Co tfje Children Who have been robbed of their birth- right, by the trivialities, the greed and avarice of our civilization, this book is affectionately dedicated Courtesy of Miss Bessie D. Stoddarl. "NATURE STUDY" AROUND THE FISH TOM) Los Angeles "Important as it is to direct the industries of the world, it is not so important as to wisely direct the leisure (the relaxation) of the world." — George Eliot. PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE AND PLAYCRAFT VOLUME ONE A Popular Text-book of Playground Philosophy, Architecture, Construction and Equipment Edited bv ARTHUR LELAND, B.RE. Formerly Director of Athletics and Gymnastics, University of Denier; Physical Director V. M. ('. A., Ouensboro. Ky.; Supervisor of Playgrounds, Louisville, Ky., St. Paul, Minn., Denver, Col. and LORNA HIGBEE LELAND, B.L. Formerly Executive Secretary Minnesota State Art Society; Assistant Supervisor of Playgrounds, St. Paul, Minn.; Secretary Department of Physical Education at Denver Convention of National Education Association Second Edition Published by DOUBLEDAY PAGE & CO. NEW YORK 1913 The Advisory Committee Db. Hknhy S. Cruris, Playground Lecturer Harvard Sum- mer School; Formerly Supervisor of Playgrounds, Washing- ton, I). C.; Secretary Playground Association of America. — E. B. I)e Groot, Playground Lecturer, Chicago School of Philan- thropy; Director of Playgrounds, Chicago South Park Commis- sion. — Miss BESSIE D. St0DDABT, Secretary Playground Com- mission, Ia>s Angeles, Cat. — Mykon T. ScUDDER, Professor of the Science of Education, Rutgers College; Playground Lecturer University of Maine. — Harry W. Leland. H.S.. Supervisor of Manual Training, Leominster, Mass. — George A. Parker, Superintendent of Parks, Hartford, Conn. — Arthur V. Parker, Assistant Superintendent of Parks, Worcester, Mass. — Charles Mulford Robinson, Author of "Modern Civic Art," Rochester, N. Y. — Dr. Clark VY. Hetherington, Professor of Physical Education, University of Missouri; Missouri State Playground Movement. — Dn. Charles A. Eastman, Author of "Indian Boyhood," Am- herst, Mass. — Judge Ben B. Lindsey, Juvenile Court, Den- ver, Col. — William A. Stecher, G.G., Director of Physical Education, Philadelphia Public Schools; Secretary Playground Association of Philadelphia. — Thomas Curley, Massachusetts State Playground Committee, Waltham, Mass. — John Golden, President Textile Workers' Union of America, Fall River, Mass. — Miss Patty Hill, Kindergarten Department, Teachers' College, New York City. b * t I • » Copyright, 1909, by ARTHUR LELAND All rights reserved PREFACE IT has fallen to our lot to act as guide for the infant steps of several play- ground movements. In the early days many problems confronted the playground worker. The woods were full of philosophies but the practical application had to be worked out by hard knocks. During the past years, we have been the recipients of many of these; making many mistakes, we have acquired some practical knowledge and perhaps chanced upon the proper solution of some problems. In presenting this book, we hope that as a result some may be spared many of the commonest mistakes and may profit by the things which have been found essential, when judged by our own experience and the experi- ence of other pioneer workers in the play movement, whose work has assisted in the preparation of this book. The attempt will be made in this series to correlate the work of the various playground interests throughout the country. The salient features in a number of typical playground movements will be described. As the ground to be covered is so extensive, only those which have made unusual, unique and historical contributions to playground knowledge can be given place in the discussion. Necessarily this series could be prepared only through the combined experience and cooperation of the many workers who have contributed to the play movement. The editors extend thanks and acknowledgment of assistance to these workers for permission to use extracts from their writings and to the members of the Advisory Committee for suggestions, assistance and special articles. To the various magazines and publishers, who have given permission for reprinting the articles so credited in the book. To Dr. William W. Hastings for reading manuscript and making suggestions thereon. To Olmsted Bros., John Bacon Hutchings, Hunt, Eager and Burns, and others for plans of playgrounds and buildings which are incorporated in the book. To Lafon Allen, President of the Recreation League, and John Bacon Hutchings for furnishing photographs of Louisville playgrounds. To Charies Mulford Robinson and the Children's Playground League for photographs of Rochester playgrounds. To Miss Bessie D. Stoddart and C. B. Raitt for photographs, plans, descriptions and estimates of Los Angeles playgrounds. C P3EPACB To the Massachusetts Civic League, Joseph Lee and Mr. Hartman, Secretary, for photographs. To the officers and committees of The Playground Association of America and the American Civic Association for permission to reprint extracts from publications, committee reports and other assistance. To William A. Steelier for photographs of Philadelphia playgrounds and other assistance. To Dr. Chas. A. Eastman for permission to reprint parts of "Indian Boyhood." To E. B. De Groot for plans and matter relating to Chicago play- grounds. To Mrs. Charles F. Weller, Madeline McDowell Breckenridge. Dr. Henry S. Curtis, Harry W. Leland and Myron T. Scudder for preparing special articles. To all of those who have given permission to reprint articles and ex- tracts further acknowledgment of which is made in connection with the articles printed. On account of the size of the field to be covered we have been obliged to produce this work in two volumes. Volume one will treat of the general philosophy of play and the technique of playground construction, beautifi- cation and equipment. It will also discuss the philosophy and technique of constructive play, or the relation of the child through play to the world of nature and material things. It introduces "Plavcraft," the Educational Method of Building Playgrounds. This system of manual training, in which the children make the things with which they play, will be further developed in a second volume, es- pecially with relation to its practical application to minor play materials. Volume two will also contain a discussion of Playground Administration, Supervision and Operation, including a course in athletic and social activi- ties adapted for playground use. The authors would appreciate correspondence regarding any points not made clear in this book. Any suggestions or criticisms will be gratefully received. CONTENTS Page Prefai i. .... . . 5 Introdi i won, by Dr. William W. Hastings ....... 13 PART I. THE PHILOSOPHY OF PLAY AND ITS APPLICATION Chapter I. Plat, Childhood and the Playground, Their Respective Places, by Arthur Leland 19 A. The Meaning of Play and Childhood ....... lit 1. The Biological Theory of Life. 2. Instinct and Tradition. 3. The Meaning of Child- hood. 4. The Educational Value of Instinct and Play. B. The Place of the Playground .22 1. From Play to Work. 2. The Playground and the Play Director. 3. The Playground and the School. 4. Life. 5. Recreation and Unskilled Labor. 6. Why Recreation Should Be Supplied at Public Expense. Chapter II. Theories of Play ......... 26 1. The Surplus Energy Theory. 2. The Recreation Theory. 3. The Biological Theory. 4. The Psychological Standpoint. 5. The ^Esthetic Standpoint. 6. Sociological Value. 7. Pedagogical Value. Chapter III. The Contrlbotion of the North American Indian to the Playgroi \u Movement ......... 28 A. Selections from "Indian Boyhood," by Dr. Charles A. Eastman (Ohiyesa) 29 1. An Indian Buys Training. ........ 29 Chapter IV. The Playground as a Phase of Social Reform . . . :14 A. The ( itv Bov ' . . 34 B. The Need of Athletics for Girls, by Mrs. Charles F. Weher . . 35 Chapter V. Playgrounds and Delinquency ...... 38 A. Public Playgrounds and Juvenile Delinquency, by Judge Ben B. Lindsey 38 B. Relation of Playgrounds to Juvenile Delinquency, by Allen T. Burns 42 C. Playgrounds and the Grand Jury ...... 43 Chapter VI. The Need of Playgrounds and Organized Play in Rural Districts, by Myron T. Scuddei ....... 11 Chapter VII. The Playground and Public Hygiene .... Hi A. The Plavjjround as a Factor in School Hygiene, by George E. Johnson Mi .".(I 50 51 52 B. Hygienic Notes, by William W. Hastings, Ph.D. C. Hygienic Value of the Swimming Pool, by Dr. J. II. Kellogg 1). Good Health and Good Government, by Hon. James F. Burke E. One Million Pupils Doomed ...... PART II. PLAYGROUND ARCHITECTURE AND LANDSCAPE GARDENING Chapter VIII. The Playground Beautiful, by Arthur Leland and Lorna Higbee Leland, Playground Architects ...... . ."> 1 A. Need of Beautifying Playgrounds .... . ."> 1 B. Importance of a Comprehensive Plan ... . 56 Chapter IX. The Development of Playground Landsi ipe Gardening and Architecture in the United States .... 58 1. The Snoct Field. 2. The Genesis of the Outdoor Gymnasium. 3. The Recreation Park, Louisville. 4. The Model Playground Triangle Park. 5. The First Wading Pool of the Country in a Small Park. 6. Central Park. 7. The Model Small Playground. 8. A System of Supervised Playgrounds. 9. Philadelphia, the John Dickinson Play- ground. 10. New York. 11. Chicago. 12. St. Paul Playgrounds. 13. Canandaigua, X. V. 14. Rochester, X. Y. S CONTENTS Page Chapteb X. The Recreation Parks of Chicago, by Henry S. Curtis, Ph.D. . 70 I. Origin. 2. Description. 3. Manner of Appointment of Board. 4. Cost. 5. Com- bine Beauty and Utility. 6. Outdoor Gymnasium for Men. 7. Playground for Small Children. B. Outdoor Swimming Pool. 9. Field Houses. 10. Branch of Public Library. II. Indoor Gymnasium for Men. 12. Auditorium and Club Room. 13. Supervision and Maintenance. Chapter XI. Platorot nds Down in the Blue Grass ("In Old Kaintuck''), by Madeline McDowell Brakenridge ....... 78 PART III. PLAYGROUND CONSTRUCTION Chapter XII. Construction Methods ..... .82 A. Grades and Drainage ........ 82 1. The First Work. 2. Drainage. 3. Specifications for Brick Meter Box. 1. Water System. 5. Retaining a Slope. B. Playing Surfaces .......... 84 1. Running Track. 2. Baseball Diamond. 3. Under Swings. 4. Under Giant Stride. 5. Under see-saws. 6. Under Flying Dutchman. 7. Under Gymnasium. 8. Basket- ball Court.. 9. Tennis Courts. 10. For Games. 11. Dancing. 12. Artistic Tennis Courts. 13. Swimming Pools. Chapter XIII. The North Denver Playground, by Arthur Leland . 89 1. Improvements Completed. 2. Improvements Projected. Chapter XIV. The Evolution of St. Paul, Minn., Playgrounds, by Arthur Leland and Lorna Higbee Leland ........ 