions. Health
is the cry of the hour, and much and
vigorous exercise in the open air is one
of the means of attaining 1t.
X X y
Boys still play on such vacant lots
as are available. Passing along near
one such recently, we were pleased to
hear two small boys playing TarZan."
said Tarzan.
You can't hide!" exclaimed the
other-Jimmie, no doubt. You are
Tarzan, the mightiest hunter Of the
jungle, and you can't hide!"
The mightieSt hunter, therefore. was
reduced to standing in the middle of
the jungle" in full sight of the en-
emy-to wit, Jimmie.
So Tarzan has taken the place Of the
Indians! Yes, we all grow up" and
the times do change. and with them the
reading habits of the boys.
The boys of a past day we're brought
up on the stories of Fenimore Cooper
Today they read Edgar Rice Burroughs,
evidently.
Buffalo Bill helped in the Indian
complex" of the small boys of past
generations. That handsome, debon-
naire old scout and Snowman held first
place in the affections of thousands of
small boys. 1t was no wonder that
they all insisted on playing Indian
when they found a vacant lot to suit.
1t is no secret, either, nowadays, that
various scent publications, widely
known as dime novels" contributed
largely to the Buffalo Bill and Indian
proclivities of the youth of 20 to 80
years ago.
There was one nickel novel," which
may be published even today, for all
we know, called by the name of Amer
icas most famous scout. In it were
depicted the heroic hunting, trailing,
Indian fighting of prior generations,
when the buffaloes roamed the plains
and the red men resented the invasion
of their hunting grounds.
Bang! You're dead!"
Such was the mystic formula which
rang through the jungle of the lot on
the corner. And it was a jungle,
almost, with its tangle of high-growing
weeds, often crowned with pretty pur-
pie flowers in July and August amid
which great spiders took their ease.
There was always we'll beaten path
through such lot. Human beings
are born short-cutters. If there is any