The Rising son. [volume], January 05, 1907, Image 3

About The Rising son. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1896-19??

Image provided by: State Historical Society of Missouri; Columbia, MO

                
Amemkca's MSI
m
KYTVY,
The Working Girl in the City
",V. ' y'
Vrom Boston to San Francisco all
the larger cities can boast of their
parks which have been established
that the people of the cities might not
b deprived of the health and blessing
of preen grass, shady trees, blooming
flowers and other natural attractions.
The irk Idea Is a growth of recent
years, and yet at the present time It
is said that the parks and forest res
ervations of the United States have a
total area of 88,720,000 acres, equal
to that of the Philippine islands or of
all of New England. New York state
aud West Virginia combined.
It is only little, more than half a
century since the first park In the
I'nlted States was established at
Worcester, Mass., and in commemora
tion of that event a memorial gateway
has recently been erected at the en
trance to the park. On the tablet
placed on either side of the gateway
Is the following inscription:
This section of ELM PARK, :
i containing 27 acres, deeded to :
: the CITY OP WORCESTER, :
i March 17 and March 20, 1854. :
! by LEVI LINCOLN and JOHN :
: HAMMOND, was the FIRST :
: PURCHASE of land for public :
: park in the UNITED STATES. :
In making this claim the city of
Worcester does' not include public
squares like Union Square in New
York city, land for which was pur
chased by the city in 1833 for $116,051.
By a "public park" the tablet means
a countrylike region within city lim
its, with woods and glades and wide
.aches of meadow. The man who
' furnished the statistics upon which
the tablet is based Is George A. Par
ker, superintendent of parks of Hart
ford, Conn., and secretary of the Na
tional Association of Park Commis
sioners. He says that Worcester beat
New York city by two years in being
the pioneer park city. Andrew J.
Downing, he says, started city and
state legislation for what is now
known as Central Park, New York,
but Worcester jumped in ahead and
bought 27 acres for a park in 1S54.
The first purchase of land for Central
Park was in 1S5G.
Although New Yoflc city has Indeed
been tardy In the purchase of land
for parks, it nevertheless has secured,
all told, about 7,325 park acres early
enough In the development of real
estate values to pay for the land one
fortieth what it would cost to-day.
For Its 223 different parks New York
city has spent about $50,000,000. This
includes only the cost of the ground.
At the present time these parks rep
resent, so real estate men say, an In
vestment of $2,000,000,000, a sum
equal to the total revenues of Switz
erland for 200 years, and enough to
pay the Interest for 17 months on the
national debts of all the countries In
the world. Central Park alone Is val
ued at $500,000,000, or enough to wipe
out the entire debt of the city, yet
half a century ago its 843 acres were
bought for a little more than a hun
dredth part of this amount, or $5,028.
344. In spite of the great cost of land
In New York city, nevertheless, more
park acres have been acquired within
Its boundaries than may be found
within the limits of any other Ameri
can city. It possesses as many park
acres as are contained In Chicago,
Baltimore. Cincinnati and Indianapolis
combined.
In the last ten years the BoBton
Metropolitan Park Commissioners
have purchased 8.000 acres, of 670
more than the entire park area of
New York city, for $8,000,000. The to
tal area of all the parks within the
metropolitan district Is about 15.000
acres, or about twice that possessed
by New York city.
The largest of tho parks in the Bos
ton metropolitan district is the Blue
Hills reservation, with an area of
4,867 acres, or 780 acres move than
are Included in all of the big Itronx
parks. It is covered with forests, riv
ers, lakes and-ponds, and is to be kept
In all Its native wildness. All the Ilos
ton parks are situated within 11 miles
of the state house, and within this
same radius live 1,200,000 persons, a
little less than the population of
Hrooklyn, which has a total park area
of 1.2W acres.