91 1. First Attempts. 2. Public Baths and Playgrounds. 3. The Present Movement. 4. How Land Was Secured. 5. ^Supervision. 6. Grading, Landscape Gardening and Buildings. 7. Play Equipment. * 8. Opening Day. 9. Playground Benefit Baseball Game. 10. Charter Amendment. 11. The Children Secure Votes. 12. Publicity. 13. Two Baseball Leagues Organized. 14. School Teams Organized. 15. Attendance. 16. Fourth of July Play Festival. 17. Sources of St. Paul's Success. 18. Park Board and Advisory Playground Committee. 19. Politics. 20. Night Playgrounds. 21. Shower Baths. 22. Playground Self-government. 23. The Playground School Athletic League. 24. From Report of Superintendent of Parks. 25. Fighting the Street Railway to Save the Playground. 26. Playground Extension. 27. Gymnastic Equipment. 28. Minne- sota State Law. Chapter XV. An Ideal Development for a Playground on an Irregular Tract op Land Between Five and Six Acres in Extent, by Lorna Hig- bee Leland 109 1. Grades. 2. Walks and Tracks. 3. Fences. 4. Landscape Gardening. 5. Play Facilities. 6. Boys' Playground. 7. Girls' Playground. 8. Little Children's Play- ground. 9. For Boys and Men. 10. For All. 11. Xeighborhood Club House. 12. General Remarks. Chapter XVI. Landscape Gardening ....... 115 1. Trees. 2. Shrubs. 3. Flowers. 4. Vines. 5. Rules for Landscape Gardening. 6. The Use of Water. 7. Wading Pools for School Yards. 8. Shade. 9. Playground Conditions Best When Like Country. 10. Shade Absolutely Necessary. Chapter XVII. Fences and Hedges ....... 120 1. Reasons for Fencing Playgrounds. 2. Kinds of Fencing. 3. The Gates. 4. Wire Fence and Specifications. 5. Specifications of Fence. Chapter XVIII. Los Angeles Playgrounds and Buildings . . . 123 A. Playgrounds . . . .123 1. Visiting Nurse's Headquarters. 2. Club House. 3. Plavground Librarv. 4. The Story Hour. 5. The Girls' Club. 6. Boys' Club. B. Celebrations During the Year ........ 129 1. Christmas. 2. Circus Day. 3. Opening of Field House. 4. Fourth of July. 5. Annual Inter-playground Track Meet. 6. Special Features. C. Ix)s Angeles Buildings ......... 133 1. Club House. 2. Recreation Center. 3. Specifications of Municipal Recreation Center. 4. Specifications of Club House. D. Los Angeles Apparatus (Home Made) ...... 156 CONTENTS 9 PART IV. PHILOSOPHY OF CONSTRUCTIVE PLAY Chapter XIX. The Place of Constructive Play in the Development of the Individual and the Race as Contrasted with Athletics and Social Page Play, by Arthur Leland, B.P.E. 160 A. Value of the Two Types of Play .... . . 160 1. Athletic ami Social Play. 2. Constructive Team Play. •'{. Intelligence Developed Through Weakness. 4. Stones for Bread. 5. Children Should Make Their Own Toys ('< Constructive Plaj in Education. B. Franklin: An Example in Play Education ..... 164 1. Franklin's Childhood Training. 2 Practice Not Theory :( The Play School. 1 The Playground and Adult Activity. PART V. THE TECHNIQUE OF CONSTRUCTIVE PLAY Chapter XX. Playground Manual Training ..... A. Industrial Work Recommended by Committee on Normal Course of Play B. Constructive Play Activities for Children of Different Ages, by Harry W Leland. B.S. C. Athletics and Manual Training Correlated D. The Playcraft League ....... Chapter XXI. Domestic Science ..... 1. Housekeeping and Cooking. 2. Domestic Economy. 3. A Model Workman's Hon 4. Play Hygiene. 5. Domestic Science in the Country School. Chapter XXII. Playground Excursions and Camps A. Excursions ..... . . B. Poisonous Plants ....... C. Camps ......... 1. Home Made Tent. 2. Family Camps. H A Vacation on a Haft, In 4. A Bibliography of Camps. A. S Atkinson Chapter XXIII. The Play Course in Forestry and Gardening A. Extracts from School Gardens, Bulletin No. 160 .... B. Extracts from Home Gardening Association, Cleveland, Ohio C. Experimentation ......... D. Creation of New Species ........ E. A Plan of Reforestation ........ 1. Bibliography. 2. Hooks Recommended by Committee on Normal Course in Play. Chapter XXIV. Pets and the Domestication of Animals . 168 168 170 170 170 173 176 176 176 177 181 181 185 187 187 188 190 PART VI. THE EDUCATIONAL METHOD OF BUILDING PLAYGROUNDS Chapter XXV. Home Made Equipment . . . . 192 A. The Advantages of Home Made Equipment ..... 192 B. Common Sense in Playground Equipment ...... 194 ('. Some Inexpensive Playground Apparatus, by Dr. E. H. Arnold . 19.5 The Jumping Pit. 2. The Jumping Stairs. The Balancing Tree. .3. The Hillock. 4. The Climbing Tree D. What Apparatus to Have E. Materials 1. Rope. 2. Steel Cable and Hemp Hope. .'<. Frames. 4. Frictionless Joints 5 6. Concrete. Wood L96 198 10 CONTENTS Chapter XXVI. Platcraft — Home Made Apparatus, Plans, Specifications wi> Directions fob the Manufacture of the Same, by A. and L. H. Leland, Page Playground Architects .......... 201 This chapter i- also issu •'! in the form ■ >!" reprints for use in the construction <>f apparatus 1. Plan of Construction and Specifications for Basketball Goals and Screens, and [ron Pipe Jump Standards, (2) plans, (6) figures 201 2. Plan of Construction and Specifications for Horizontal Bars and Parallel Bars, (1) plan. (.'!) figures .... 204 3. Plan of Construction and Specifications for Sand B<>\ and Frame Braces. (2) plans, (4) figures ... . 206 4. Plan of Construction. Specifications and Contract for Furnishing Flying Dutch- man, (1) halftone, (1) plan, (3) figures .... 208 5. Directions for Making and Erecting Swing Frames with Standard Fittings and with Universal Clamp Fittings, (1) halftone, (2) plans, (5) figures -211 6. Directions for Making Swings and Assembling Rope Fittings, Home Made and with Special Castings, (1) halftone, (6) plans, (10) figures . . 417 7. Directions for Making Home Made Wagon Skein Giant Stride, and Home Made Giant Stride with Machined Head, (2) plans, (7) figures .... -2-ii 8. Directions for Making and Erecting Four and Five Board Teeter Frames, with Standard Fittings, and with Universal Clamp Fittings, Directions for Making Teeter Boards, (1) halftone, (2) plans, (6) figures ....... -HI 9. Directions for Making and Erecting Back Yard Equipment for Small Children, Directions for Making Slide to be Attached to Swing Frame, (3) plans, (10) figures -2:51 10. Directions for Making Combination Steel Ladder and Chest Bars with Jumping Pit and Steel Incline Ladder and Sliding Poles, (3) plans, (7) figures 285 11. Directions for Making and Erecting Combination Swing and Gymnasium Frame, Directions for Making Teeter Ladder, Steel and Wire Cable Ladder, Steel Trapeze, Steel Climbing Poles, and Trick Rings, (2) plans, (5) figures . . 239 12. Directions for Making and Erecting School Yard Merry-Go-Round and Giant Stride combined, with Flipping Board Attachment, (1) perspective, (1) plan, (6) figures .............. '24.'$ 13. Directions for Making and Erecting Combination Teeter Ladder and Slide Frame, Adjustment Attachment for Bottom of Slide for Life Cable and All Seasons Slide, with Directions for Attaching Teeter Ladder to Frame, (3) drawings, (9) figures .............. 447 14. Directions for Making and Erecting Slide for Life, two styles, (1) perspective, (2) plans, (7) figures 251 15. Directions for Making and Erecting Three-Story Playground Equipment, and Directions for Making Incline Ladder of Wood, (2) plans, (6) figures . 255 10. Directions for Making and Erecting Combination Swing and Baby Swing Frame and Baby Swing, (1) halftone, (1) perspective, (2) plans, (7) figures . 256 Bibliography ............ 260 Appendix. The Proper Relation of Organized Sports ox Public Play- grounds and ix Public Schools, by Lorna Higbee Leland . 275 Ixdex 281 ILLUSTRATIONS, DRAWINGS AND PLANS Frontispiece, "Nature Study," Around the Fish Pond Hurdle Rare in a Philadelphia School Playground Little Children's Playground, Triangle Park, Louisvi ♦Plan of Charlesbank Playground *Plan of Boone Park, Louisville Wading Pool in Triangle Park, Louisville The Tenuis ( Ourls ..... *Plan of Central Park, Louisville * Floor Plan of Field House and Pergola, Central I 'ark Class, in Boys' Gymnasium .... Even the Outdoor Gymnasium May Have a Pleasant Who Can Touch the Branches? *Plan of Recreation Building, Armour Square ♦Hardin Square, a Recent South Park Playground Nature's Summer Occupation for Children Women's Gymnasium ..... The Swimming Pool ..... The Field House, Sherman Park *Plan of Armour Square ..... *Plan of Brick Meter Box Used in St. Paul Baseball Diamond, Triangle Park, Louisville *Plan of North Denver Playground . Home Made Merry-Go-Round On the Flying Dutchman .... Plan of Como Avenue Playground, St. Paul Bird's-eye View of Como Avenue Playground ♦Elevation of Shelter House, St. Paul ♦Floor Plan of Shelter House, St. Paul Sand Boxes and Blocks for the Little Ones, St. Paul Swings are Popular ..... A Leaf from the Dodger Used in the Playground Cam A Wrestling Match ..... Kindergarten (James for the Little Ones Flection Day at Como Avenue Playground Officers of Como Avenue Playground City ♦Plan of Arlington Hills Playground, St. Paul *Plan of Como Park Playground, St. Paul ♦An Ideal Development for a Playground on an Irregul and Six Acres in Extent .... ♦Baseball Rack Stop Neighborhood Clul> House, Central Park, Louisville Lou Setting Kv. paign •ilk St. Paul Traci of 1 and between Five Page 2 19 54 59 60 (il 62 63 64 65 67 68 71 72 73 7i 7.5 76 77 83 87 88 90 92 93 95 95 96 97 98 99 101 102 104 105 106 107 110 112 113 *Plans drawn to scale. 