The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1939-10-21

gely patronized on week-ends by
couples starting out for a canter
through the hills on blooded steeds :.
just short ride beyond lay the jewel
of the Hills in liquid splendor with the
bright rays of the sun raising the
morning mist from the surface D.. l
rode through the stone pavilion down
the narrow path skirting the pond and
onto the jutting pier for boating and
diving -. the silence was most i'm
pressive until you could almost hear
the steam rising from the placid sur
face unbroken except for the occa-
sional splash of fish breaking the sur
face swapping at impudent flies zoom-
ing low :. it's mirror-like surface re-
fiected the surrounding trees, bushes
and overhead skies strolling around
the shores of the pond if you are very
quiet you can glimpse sizable fish nib
bling among the lily pads and swarms
of tads and minnows fitting to and
fro. . the water is crystal clear and
cold at this early hour but proved too
tempting for Uncle Tarzan who
stripped down to his swimming trunks
and jersey and bravely walked out on
the pier to the end where the diving
ladder was fixed summoning all
my courage l descended the ladder
rung by rung getting used to the chill
of the water in easy stages until |
stood chest deep on the hard bottom
then, breathing prayer | sub
merged and struck out kicking violent
ly to throw off any possible cramps
from the icy water :. but after get
ting used to the temperature it all felt
rather grand swimming around the
end of the pier and returning to the
ladder where | clambered up dripping
like a porpoise E. stepping into the
concrete structure behind the pier for
a clothing change l felt the sun high
and warm above and since l was quite
alone I took a brisk rub with the old
Turkish towel out of my bicycle kit
bag and enjoyed nature at its best -.
when | am in Rome [ usually do what
the Romeos do and there was Bear
Hill towering in the rear . and
folks, the feeling is truly mellow
well, after basking in the sun for a
while l downed my riding togs and
hoped aboard old "Astra," set the
speed in high gear, and rode gaily up
the grade to Boston town ten miles
away through Canton, Milton and
Mattapan all the way Blue Hill Ave-
nue. back to dear old Sugar Hill :.
the birds sang merrier, the trees
looked prettier, the ride was easier and
| felt better than ever homeward
bound -. trust that you have vica-
riously enjoyed this little journey with
me and weather permitting Pm going
to hit that same old skyline trail to
Houghton's Pond again next Sunday
morning at seven . . see you all
there!
May 1 remind you that this event
occurred fortnight ago since it was
much too cold to bear repetition last
Sunday .. . however, weather permit
ting, Buck Jordan rides again this
weekend a severe problem of
juvenile delinquency again confronts
the Roxbury district for which there
is very definite solution . it is
relatively simple matter for the citi-
zenry and judicial powers to shout
alarm and make adverse publicity out
of the situation but the crux of the
matter reveals that they are using the
future of our boys and girls as fuel for
the flame =. there has long existed a
very definite need for controlled juven-
lie recreation especially in the crowded
districts of the South End and Roxbury
where the actions of the tavern habi-
tues are certainly no incentive to better
living ambitions among the youth of
our communities various social SER
vice agencies and religious organiza-
tions have valiantly attempted to pro-
vide an outlet for that childhood energy
misspent for vicious tendencies leading
to crime :. this disease has been long
diagnosed but the remedy slow in
Forthcoming and the sad example of
twelve juvenile delinquents involved in
organized crime and depredations
which made Roxbury unsafe for
women and children rests the entire
responsibility upon our own shoulders
... now you can do something to relieve
the burden of these conditions in a
manner of civic welfare the COM
pletion of the Building Fund Drive for
the Saint Mark Community Centre
Gymnasium will provide local oppor-
tunity for the boys and girls to work
off that surplus energy in active sports