Chicago, however, plans to go far
ahead of Boston. Believing that In 50
years It will swell out four times
greater than its present Blze, with a
population of 8,000,000, the metropolis
of the Ureal Lakes authorized a com
mission to draw up an outer park
system commensurate with Us on
J ,
I
' - N- J
Ideas. This commission has made Its
report, and advocates the acquisition
of 37.000 acres, extending 25 miles
Into the country, and costing, It Is es
timated, about $25,000,000. To the
north, where the shore of Lake Michi
gan rises Into bluffs, with wooded ra
vines, there ts to be a park of 7,000
acres; In the west another of 8.000
acres. The valley of the Desplalnes
river, skirted with woods and mead
ows, is to afford a park drive 23 miles
in length. In the southwest tho for
estB of the Palos region are to be
made Into a park larger than the Blue
Hills Reservation, near Boston, and
toward the south a preserve around
Lako Calumet will afford a recreation
space for the toilers of South Chicago
and Pullman.
Then there are many more smaller
parks proiwsed, 84 In all. At present
Chicago has 3,169 park acres, so that
the addition of the outer park system
would make a total of 40,000 acres,
or nearly three times the size of the
Island of Manhattan.
Conservative Providence, while not
talking so much as Chicago and not
aspiring to beat every other city in
the country, Is quietly working on an
outer park system which will, In pro
portion to the population of the city
and its suburbs, compare favorably
with the Boston park system. These
outer parks are to be acquired along
the shores of water courses like the
Seekonk, the Pawtuxet and the Ten
Mile rivers. These are all to be con
nectod by parkways, along which the
country is to be left in Its native wild
ness.
Philadelphia, which, until 1880, had
more park area than any other Amer
lean city, hi now (with much difficulty.
It must be said) awakening to the fact
that she has fallen far behind. Public-spirited
citizens, among whom are
members of leading clubs, academies.
societies and civic associations, have
leagued themselves together under the
name of the Philadelphia Allied Or
ganizations for the purpose of having
the Quaker City regain her lost pres
tige and acquire a comprehensive park
system "that will be second to none
In the country."
Weak Point
The woman awoke and found the
bold burglar rummaging in tho ward
robe. "I am going to call the police," she
exclaimed, placing her hand on the
alarm button.
"Blast the luck!" mumbled the in.
truder. "That's what 1 get for being
careful."
"Careful?"
"Yes; I could have ransacked that
wardrobe ten minutes ago, but I was
unusually careful for fear of injuring
that beautiful autumn hat.''
"You you really tllnk It pretty?"
"Pretty? Why, it Is gorgeous,
ma'am, and rather than displace a
feather in It I ran the risk of being
captured. You wouldn't call the ollce
now, would you?"
"N-no, I guess you can go this time.
And slipping a couple of silver hair
brushes In his pocket the burglar
winked at the cuckoo clock and van
ished. Chicago Dally News.
Lights for Cattle.
I hope you will be able to spare me
space to put before the public the ne
cessity of cattle and sheep carrying
lights at nights on public roads in
these days of rapid locomotion, says a
communication to tho Scotsman.
There have been many accidents, both
to motorists and cyclists, owing to the
fact of sheep and cattle not carrying
lights.
It would surely be a very simple
thing for shepherds to carry lights
both in front and behind their flocks,
with glass of three colors, suy red,
green ami white, so that a flock of
sheep may be distinguished from all
other traffic.
Automobile Proposal.
The big green automobile sped down
the frosty road. Above the noisy
'chug chug" of the machine he had
proposed and had been refused.
"Life is not worth living," he sighed.
"My heart is punctured." The beauti
ful girl snillnd.
"Thank goodness!" she excluimed In
great relief.
"Thank goodness for what?"
"That it ts your heart that Is punc
tured and not a tire. We are 20 miles
from a repair station."
Without a word ho put on full speed
and ran over a pig and two cows just
to let his feelings out
FORCED TO SEEK RECREATION
IN PUBLIC PLACES.
Crowded and Unattractive Homes
Make Such Action Necessary
Have Legitimate Title to Fun
and Agreeable Society.
BY MARGARET E. 8ANCSTER.