11 u lU.lSTKATIOXS Artistic Tennis Courts, Hartford .... Ix>t Nature Furnish Shade ..... Ail ist ic Fence Posts ...... *Plan of a Serviceable and Economical Fence Field House at Echo Park Playground, Los Angeles . Municipal Recreation Center, Los Angeles . Porch of Superintendent's Bungalow Residence, Ix»s Angeles Living Room of Superintendent, Los Angeles *Plan of Echo Park Playground, Ix>s Angeles Girls' Basketball, Los Angeles .... Echo Park Playground Club House, Los Angeles Playground Library, Los Angeles .... Teeter Boards on Vacation Playground, Los Angeles ♦Basement Plan of Club House at Slauson Avenue Playground, Los Angeles *First Floor Plan of Club House, Slauson Avenue Playground, Los Angeles *Plan of Second Floor and Basement of Municipal Recreation Center, Los Angeles ♦Municipal Recreation Center, Plan of Gymnasium, Auditorium and Proposed Addi tions ......... Swings at Violet Street Playground, Los Angeles Outdoor Combination Gymnasium, Los Angeles Outdoor Gymnasium at Echo Park, Los Angeles Teeter Ladder, Los Angeles ...... "Let the Children Help Put Up Swings" "The Gang Learns Building," Columbus Avenue Playground Carpentry at Social Center, Philadelphia .... Playcraft at Philadelphia ...... A Home Made Tent ....... Enjoying the Fruits of their Labor ..... Play Gardening in the Columbus Avenue Playground Chariot Race in the Philadelphia Playground Home Made Giant Strides, Los Angeles .... t The cuts and drawings for the construction of Playground Apparatus are listed Table of Contents under the Titles for the Subject Matter. Page 117 119 120 122 123 124 125 125 126 128 129 130 131 132 134 135 136 156 157 158 158 161 163 165 169 177 179 182 193 194 in the *Plans drawo to sca'e. INTRODUCTION In presenting to the public Playground Technique and Play- craft there is recorded by Mr. and Mrs. Leland a step forward in the practical working out of the real problems of the whole playground move- ment. The authors have the advantage of years of solid experience, and speak not in the manner of old maids lecturing on the care of children to Mothers' Clubs, but as those who have been through the birth throes, infantile diseases and obstreperous childhood of the playground itself. Mr. Leland is one of the pioneers in the practical work of playground organization, construction and administration. It is doubtless this fact that has inspired the confidence which has secured for him on the Advisory Committee such a large majority of the playground experts of the United States. Time was when movements developed more slowly, and when people were satisfied for a generation with books and pamphlets dealing in popular opinions and disorganized generalities, but this is no longer true. The public demands facts, and it wants them in accurate and organized form. When we buy a book today we want the author to have really done our thinking for us. We want it well illustrated for the same reason. Time was when we expected only the facts of a science to be given us. Now we want to be shown what to do with the facts, how to teach them to others and how to take our place in the organized movements of the times, in brief, the public has not time to " Fletcherize " its mental pabulum. The playground movement has made such phenomenal strides in the last ten years — even in the last five years, and the demand for accurate information has become so great in every quarter that such a book had to be provided. Some of the commonest needs and the most frequent requests which come to the editor and to the playground leader are with reference to the best books and articles on games and plays and on the problems of the movement, the best mode of appeal for rousing public sympathy and touching pocketbooks, how to organize a campaign for a playground, what qualities should be emphasized in the make-up of the leader or supervisor, what are the sanest and most economical plans for playground construction, what are the essentials of playground equipment, and how can the greatest economy of effort and of money be assured. Most of these questions are answered in Playground Technique and Playcraft in a concise way by practical, experienced people. In Playground Technique and Playcraft there has been grouped and stated for the first time the essentials of the various phases of the sub- ject. That is the chief function of this work,— to provide accurate infor- mation along every line for the playground worker and supporter. 13 1 [ 1NTK01U < I [ON A secondary bul exceedingly importanl function of this volume is the provision of construction plans and specifications for all useful playground apparatus, showing how to make a dollar do the work of two. First things are always the hardest to secure and first money must always he husbanded with greatesl care. This department will, therefore, prove invaluable to the majority of supervisors and committees on construction. The publication of reprints of tlie.se construction plans and specifica- tions, for use by architects, contractors, machine shops, mechanics, and others engaged in the work of practical construction, will do much to sim- » ■ * 1 * 1 plifv and cheapen the process. It puts accurate information within the reach of all, and encourages the equipment of model playgrounds for the inauguration of the movement where it has hitherto been deemed imprac- ticable. There is nothing so valuable as accurate figures and a well-outlined plan to inspire confidence in a movement. Playground Technique and Playcraft will be found helpful by all who require real information and inspiration. Wm. W. Hastings. "The plays of adolescence are socialistic, demanding; the heathen virtues of courage, endurance, self-control, bravery, loyalty, enthusiasm." — Gulirl:. "We have gone far to civilize the business of play out of existence." "Rather a playground without a school than a school without a playground."— Dr. Woods Hutchinson. "Much of the burden of future education, in teaching children loyally, honesty, cooperation and self-sacrifice, rests on the public playground instructor. The very foundations of the Republic are to be worked out on the public play- ground ; that is where boys learn how to resist evil. A young man will never in his life have such great temptations in the midst of such absorbing interests, as on the ball field, when he wants to cut corners. There he learns that it doesn t pay to play crooked. Where can he show greater self-sacrifice than when' he effaces himself in order that his team may make another run?"— Thos. A. Ciirley. "Gentleness and cheerfulness, these come before all morality; they are the perfect duties." "If your morals make you dreary, depend upon it they are wrong. I do not say "give them up,' for they may he all you have; but conceal them like a vice, lest they should spoil the lives of better and simpler people." "There is an idea abroad among moral people that they should make their neighbors good. One person I have to make good: myself. But my duty to my neighbor is much more nearly expressed by saying that I have to make him happy — if I may." — Robert Louis Stevenson. PART I THE PHILOSOPHY OF PLAY AND ITS APPLICATION "Why have playgrounds? Why? Why does a flower need the light? The child needs a playground because his growth is through activity, through those specific forms of activity which his nature has prescribed, and because, accord- ingly, he will never grow up — or he will grow up stunted and perverted — if he is denied those opportunities and objects to which his vital, instinctive and formative activities relate." "The thing that most needs to be understood about play is that it is not a luxury but a necessity. It is not simply something that a child likes to have: it is something that he must have if he is ever to grow up. It is more than an essen- tial part of his education; it is an essential part of the law of his growth, of the process by which he becomes a man at all." — Joseph Lee. HURDLE It ACE IN A PHILADELPHIA SCHOOL PLAYGROUND CHAPTER I Play, Childhood and the Playground, their Respective Places By Arthur Leland A. The Meaning of Play and Childhood 1. The Biological Theory of Life. The idea that man has been evolved in countless seons of time through variation, unending experimen- tation and selection on the part of nature is now generallv accepted as the true theory of life. To many, it may seem irreverent to think of God the Creator, as manifest in nature, creating, experimenting, judging and pre- serving the best and rejecting the inefficient and useless; but to many the developmental theory of life stands for the very essence of religion and faith. Is this not Immanuel, God with us ! Are we not all part of nature and thus partakers in the evolution of the kingdom of heaven ? Biologists tell us that man is the product of lower forms of life, each of which has contributed its share to the grand total, then stagnated, while man, apparently the favored one, kept going on and on. We are also told that each individual passes through all the essential stages of growth which have preceded it. That both animals and man draw upon the life of the past, that they are created in the light of the accum- ulated experience of the race. That in order to attain the best development in the higher stages of life, all the earlier and lower reactions and experi- ences which have been valuable in race development must be passed through. 2. Instinct and Tradition. These experiences and reactions have been crystallized in instincts and traditions for the benefit of future »enera- 19 -20 PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE AND PLAYCRAFT tions. Many of the lower forms of life require no training or education, as they come into life fully equipped by instinct for all their struggles, but they never progress. As we ascend the scale of creation, we find life becoming incomplete at birth, requiring the care of a parent for protection and feeding. The higher and higher we rise, the more complex life becomes and the more helpless we find the infant, until we reach the human family, whose child is the most helpless of all and the least fitted by instinct to care for itself. But as compensation, the divinity of motherhood and fatherhood have been created to care for and train this helpless waif, until after spending one-third of its life in preparation for its duties, it is prepared to carry on alone its burden of the other two-thirds and help in the ever upward ascent. 3. The Meaning of Childhood. The meaning of this is apparent, the more complex the life, the longer time required in preparation. Groos says the children play not because they are young but they are young in order that they may play. Up to a certain point young animals and children have inherent impulses for self education. The character and direction these impulses will take will depend upon environment and training. If the instincts of the child are to be directed to beneficent results, they require education. This education can be given through conscious and unconscious imitation in plav of the things which the child sees going on about him. We see in this the need for proper environment, for the child becomes what he is through what he does, and he imitates what he sees. Under ideal condi- tions, it might not be necessary to have specialized play instruction, but where will we find ideal conditions ? Certainly not in the crowded city nor in the country village, and it is doubtful if the beautiful country itself is free from some of the taint which hangs about the places before mentioned. We see then that play is nature's short cut to experience; that it is the key which opens to the child the store house in which is treasured the ex- perience of the race. 4. The Educational Value of Instinct and Play. Groos says that "play is activity without serious intent" and that "in child's play opportunity is given through the exercise of inborn dispositions to strengthen and increase his inheritance in the acquisition of adaptations to his com- plicated environment; an achievement, which would be unattainable by instinct alone." * In other words, through play guided by instinct, the child supplements his inheritance with a possibility of constant change in adaptation to environment. It is his adaptability which differentiates man from the lower animals. Instinct, however, is transitory. Any of vou who were raised on a * www farm will know that if the calf is kept away from the cow it can be raised by hand and will never know what it is to obtain nourishment in the tradi- *" Play of Man," page 2. PLAY, CHILDHOOD AND THE PLAYGROUND 21 tional manner. Incubator chickens do not know the call of the old hen, if they are kept away from her for a few days; so it is with most instincts. James, speaking of this quality of instinct says, "in all pedagogy, the great thing is to strike while the iron is hot, and to seize the wave of the pupils' interest in each successive subject, before its ebb has come, so that knowl- edge may be got and a habit of skill acquired — a headway of interest, in short, secured, on which afterwards the individual may float. There is a happy time for fixing skill in drawing, for making boys collectors in natural history and presently dissectors and botanists."