Anywhere on the east side of New
York or in a similar. quarter in any
large commercial city, tho streets
overflow with young people In the
evenings. If there happens to be a
park or a bit of open space with an
occasional tree and benches here and
there, the student of social conditions
will note that a good deal of uncon
cealed love-making Is going on.
Young men Bit' unabashed, with
their arms around the waists of girls
who do not seem embarrassed by tho
smiles or stares of spectators. Girls
and men stroll up and down, linger
on shadowy corners or in the glare of
the electric lights, as If reluctant to
leave one another's company. Cheap
theaters, circuses. Ice cream saloons
and vcrlety shows attract these young
folk who have never heard that a
chaperone Is necessary, and who
would find the presence of one super
fluous. Their friends discuss them
and their affairs In a fashion not
meant to be 'vulgar, which yet would
cause a shiver of disgust and elicit the
adjective common in more polite and
more fastidious circles.
"Sophy Is walking with her fellow."
"Michel Is treating his girl," are fa
miliar expressions as Michel loads the
way to a table near a window and or
ders heaping saucers of pink Ice
cream, while Sophy and her particular
wain saunter slowly by.
There are not wanting severe critics
who frown on this public display of
courtship, and who regard with deep
disapproval the manner In which work
ing girls, children of foreign parents,
or themselves foreign born, girls who
belong distinctly to the class that is
at the foot of the ladder and only be
ginning to climb, spend their evenings.
Home Is tho place for young women.
These girls should stay by their fa
thers and mothers; when their work In
over they should And enjoyment with
in their own doors. So in various de
grees of censure the verdict is pro
nounced by fortunate outsiders who
realize nothing whatever of the condi
tions that obtain In the average tene
ment home. Should these girls stay
there after a long hard day's work?
Would you do so in their place? Let
us see.
The ordinary abode of a thrifty
artisan, mechanic or laborer in New
York, the city with which I am most
familiar. Is either a five-room or a
three-room flat. This flat Is sand
wiched by close squeezing and crowd
ing Into a house containing a number
of stories, earh reached by a dark and
narrow stairway in the middle of the
house. Tho halls are tho morest
scraps and are usually dark. Some
times light comes from an airshaft,
hut not always. The windows at the
front and rear admit air and light,
but the middle rooms are dark and
are generally destitute of proier venti
lation. The odors of tobacco, whisky,
onions and Irish stew with an Inde
scribable flavor of cabbage and cheese,
mingle and linger in these homes of
poverty. If the housewife is notable,
they are decently clean; if rot, grease,
dirt and vermin of all sorts have tho
right of way. A family of six or eight
persons Is often housed In a three
room flat. A family of tho same size
possessing themselves of a five-room
flat take in a boarder or two or a
married pair and a baby. The econ
omy of spaco and the eloscncs3 of
sleeping quarters baffle description.
Rents nro so out of proiortlon to the
Work Bag Easily
Dainty,
Appropriate, and
Welcome Gift.
Always
For any friends who aro housekeep
ers, bugs of all sorts and all pur
poses aro always welcome presents.
For a friend who Is never Idle, the
work bag hero Illustrated would be
privileges they cover that how to pay
them is a never-settled problem. Tho
spectre of the rent, grim and gaunt
stalks through the noisome and reek
ing streets of the tenement neighbor
hood, bows women's shoulders, deep
ens the furrows and prematurely
ages the faces of men still young. As
for comfort. It Is an unknown quan
tity. Life Is one hard, desperate, ter
rible Btragglc. Opportunities for
privacy are wholly lucking. When tho
working girl emerges from such a
home In tho morning trim and tidy,
looking as If she had taken a bath and
combed her hair In her own room, as
her sisters on tho Avenue do, tho re
sult Is simply another proof of the
miraculous powers of conquering cir
cumstances that Inhere In the modern
woman.' The only spot In most of
these homes where any of the family
may bathe nnd comb their hair Is tho
kitchen which Is also living room and
dining-room by day und sleeping
room by night, for two or three per
sons who camp down on a mutress
spread on tho floor.
A working girl who has stood at
her loom or sat at her desk or waited
on customers all day, Is tired at night
fall and wants fresh air and exercise.
Sbo wants beside these precisely
what the millionaire's daughter wants,
agreeable society, a little fun, whole
some entertainment and a pleasant
time. She has not a single Inch of
space whero she may talk and jest
with her friends, under her own roof.
Therefore, she and her friends seek
relaxation whero they may and the
street In good weather generally finds
them there. They are really much
better off out of doors than In when
the weather Is fine. To nccuso young
girls or young men In circumstances
like theirs of willful neglect of home
or of conduct bordering on Indelicacy,
is arrant folly. They are merely
making a fight for rest and health, and
for the fun to which young people
have a legitimate title.
But tho girls by no means spend
all their evenings In tho company of
their admirers and friends of the other
sex. A working girl who Is ambitious
knows that her deficient education
must bo supplemented by evening
study, if Bho is to advance In tho
wago rate and to reach whatever top
notch Is the goal on which her eyes
aro set. Thousands of young girls
early Interrupted In their studies by
tho dire need In their homes, valiant
ly attack difficult text books and will
ingly work In the evening schools
during the autumn and winter.
When the girls go gayiy off to spend
an evening at one of their clubs or at
a college settlement, their mothers
havo no fear concerning them, and
settle down without anxiety to the
neighborly chat or the low-toned gos
sip punctuated with laughter, which
are their recreations when tho hus
band has gone to the saloon and the
babies are asleep. The saloon, the
trap Into which so much money falls
that ought to be spent for the good
of the family. Is the shadow forever in
the background In tenement life. It
has Its spacious temptations for the
young working girl; Its side entrances.
Its reading room where there are
curds and showy pictorial papers nnd
where lurk perils of the worst stamp
for the girl and her lover. The street
Is snrer for the girl than the brightly
lighted saloon with Its superficial
good fellowship nnd Its temptation to
drink anil make- merry with evil com
panions. Tlie working girl cannot be expect
ed to spend very many evenings In
Just the home that modern conditions
allow her to have. There Is too much
noise, there is too much crow .ling,
there are scolding mothers, drunken
fathers and crying babies. Well for
her If a Parish Mouse, a Working
Girls' Club or n Settlement numbers
her among Its constant habitues
(Copyright. mofi.by Joseph B. Bowles.)
Made at Home
X-
an appropriate gift. It is nsc-riil nnd
may be ornamental as well.
.Make It of any material preferred.
Art cretonne was chosen In tills In
stance for the outside, and plain pink
sateen for the inside. Cut n perfect
circle nbout 18 Inches in diameter of
both materials, stitch the little pock
et and the pinked Annuel for needles
to the lining its shown. Then place
the two circles together, bind the
outer edge over II! 1(1 stitch down neat
ly. Place little rings on the outside
through which run the ribbon to druw
tin! bag up. Tills idea can be Im
proved by covering t-e rings (cro
cheting over them) and by feather
stitching the edge. This ling is ce.
signed tci hold catch up work for odd
moments, but could be used for other
purposes.
To add to tho value of the ;;ift,onci
might Include a thimble, an emery
and a:i embroidery scissors, or a bit
of work such as a dolly or tra
cloth.
Calfskin and pony skin coals ai--worn
with sable and niink-stolo ai.d
muff. In this caso the skirt and spurs
are usually brown.
-pp- - - OQ w- "T!!
qm-wnvfcz miium
The rapid development of the west
and the fact that the Indian Is no
longer a menace to tin- welfare and
safety of the settlers has forced upon
the consciousness of the war depart
ment the tiselessness of longer main
taining many of the forts which have
dotted the western plains and moun
tain districts for years. For this rea
son many historic spots dear to the
novelist and the historian, but realty
dreaded by tho common soldier, are to
puss away, and of the 275 posts now in
existence from 100 to 150 will be aban
doned. This action follows a tour of In
spection and Investigation by Secre
tary Tart or the war department,
which was undertaken for the two fold
purpose of selecting sites for n chain
of brigadier pouts, and the determin
ing winch of the minor posts could be
best dispensed with. It Is prohulilc
that with the abandonment of the
posts eight or nine brigadier posts will
be established.