* 'The natural conclusion to draw from this transiency of instincts," says James, "is that most in- stincts are implanted for the sake of giving rise to habits, and that this purpose once accomplished, have no raison d'etre in the physical economy and consequently fade away." Childhood and youth then are the time for action; all the habits and reflexes which are to govern in later life must be formed during adolescence. The alluring call of instinct to play, moreover, must be heeded and obeyed at the proper time or like the water running through the mill dam, which is not harnessed to the wheel, it will be forever lost. Thus we see the plays of childhood have a definite pedagogical value, for through these plays, when taken advantage of, right life habits of physical, mental and moral reaction may be formed. We see that there is a time when children can learn to play ball, to throw, to jump, to dance, to handle tools and to train their imaginations. The infallible guide to the recognition of these times is the children's desire and interest, when they are given free choice. There are times and seasons when children wish to play and must engage in cer- tain games and occupations in order to secure the nervous structure, mental and moral training which these pursuits are able to give, or they will be deficient all their lives in so far as these qualities have been necessary to the higher development of the race. Of course it may be possible, in some measure, to drive in some of these lessons by work and bitter experience. Possible but not probable. Play is the natural and easy method to knowledge, unhampered by the struggle for existence. The experience of a physical director of our acquaintance illustrates this point. When a child he cut the cords of two fingers on the left hand. This left a large tender scar just where the baseball is caught. It was im- possible to catch a hard ball without a heavily padded glove, which was financially impossible. In addition to this, undiscovered nearsightedness from birth made it impossible to judge the ball in catching. So not wishing to be "guyed," baseball was a closed book. At the age of fourteen, the visual and financial difficulties were removed, but sensory adaptations and motor reactions required for judging distances and catching and tin-owing could not be learned. The time was past. Even after years of trying at school and elsewhere, it had to be given up as "a bad job." ' Education by Plays and Games," Johnson, page 14; and James' " Psychology," Vol. 2, page 400. 22 l'l \YGROUND TECHNIQUE AND PLAYCRAFT B. The Place of the Playground 1. From Play TO Work. ^\ 1 1 i 1** play is spontaneous, agreeable and without any motive other than the enjoyment it brings, we see that it is also the most serious business of childhood. Children's play does not pertain so largely to recreation as does the play of adults. \"\" 1 1 * - 1 1 children play for recreation, they call it "jus' foolin'." It is this seriousness of children's play which gives to it its educative value, for so surely as there is a time for each form of play. I here is a time and method when play shades off into work. The true ideal of work is when it becomes art. Art often gives to the adult the stimulus for educa- tion and advancement, which the play instinct gives to the child. The child who has passed through the successive stages of play, which his nature demands, will take up work in the spirit of play when the proper time comes. Joseph Lee has well said, " the boy without a playground is father of the man without a job, and the boy also with a bad playground is the father of the man doing a job which shouldn't be done." The main connecting link between work and play is found in occupa- tions such as obtain in the kindergarten and in such occupations as are directed by the needs of the play instinct. These activities suggest to chil- dren something beyond mere play, but they are still play, and the manual training given on the playground should be such as to be kept always near the limits of play. An instance of a first class method of playground manual training comes from Australia — an account of an old woman's direction of the occupation of young girls: :> The old woman herself collected the material, built a skin hut and taught each of the little ones with great care to make small ones like the large model. She showed them where to get the gum and how to use it; she sent the girls to get rushes and taught them how to weave baskets over round stones," etc.* This is the type of constructive play which is and always will be applic- able to the playground. The hobbies of adults are similar to the play constructive activities of children. 2. The Playground and the Play Director. For the children, the office of the playground is to provide the means for the exercise of the function of play, and the place of the play director is to know the require- ments of the child, and the possibilities of play and to guide these lessons of play so that the right form at the right time may be available; to lead the play activities of the child, so that the fullest and best expressions of each stage of development may be obtained; to continually raise the standards of the present stage and usher the child into new possibilities of play in accordance with the laws of growth. Thus we see that the playground's duty to the child is educational; however, as the play element in teaching is made more and more an integral part of the school curriculum, the *Smith, "The Aborigines of Victoria," Vol. I, page 50, cited by Groos' "Play of Man," page 402. PLAY, CHILDHOOD AND THE PLAYGROUND 23 office of the playground \vill be more and more to concern itself with public recreation. As Mr. DeGroot savs, "Chicago suggests that our very inclu- sive term, 'public playground,' stands primarily not for swings and teeters, not for kindergarten and constructive work, not for gardening and nature study, and not for an orthodox educational policy, but rather for public recreation — a public education that lias at one end the play of children ami at the otJicr end the relaxation of young mm, young women and adults." 3. The Playground and the School. Whatever the educational end which the playground lias to serve, its educational mission must be carried on through the recreative end of play. The school has its place, which the playground cannot and should not attempt to usurp. The more of play and recreation which can be enthused into school work without defeating its aim, of giving a prescribed system of education adapted to the needs of all children, the better for our system of public schools. The attempt, however, to prescribe a system of educational play without abso- lute freedom for the child to choose just what he will play and what he won't plav is entirely foreign to our conception of a playground. We must pre- scribe our system to fit the child; if he accepts, it may be the right system, it may not be. Children might enjoy absolutely injurious and immoral plays. If, however, he won't take our system, then the system must be modified until he will take it. The school and work, however, have a distinctive value in the educa- tion of the child, for at school one should learn to work and everything in life cannot be done in the spirit of play. Groos says "Among primitive races, where the life work is for the most part guided by nature, at least in the case of males, boys may get sufficient preparation from play for their later life, though even they usually have some instruction at the outset, but with civilized people, usage to earnest, persistent effort, that is not de- pendent upon caprice or impulse, is an indispensable condition of success in the struggle for life, and for this reason school life should promote a high sense of duty as opposed to mere inclination." 