Only a few days ago came the an
nouncement of the abandonment of
Fort Niobrara, Nebraska, around w hich
half a century ago raged an almost In
cessant Indian warfare and which bus
been the scene of many military
romances. For several years the gov
ernment has been abandoning one by
one of these frontier posts and con
centrating the troops at the larger
forts. Recently there have been aban
doned these posts, once of Importance:
Fort Brown, Texas; Fort Grant, Ari
zona; Fort Ringgold. Texas; Fort
Yates, North Dakota; Allegheny Arse
nal, Pennsylvania; Columbia Arsenal.
Tennessee; Indianapolis Arsenal, In
diana, nnd Kennebec Arsenal, Maine.
"The purpose of these changes,"
said an army officer. "Is In accordance
with the general plan of nrmy reor
ganization. It will be much less ex
pensive to maintain large bodies of
men at central points than it is to
maintain small scattered garrisons
which are often one or two hundred
miles from the railroad ami where the
supplies must be transported by
wagon.
"Furthermore, discipline can be
much better preserved nnd an army
raised to a higher degree of proficiency
wheti the men are held In large bodies.
It Is believed, too. that the soldiers,
having more companionship and more
commodious cpinrte-rs in a huge fort,
will be less likely to desert than when
stationed In lonely and remote places.
"Fort Kthau Allen, about six miles
from Burlington, 't.. which was estab
lished principally through the Inlln
ence of Senator ftedlleld Proctor, will
probably bo made one of the brigadier
posts of the east. The present reser
vation contains H62 acres, iind when
the proposeil additions me made to en
large the drill grounds It will cover
1 ,.' acres. Since lis establishment,
about ten years ago, the government
has spent close- on to t L'.lMlil.niin on this
post.
"Secretary Taft was very favorably
Impressed, too, with Fort I). A. Rus
sell. Wyoming, which is the home of
Senator Warren, chairman of the sen
Hte committee on military affairs. He,
nlso Inspected another Important post,
Fort Robinson, in Nebraska. The so
lection of a largo post for that part of
thit country wlli most probably be
made from these two. On the I'nciiic
coast Vancouver barracks, Washing
ton; the Presidio at .Monterey. Cnl..
nnd Home- fort in southern California
will likely be retained. Foil Oule
tborpe, (ieorgia: Fort Douglas, tiah.
and Fort l. II. Wright. Washington,
are also mentioned favorably as can
cllilales for brigadier honors.
"The secretary was especially im
pressed with Korts Leavenworth and
Riley in Khiisiis. pint Sill In Okla
homa und Fort Sum Houston, near San
Antonio. Tex.
"Of course these brigadier posts
will not be the only army posts that
the country will maintain. Smaller
garrisons will lie continued m m ,
forts as Smiling, near St. Paul, and
important points in the Interior and
along the coasts. Hut leaving these
ut there still remain nearly l.'.u posts
that can lie disposed with without in
jury to the service."
Fort Sill has for a number of years
bee ii considered one- of the most mi
portant posts of the Indian territory.
The rc .-ei valion c ontnlns .Ml.nuu acres,
and adjoining this In PI, null ncres more
T.hlc-h may lie t:s"d for inilllaty pur
I o: c s. The departnii'iit plnns to make
this especially u post for the Instruc
tion ami tra.ning of t.eld artillery.
I '.i Hi 1 1 1 1 y an 1 Leavenworth, the
inn Kansas forts, have figured not
c nlv in the histoiy of the state, but ,
ul.o hi thu development of the west.
Riley, near Junction City, has for th
last few years been the scene of ex-te-nslvo
maneuvers of regulars, ns well
as of the militia of Kansas and neigh
boring state's. The reservation Is ex
tensive and Is considered by army of
ficers as especially adapted to the
drilling of large bodies of men. Tho
department has kept up here for sev
eral years a school eif instruction In
tinny cooking.