4. Life. The standards of life are absolute in America. A man is successful or unsuccessful. He succeeds or he fails in whatever he under- takes, and the judgment of the world is harsh. We worship success. The standard of team games on the playground are also absolute. The boy makes the team if he can "deliver the goods." In a hotly con- tested ffarae of baseball if a wild throw is made, if inefficiency is shown it is not pardoned or condoned. "The plea that little Johnny did his best don't go down on the play field." In this the playground represents life and in this its purpose and raison d'etre is found. In the school if little Johnny fails he is passed up. In the home if little Johnny doesn't do what he ought to do perhaps a little moral suasion serves the purpose. If little Johnnv fails to get his Sundav school lesson or be a good bov God will forgive him, but if little Johnny cannot catch a "pop up" or is afraid to ■24 PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE AND PLAYCRAFT tackle a "hot liner" with bare hands his peers sit in judgment and the jury of equals pronounce the verdict, "Go play with the kids!" "Give him the sack off the team!" This is reality and if we can enthuse into adult work the seriousness which is found in such play as this then it would be quite certain that the work of the world would be much better done. President Lowell in an article "Competition in College" suggests that plav might be defined as activity which has as its end training for future usefulness. Such a definition of play seems to us to more fully meet the modern idea than that advanced by Groos. It leads us to the standpoint that plav and education are the same. Oftentimes the "present enjoyment" mav be prospective only, having place in the imagination. The drudg- erv and work of athletic training can be considered play only in this sense. Play of this character is on the border land of work and prepares for it. The professional man, the artist, the skilled artisan following a calling which is pleasing to him and in which his highest ability is called into play can pursue his work in this spirit especially if he is not oppressed by the shall and must of working for the necessities of life. 5. Recreation and Unskilled Labor. But the great majority of mankind cannot be artists, nor professional men, nor skilled workers at least in this stage of economic and mechanical development. The invention of machinery doing away with exertions of physical strength in performing work is a step in this direction or a step in a process which tends to eliminate work and the hard struggle for existence. Instead of machinery being a curse to laboring man it is in reality a blessing for it enables him to do more work with the same expenditure of energy than was ever possible with hand made implements. And even though the running of a machine is drudgerv and does not call into play the latent capabilities of a man's talent nor give exercise to his imagination, it can and will make all life easier when the proper adjustments between capital and labor are made. This work, however, must be supplemented by an amount of recreation which will add to the worker's life the elements which machine labor does not inspire or instill and which have been valuable in the development of the race. A system of recreation must supply these needs. As work, back-breaking work, is diminished, play must be increased, for the adult as well as the child. The tendencies and directions which adult recreation will take can be determined by the play interests which are formed in childhood. The elements of play can be enthused into work oftentimes by means of com- petition. When we were boys, we all know how much easier it was to pick up rocks, or to hoe to the end of the row, if another boy was alongside try- ing to see who could get there first. We all remember how Tom Sawyer got his fence whitewashed. The same thing is true when the men in the shop try to see who can varnish the most boxes in a day, or see who can run the greatest number of spindles through a machine. Piece work of course is the only kind of work to which this principle can be applied. play, childhood and the playground 25 6. Why Recreation Should be Provided at Public Expense.* Public recreation should be provided first for economic reasons, for the same reasons which make us provide public schools, public streets, public sewers, etc.; second for sociological reasons. If recreation is not provided by the public for the public, it will be provided by private interests for personal, commercial and selfish ends. Our cities have been built with an absolute disregard for the child. The beauties of nature, and that close association with mother earth, which is so valuable to healthful childish growth, has been left out. There is no space or incentive for physical exercise. The city lacks trees for the children to climb, sand banks for them to jump from, water for wading and swimming. There are no wood piles to saw, no animals to take care of, to train or domesticate, no chores to do, no regular duties which must be performed and no responsibilities which lead to growth. There are no work shops with tools lying around handy, with which the children can cut their fingers, and make bird houses, sleds, bows and arrows, wind-mills, water-wheels. The parents work in shops where the children are not al- lowed to go. "No admittance" signs appear wherever the child could learn anything useful; "Keep off the grass" signs on every green spot. With no chance for imitation to exercise itself in legitimate wavs, the child naturallv imitates things which he should not. As the children of the citv grow to young manhood and young womanhood, their amusements are commercialized with sad results. Society to protect and preserve itself must provide healthful play and recreation which the city has crowded out. The countrv lacks manv things also. The training of the farm has produced a type of individualistic ability, which has accomplished much. It does not, however, develop cooperation, or the ability to work together with other individuals. The "social unrest," the differences between capital and labor, and by far most of the ills caused by city life are due to this individualistic attitude of the leaders and capitalists which countrv life has developed. The beginning of a new era is at hand, an era of competition for cooperation. The leaders will now come from the city rather than from the countrv; in fact the regeneration of the countrv must come from the city, for the best blood of the countrv has built up the city. The unfavor- able conditions of countrv life have been discussed at length recentlv, and are so serious that President Roosevelt appointed a Countrv Life Commis- sion to investigate. Through the play of children the unfavorable condi- tions of both citv and countrv life mav be remedied most easily. It will be extremely difficult to change the settled ways of the population in our small villages and countrv towns in anv other way. When we can bring more of the country to the city and more of the city to the country, the life in both places will be greatly improved. *See Chapter IV. CHAPTER II Theories of Play* 1. The Surplus Energy Theory. In order to explain the phe- nomena of play, various theories have been advanced; the first of these propounded by Spencer is that man and animals are endowed with more energy than is required in the simple for existence. This allows some of their powers periods of rest, wdiile others are being exercised, and they work off I heir surplus energy by means of play. This theory explains some of the conditions of play, but play is sometimes engaged in by creatures when they are so tired as to preclude the possibility of there being much surplus energy stored up. It does not explain the recreation of adults. 2. The Recreation Theory. Another theory advanced is that play is exercised Avhen the body is tired, for the purpose of recreation. This theory has its most scientific champion in Lazarus. Simply stated, it is that when we are tired of mental or physical labor and do not wish to sleep or rest, play furnishes welcome and active recreation. The change from one form of activity to another rests the powers which have been exercised. This theory does not explain the fact that after play is started, repetition causes its continuation long after the period of rest. Children will absolutely lose themselves in present enjoyment, when they strike the right combination. They sometimes keep up until exhausted. Baldwin has emphasized this point. These theories of play explain some of the phenomena but do not explain everything. 3. The Biological Theory. Darwin contends that play is biologi- cal; that our ancestors spent their time fighting, experimenting, hunting, or- ganizing, etc., and accordingly in us the impulses to fighting, chasing, social and other plays are clearly shown. Darwin's theory of natural selection has been disputed, authorities differing in regard to whether acquired character- istics are inherited or not. Baldwin has amended the biological theory by what is called "organic selection" and Weismann by his germinal selection theory. According to the former, the inheritance of acquired accommodations is unnecessary, their object being sufficiently accomplished, if they keep the creature afloat in their environment until natural selection has had time to build up hereditary adaptations. Weismann transfers selection into a struggle of germ substance (the determinants) which repre- sent the respective parts of the future individual. Each "determinant" struggles for sustenance against its neighbor, so producing a sort of germ- inal selection, the stronger elements developing at the expense of the weaker and the force so acquired being transmitted to the offspring, with a favorable footing in the struggle for life which insures further progress in the same direction. ♦Abstract of last part of Groos' "Play of Man," pages 361-406. 26 THEORIES OF PLAY 27 4. The Psychological Standpoint. The psychological explana- tion of play advanced by Wundt is that an animal can play only when cer- tain memories which are accompanied by pleasurable feelings are renewed, yet under aspects so transformed that all painful effects vanish and only agreeable ones remain; thus when a young dog seizes a piece of cloth, shaking it violently in its teeth, such play exhibits the playful activity of former generations. The standpoint seems to explain the attraction to children of playing in the water, and for many, fighting, hunting and dra- matic plays. The pleasures of play when analyzed from the psychological standpoint seem to be brought about through the exercise of attention, the demand for a sufficient cause and imagination. The first of these items seems to be present with us from infancy. The desire to be an efficient cause has both a motor and a theoretic form; we demand a knowledge of experimental effects, and we desire our- selves to be producers of effects, and through reproducing, the original idea is perfected. In many games, there is a veritable playing of a role, for example when children represent different animals. It is quite probable that in this play they feel many of the emotions which obtained in the animals which they represent. When children play being chased by a bear, they, for the time being, seem to feel much of the fear which the aboriginal man might have felt. Much of the pleasure of golf can be explained in this way, for when looked at logically, what pleasure can be obtained from knocking a little ball over a ten acre lot and then chasing it up and knocking it into a little hole! 5. The ^Esthetic Standpoint. There is also an aesthetic value to play, which is especially prominent in the development of music, poetry and art. The first thing with which it is concerned is in the transference of thought from a copy to an original. The children's artistic efforts, their imitations of singing, drawing, etc., are essentially playful. The primitive festival, combining as it did music and poetry with dancing, had a tre- mendous effect upon its witnesses and was in its manifestations essentially playful. AVhen this aesthetic development of play is pursued to produce a pleasurable effect on others rather than as an end in itself, it becomes art. G. Sociological Value. Play has a sociological value. The union of early tribes for their dances and feasts made it possible for them to work together for serious purposes and the best way now to secure cooperation seems to be through community of interest in plays and recreation. 7. Pedagogical Value. The pedagogical standpoint of play, we have already dwelt upon. Groos says in completing his treatise on play, "■finally it should be emphasized that the beautiful task of play, the develop- ment of the individual to full manhood or womanhood by means of an all-round exercise of his or her capabilities is retarded by restriction to one particular form of play." A complete explanation of play no doubt will be found in a combina- tion of all of these theories and others which have not vet been discovered. CHAPTER III The Contribution of the North American Indian to the Play- ground Movement Some one has said "a child's brain is like a flower, that blossoms in perceptions and goes to seed in abstractions. Correct concepts are the raw material of reason. Every desk in your school is an intellectual loom, which is expected to weave a sound fabric out of rotten raw material." The life of the savage depended upon his correct interpretation of natural phenomena, consequently the children were taught to see, to ob- serve, and to interpret nature about them. When man became civilized, many things were lost. Chief among these seems to be the ability to properly educate and interpret childhood. Living as civilized people do, less by instinct than do the less highly civilized races, our reasons have been running away with our instincts. One of the primary instincts is the proper care and training of chil- dren. It is our opinion that the average boy belonging to the Sioux Indian tribe was better educated to fit the conditions with which he had to cope than is the average product of our present much boasted civilization. In the race after the material things of civilization we have forgotten some of the essentials. As a nation we are self-indulgent and we raise our children too tenderly and indulgently. This nation was not founded on "soft snaps" or "easy jobs." Well-regulated hardship is a splendid character builder. Furthermore, our children are not taught to learn facts by observation during childhood; consequently, they enter adult life unprepared. It is just as important for the city child to read the signs of the times and learn to take care of himself under present conditions, as it was for the Indian to read the signs of the forest. Observation and interpretation of natural phe- nomena seems to be the first step in the education of correct reasoning. Dr. Charles A. Eastman (Ohiyesa) has kindly permitted us to use some chapters from "Indian Boyhood," which we think apply in full measure to the present educational dilemma. There are many things about man- hood which the Indian can teach our boys and our men, and many of the things may apply to the girls as well. 28 the north american indian and the playground 29 An Indian Boy's Training By Chas. A. Eastman, M.D. (Ohiyesa) Selections Reprinted from "Indian Boyhood," by Permission.* It is commonly supposed that there is no systematic education of their children among the aborigines of this country. Nothing could be farther from the truth. All the customs of this primitive people were held to be divinely instituted, and those in connection with the training of children were scrupulously adhered to and transmitted from one generation to an- other. The expectant parents conjointly bent all their efforts to the task of giving the newcomer the best thev could gather from a long line of ancestors. A pregnant Indian woman would often choose one of the greatest charac- ters of her family and tribe as a model for her child. This hero was daily called to mind. She would gather from tradition all of his noted deeds and daring exploits, rehearsing them to herself when alone. In order that the impression might be more distinct, she avoided company. She isolated herself as much as possible, and wandered in solitude, not thoughtlessly, but with an eye to the impress given by grand and beautiful scenery. The Indians believed, also, that certain kinds of animals would confer peculiar gifts upon the unborn, while others would leave so strong an ad- verse impression that the child might become a monstrosity. A case of hare-lip was commonly attributed to the rabbit. It was said that a rabbit had charmed the mother and given to the babe its own features. Even the meat of certain animals was denied the pregnant woman, because it was supposed to influence the disposition or features of the child. Scarcely was the embryo warrior ushered into the world, when he was met by lullabies that speak of wonderful exploits in hunting and war. Those ideas which so fully occupied his mother's mind before his birth are now put into words by all about the child, who is as yet quite unresponsive to their appeals to his honor and ambition. He is called the future defender of his people, whose lives may depend upon his courage and skill. If the child is a girl, she is at once addressed as the future mother of a noble race. In hunting songs, the leading animals are introduced: thev come to the boy to offer their bodies for the sustenance of his tribe. The animals are regarded as his friends, and spoken of almost as tribes of people, or as his cousins, grandfathers and grandmothers. The songs of wooing, adapted as lullabies, were equally imaginative, and the suitors were often animals personified, while pretty maidens were represented by the mink and the doe. ♦Copyrighted by Doubleday Page. Reprinted by permission. 80 PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE AND PLAYCRAFT Very early, the Indian boy assumed the task of preserving and trans- mit ling the legends of his ancestors and his race. Almost every evening a myth, or a true story of some deed done in the past, was narrated by one of the parents or grandparents, while the boy listened with parted lips and glistening eyes. On the following evening, he was usually required to re- peat it. If he was not an apt scholar, he struggled long with his task; but, ;i^ a rule, the Indian bov is a good listener and has a good memory, so that the stories were tolerably well mastered. The household became his audi- ence, by which he was alternately criticized and applauded. This sort of teaching at once enlightens the boy's mind and stimulates his ambition. His conception of his own future career becomes a vivid and irresistible force. Whatever there is for him to learn must be learned ; what- ever qualifications are necessary to a truly great man he must seek at any expense of danger and hardship. Such was the feeling of the imaginative and brave young Indian. It became apparent to him in early life that he must accustom himself to rove alone and not to fear or dislike the impres- sion of solitude. It seems to be a popular idea that all the characteristic skill of the Indian is instinctive and hereditary. This is a mistake. All the stoicism and patience of the Indian are acquired traits, and continual practice alone makes him master of the art of woodcraft. Physical training and dieting were not neglected. I remember that I was not allowed to have beef soup or any warm drink. The soup was for the old men. General rules for the young were never to take their food very hot nor to drink much water. My uncle, who educated me up to the age of fifteen years, was a strict disciplinarian and a good teacher. When I left the teepee in the morning he would say: "Hakadah, look closely to everything you see;" and at evening, on my return, he used often to catechize me for an hour or so. " On which side of the trees is the lighter-colored bark ? On which side do they have most regular branches ?" It was his custom to let me name all the new birds that I had seen dur- ing the day. I would name them according to the color or the shape of the bill, or their song,, or the appearance and locality of the nest- — in fact anything about the bird that impressed me as characteristic. I made many ridiculous errors, I must admit. He then usually informed me of the correct name. Occasionally I made a hit and this he would warmly commend. He went much deeper into this science when I was a little older, that is, about the age of eight or nine years. He would say, for instance: " How do you know that there are fish in yonder lake ? " " Because they jump out of the water for flies at midday." He would smile at my prompt but superficial reply. " What do you think of the little pebbles grouped together under the shallow water, and what made the pretty curved marks in the sandy THE NORTH AMERICAN INDIAN AND THE PLAYGROUND 31 bottom and the little sand-banks ? Where do you find the fish-eating birds ? Have the inlet and the outlet of a lake anything to do with the question ?" He did not expect a correct reply at once to all the voluminous ques- tions that he put to me on these occasions, but he meant to make me observ- ant and a good student of nature. "Hakadah," he would say to me, "you ought to follow the example of the shunktokecha (wolf) . Even when he is surprised and runs for his life, he will pause to take one more look at you before he enters his final retreat. So you must take a second look at everything you see. "It is better to view animals unobserved. I have been a witness to their courtships and their quarrels and have learned many of their secrets in this way. I was once the unseen spectator of a thrilling battle between a pair of grizzly bears and three buffaloes — a rash act for the bears, for it was in the moon of strawberries, when the buffaloes sharpen and polish their horns for bloody contests among themselves. "I advise you, my boy, never to approach a grizzly's den from the front but to steal up behind and throw your blanket or a stone in front of the hole for he does not usually rush for it, but first puts his head out and listens and then comes out very indifferently and sits on his haunches on the mound in front of the hole before he makes anv attack. While he is exposing himself in this fashion aim at his heart. Always be as cool as the animal himself." Thus he armed me against the cunning of savage beasts bv teaching me how to outwit them. " In hunting," he would resume, " you will be guided by the habits of the animal you seek. Remember that a moose stays in swampy or low land or between high mountains near a spring or lake, from thirty to sixty days at a time. Most large game moves about continually, except the doe in the spring; it is then a very easy matter to find her with the fawn. Con- ceal yourself in a convenient place as soon as you observe any signs of the presence of either, and then call with your birchen doe-caller. " Whichever one hears you first will soon appear in your neighborhood. But vou must be watchful or vou may be made a fawn of bv a large wild- cat. They understand the characteristic call of the doe perfectly well. "When you have any difficulty with a bear or a wild-cat — that is, if the creature shows signs of attacking you — you must make him fully under- stand that you have seen him and are aware of his intentions. If you are not well equipped for a pitched battle, the only way to make him retreat is to take a long sharp-pointed pole for a spear and rush toward him. No wild beast will face this unless he is cornered and already wounded. These fierce beasts are generally afraid of the common weapon of the larger animals — the horns, and if these are very long and sharp, they dare not risk an open fight. " There is one exception to this rule — the grey wolf will attack fiercely when very hungry. But their courage depends upon their numbers; in this they are like white men. One wolf or two will never attack a man. :?