The best known of all these forts Is
Leavenworth. It was established In
1817 on a bluff overlooking the Mis
souri river, ami during the years of
the settlement of the great west that
lies between the Missouri nnd tho
Rocky mountains It was the principal
de-pot of supplies for the posts that
sprang up on the plains Tor the pro
tection of the settlers.
From here also were sent out tho
military escorts for the wagon trains
that crossed to the- gold fields of Cali
fornia and Colorado and to the sllve-r
mines of Mexico, that guarded the
wagon trains along the- old Santa l-V
trail and the pony cxpre-ss riders te
Denver and the mountain country.
Here some of the- men who did dis
tinguished service dining the- civil
war lined their first training In actual
lli'bl duty. Gen. Lee was oiie of the
commainlants of the post. Gen. Grant
serve-el he-re s a young oltleer. and
part of the old wall of the reservation
was built under bis supervision.
In the army at the- present tlm
there- are few officers but have bait
experience nt Leavenworth, either on
duly there or ns students at one- of the
officers' schools. The town of Leaven
worth, adjoining tin- post. Is Jocularly
known as the- "mother In law of the
army," for It Is a fact that Leaven
worth has married more- of In-r girls
to officers than any oilier town in I lit
country.
Land forming part of this reserva
tion, which was In the- beginning very
extensive, has in some e ases been sold
and In others appropriated for various
either purposes. The- largest ed I'nileil
Slates prisons, which houses a fatuous
collection of bankers, us well an of
western desperadoes. Is situated here-.
This has made necessary the purchase-
of additional land to carry out
the plans of the- department, mid au
Ihoriiilion will be asked for the- purchase-
of not inure than (i.lluo nctes.
The land that Is ilcslrcil lies across
the Missouri liver and Is reached by
an old bridge, one- of tin- fitsf built in
tin- Missouri valley.
Of till the- Kansas forts these two
are the only ones that remain The
iiami-s eif others well known In frem
tier history are preserved In lhe
names of the- towns which giew up
under their protection, as Fori Dodge,
Fori Scott and Haves, I. allied and
eV'iiiii-r.
Many of the old forts In the Indian
country. In the ncighhot hood of Utile
Big Horn, have been abandoned, lor
e usii'i s reel sKinneit roe-ie are- now
peaceful farmers, and the buildings)
that sliellere-il the troopers are in
many Instances converted into schools
for their children.
With the capture of Gt-ronimo ami
the- removal of many of the- southwest
tribes to other rese-rv at ions the- use--liilue-ss
of the foils in Arizona ami
New Mexico was ended. Fort Grant,
one- of the most important in tin
soul h w est . was several years ago
abandoned, ami Fort Apache, Amzom.i.
w III soon be ev acuated
Reno is pel baps the- best I. nou n of
the Indian territory forts. II was built
years ami In the henrl of the Chey
enne and Ainpnhoc i-onnliy. and from
It troops were sent against the- many
hostile tribes of noilliern Texas ami
tin- Territory. Old army tegiste-rs de
scribe its situation ns "I'll miles soul h
of Wichita. Kas." The route of tint
.lai-on trains southward from n rail
wuv Flatioii to Reno was one of great
peril, and many trains were- captured
b. mai uudliig hands of Indians.
A tragic incident In the history of
the foil was the Hennessey massacre.
Pat I lennessey. an old frontiersman,
was the dilver In charge- of a train of
supplies I rum Kansas. When about
ball' the distance to Reno he was set
neon by f'heyenni-s.
lie nnd bis comrades parked tln-ir
wagons and for three- days held their
eiiemj at n distance. Wh-n troops
linallv arrive d from Reno for their m-lie-f
all the iin-.-i we re- dead and sci.lpeel,
but that the y had sold their lives eb-ur-y
was atli ste-d by the number of dead
savages.
It-, the tide of each man's body was
a pile of empty r.nrtrlele shells. Not
a Mimic h ailed ( no was found. Only
when lie last s'not was fired bud line
Indians :nicceediil in (iosliiQ la Utt
thrui.