-2 PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE AND PLAYCRAFT They will stampede a herd of buffaloes in order to get at the calves; they will rush upon a herd of antelopes, for these are helpless; but they are always careful about attacking man." Of this nature were the instructions of my uncle, who was widely known at that time as among the greatest hunters of his tribe. All boys were expected to endure hardship without complaint. In savage warfare, a young man must, of course, be an athlete and used to undergoing all sorts of privations. He must be able to go without food and water for two or three days without displaying any weakness, or to run for a day and night without any rest. He must be able to traverse a t pathless and wild country without losing his way either in the day or night time. He cannot refuse to do any of these things if he aspires to be a warrior. Sometimes my uncle would waken me very early in the morning and challenge me to fast with him all day. I had to accept the challenge. AVe blackened our faces with charcoal, so that every boy in the village would know that I was fasting for the day. Then the little tempters would make mv life a miserv until the merciful sun hid behind the western hills. I can scarcely recall the time when my stern teacher began to give sudden war-whoops over my head in the morning while I was sound asleep. He expected me to leap up with perfect presence of mind, always ready to grasp a weapon of some sort and to give a shrill whoop in reply. If I was sleepy or startled and hardly knew what I was about, he would ridicule me and say that I need never expect to sell my scalp dear. Often he would vary these tactics by shooting off his gun just outside of the lodge while I was yet asleep, at the same time giving blood-curdling yells. After a time I became used to this. When Indians went upon the war-path, it was their custom to try the new warriors thoroughly before coming; to an engagement. For instance, when they were near a hostile camp, they would select the novices to go after the water and make them do all sorts of things to prove their courage. In accordance with this idea, my uncle used to send me off after water when we camped after dark in a strange place. Perhaps the country was full of wild beasts, and, for aught I knew, there might be scouts from hos- tile bands of Indians lurking in that verv neighborhood. Yet I never objected, for that would show cowardice. I picked my way through the woods, dipped my pail in the water and hurried back, always careful to make as little noise as a cat. Being only a boy, my heart would leap at every crackling of a dry twig or distant hooting of an owl, until, at last, I reached our teepee. Then my uncle would perhaps say: "Ah, Hakadah, you are a thorough warrior," empty out the precious contents of the pail, and order me to go a second time. Imagine how I felt. But I wished to be a brave man as much as a white bov desires to be a great lawver or even President of the United States. Silently I would take the pail and endeavor to retrace my foot- steps in the dark. THE NORTH AMERICAN INDIAN AND THE PLAYGROUND 33 With all this, our manners and morals were not neglected. I was made to respect the adults and especially the aged. I was not allowed to join in their discussions, nor even to speak in their presence, unless requested to do so. Indian etiquette was very strict, and among the requirements was that of avoiding the direct address. A term of relationship or some title of courtesy was commonly used instead of the personal name by those who wished to show respect. We were taught generosity to the poor and reverence for the "Great Mystery." Religion was the basis of all Indian training. I recall to the present day some of the kind warnings and reproofs that my good grandmother was wont to give me. "Be strong of heart be patient," she used to say. She told me of a young chief who was noted for his uncontrollable temper. While in one of his rages he attempted to kill a woman, for which he was slain by his own band and left unburied as a mark of disgrace— his body was simply covered with green grass. If I ever lost my temper, she would say : " Hakadah, control yourself, or you will be like that young man I told you of, and lie under a Green Blanket." In the old days, no young man was allowed to use tobacco in any form until he had become an acknowledged warrior and had achieved a record. If a youth should seek a wife before he had reached the age of twenty-two or twenty-three, and been recognized as a brave man, he was sneered at and considered an ill-bred Indian. He must also be a skilful hunter. An Indian cannot be a good husband unless he brings home plenty of game. These precepts were in the line of our training for the wild life. "Men grow old because they stop playing, and not con- versely, for play is, at bottom, growth." "The sentiments on which the highest religion rests are best trained in children on the noblest objects of nature." — G. Stanley Hall. CHAPTER IV The Playground as a Phase of Social Reform A. "The City Boy" We wish to introduce to you a strange creature. It resists classification and analysis. It has a tousled mat of indifferent colored hair surmounting a defiant freckled face. Water it abhors except in ponds full. When it comes in the house, chairs and bric-a-brac fall over, the limbs are too long for the body and the clothes are too short for the limbs. If it tries to talk the voice sometimes goes up and sometimes goes down. Taken all together it is not ornamental or particularly useful. The abode of civilization is no place for it. Its habitation is the woods and fields; its natural occupation hunting, fishing and fighting. It imagines itself an Indian and belongs to a tribe who go on plundering expeditions against its enemies. It wants to be a cowboy or a hunter and kill bears. A year ago this wild animal was a well-behaved, studious boy, a model in the school and the home; now we don't know what to call him. All the emotions of manhood are stirring and budding within the veins of this irresponsible boy. Before, he was a member of the family thinking what they thought was law; now he must find out for himself. Nature at certain periods wishes her processes to operate free from outside interference. So at this time she puts up a fence and says to the parents, "hands off, you have had your time; the boy w T ill not forget all the home teachings; now he is mine and I shall add certain stern, barbaric virtues of truth, devotion, strength, patriotism, loyalty and self-sacrifice which can be attained only by my method." If we were all living according to natural conditions we need take no further trouble about the boy, but while nature furnishes the instinct we take the boy out of his natural en- vironment. Nothing is more pathetic than the lot of the city boy. He lives in a flat or tenement. He can't play in the house, and probably wouldn't if he could. There is no yard. If he plays ball in the streets, he is promptly arrested. Whenever he finds a vacant lot and fixes up a baseball diamond or a skating rink, in a few months a building goes up. All the while these instincts are surging within him demanding expression. No wonder he turns and demands his rights. If he is not furnished with a playground adequate for his needs he will make a playground of the streets and lawns of the neighborhood. No truer heart beats than that under the jacket of the adolescent boy. He hates his enemies with a bitter hatred and loves his friends and wor- ships his ideals with a fervor that exists in no one else. I am reminded of a circumstance in my own life. I was a "kid" myself not so very long ago 34 THE PLAYGROUND AS A PHASE OF SOCIAL REFORM 35 and got into a scrape at school; the offense was shooting off fire-crackers in the hall, with some others. They used to call us "the irang." It looked as if some of us would go home. One day at chapel after the matter had been investigated the father of the president arose and made a plea for the boys. He said, "Have you noticed a tadpole, with four legs and a tail? Now we can see no earthly use for that tail, but cut it off and the tadpole dies; that's just the way with the boy; sometimes we don't see the use of the fool things he does, but they seem to be as necessary to his life as the extra tail is to the life of the tadpole." The playground people at Omaha have the right idea. They have done more for the money invested than any other city we know of. The following shows how their ideas have " soaked in :" "Few prouder boys could be found anywhere in the country than those who were recently used by detectives in Omaha, to assist in the arrest of some train-robbers. One of the boys pulled a leather string from a pile of rubbish in a vacant lot, and found an auto- matic pistol at the end of it. He discovered burglars' tools also, and told the police. The police concluded that the robbers would come back to the rubbish pile to get their property, and had the boys play in the neighborhood, and keep watch for strangers. If any appeared one boy was to leave the game and telephone to the police station. The plan worked suc- cessfully, and those accused of the robberies were arrested." — Youth's Companion. Mrs. Heller's paper, "The Playground as a Phase of Social Reform," tells Omaha's play philosophy. It is published in the Proceedings of the Playground Association of America, 1908. The following is a syllabus: The City Boy— Heroism— Mischief— " Just Done It"— "Getting Ahead Vibrations"— Parents Unable to Provide Play Facilities — Delinquents "Just Kids" — Normal Experience Gives Normal Boy — School and the Home — Pedagogues Good But Slow — Adequate Play- grounds Will Prevent Delinquency — Vice Can Be Conquered by Amusements — Constructive Value of Playgrounds — Playground City — Publicity — Constructive Play — School Gar- dens — Recreation Center — Dramatic Possibilities — Social Relations of Boys and Girls. B. The Need of Athletics for Girls By Mrs. Charles F. Weller Mrs. Charles F. Weller, who for five years was Head President of Neighborhood House in Washington, has the following to say in regard to athletics for girls : fcm More and more it is being realized that it is the girls who need the play- grounds, and that they must be influenced to attend in greater numbers. Evervbodylaccepts playgrounds for boys, and the neighborhood thinks them quitejthe proper place for their boys, but, somehow, for girls, why, that's different. Now, if anybody needs fresh air and sunshine it is the girl between twelve and twenty years of age, but she is told that it is unladylike and immodest to run and jump and play generally. Sometimes she ventures on the playgrounds in a freshly laundered dress, plays ten or fifteen minutes with the result that the dress is again ready for the tub and there are more disparaging remarks about the playgrounds from already overburdened racticable within the available time. I do not presume, however, that the cost of caring or delinquents would equal that of preventing them through the establishment of small parks. The approach of the former to the latter expense might be some solace to those who must make money the first consideration. There is another point of view which maintains that no matter how great the cost, the value of the saved boy is inestimably beyond it. This point of view is suggested by that Master of practical life who knew full well the value of money, even of the widow's mite. For what shall it profit a city if it gain the whole world and lose the souls of its children ? C. Playgrounds and the Grand Jury The Philadelphia Grand Jury has made the departure, singular enough tor a body of such character, of recommending the adoption of a general playground system for the entire city. The grand jury accounts for its taking the initiative by the explanation that play- grounds are essential for the prevention of crime among the young. The truth of this assump- tion is unquestionable. * * * The obligation to safeguard the morals as well as the health of the young is one which State and local authorities are alike bound to respect and the ob- servance of which cannot be too strongly and persistently urged. — Pittsburg (Pa.) Chronicle- Telegraph. "In dealing with the problem of crime in youth, we shall make progress just in proportion as we appreciate the absurd- ity of limiting our remedies to the court, the hangman and the jailer." — Judge Lindsey. CHAPTER VI The Need of Playgrounds and Organized Play in Rural Districts Myron T. Scudder Headmaster Rutgers Preparatory School and Professor of the Science of Education, Rutgers College Nothing is of greater importance to a nation than a contented rural population. A nation develops power in proportion as its people remain in large numbers on its farms and dwell there in comfortable prosperity. From these farming sections have come most of the best men and women of the nation, and it has come to be a truism to say that the country boy is a nation's most valuable asset. Undermine the welfare of the country districts; allow conditions of rural life to be such as to breed discontent and drive people away; destroy or even seriously injure this great reservoir of manhood, character and patriotism and you have a social condition which not only threatens the life of the nation, but if not remedied, is actually the beginning of the end of that nation's career. Yet who does not know that we are menaced by this very thing that we dread ? Far and wide the rural districts have been depleted of their population. The situation long ago became serious. In some sections there are not enough men to exploit the natural resources of the land. Churches and schools become less well attended, grow weak, and close. Things combine to work in a vicious circle; isolation and hardships drive many away and these isolations and hardships become intensified for those who remain. Under these conditions, child life in the country frequently becomes peculiarly dull and unattractive; especially to adolescents. Nearly every- thing conspires to drive them cityward. It is well to have a large number of them go to the city, a very large number, but when practicallv all want to go, and so many go that the movement swells to an exodus, it is time to seek for remedial measures. House, church, school and local governing bodies should write intelligently to produce conditions which will make for contentment. Fortunately, examples of notable efforts are not wanting. Life in many rural neighborhoods is being made far more rich and attractive than for- merly. It would be interesting to consider the several elements which enter into the problem of securing a wider and better rural life, but attention can be directed here to only one, namely, the cultivation of the athletic and play life of country children which is making such rapid progress. Country children need play just as much as do city children. They need it for its mental, moral, physical and social value. They need it because it makes for happiness, contentment and community spirit. They 44 THE NEED IX RURAL DISTRICTS 45 need it because they do not cooperate well, because they ;ire too strongly individualistic, because they yearn for the companionship which conditions in only too many cases prevent them from enjoying, because physically they are not. as a rule, well developed, not being able to meet even as suc- cessfully as do city children, the average athletic standard tests, such for instance as are prescribed for the Public Schools Athletic League. In all these respects play supplies the very training, discipline, and inspiration which these children most need; so its greal importance to them can scarcely be overstated. Vet in the face of this great need of theirs, we all know they do not play enough, while some have almost no play life at all. Except in places where special effort has been made to teach them, they know surprisingly few games. Moreover, their few games air strongly individualistic, training them for isolated effort, rather than for cooperation. The country child would undoubtedly play more if conditions were more favorable. But they are not favorable to play. He does not know how to play or what to play; his parents are usually out of sympathy with play; and in the country schools not only are his teachers as ignorant as himself in regard to these matters, but even if the child and his teacher did know, the trustee in many cases would interpose objections and forbid any effort being made in the direction of organized play or athletics. So here is where an earnest systematic propaganda is necessary. It would be well if country and village school teachers could receive instruction in that art of play, and ministers and other adults be enlisted in the cause of rural playgrounds. Properly organized playgrounds and adequate opportunities for enjoy- ing them will help check the exodus from the farms. Where these have been provided, boys have definitely decided to stay at home and farm it, instead of leaving for the city. This is not a vision; there are actual instances to support the claim. And the equipment does not need to be elaborated nor the opportunities laboriously abundant. A boy doesn't want to play all the time. Give him an occasional chance and he is happy. Let him have his play hours to look forward to and a great play festival once a year and the prospects, particularly of the latter, will brighten life for weeks and even months, first by eager anticipation, and then by the happy retrospect. Those who have had experience with play festivals in the country know what a tremendous power they become in the life of country people, young and old, how they check restlessness and quiet discontent by supplying the variety, the companionship, the mental and physical activity which are so ardently craved. Perhaps the chief benefit of play in the country will be found in its socializing influences, and in this respect alone it not only means greater efficiency of the individual but a more wholesome community life and eventually a stronger nation. CHAPTER VII The Playground and Public Hygiene A. The Playground as a Factor in School Hygiene* Extracts from the Paper of G. E. Johnson Superintendent Pittsburg Playground Association Scarcely twelve months ago the whole country was shocked by a dis- aster to school children in Cleveland so horrible in its details that men in distant cities wept in street cars as they read the account in the morning papers. * * * During the coming vear more than one hundred thousand children will end their voung lives, the bloom of babvhood scarcelv vet faded from their cheeks, and tens of thousands of Rachels will mourn for their little ones and not be comforted. To those who rejoice in the living, Dr. Hutchinson's cheering declara- tion that " It isn't so very dangerous to be alive," will bring its reassurance, but to those who mourn for the dead, it will lend an added pathos. The unnecessary loss is the hardest to bear. And this loss, inconceivably great as it is, is largely within our power to prevent. For not only is it not so very dangerous for a child from five to fifteen to be alive, it is the natural and © easv thing for him to remain alive— if he has a fair chance. * © These are the years when the life forces are at the flood. It is as if Nature endeavored to repeat in each young life at this age the observance of the Passover and had sprinkled upon the gate posts of these ten hopeful years the sign of immunity that the Angel of Death seeing might pass by. We school men often congratulate ourselves that during the years that constitute the school age for the great majority of children are the years when the death rate is lowest. And yet the aggregate preventable loss through death in these most favored years is enormous and the sad proces- sions that follow abandoned hopes to the grave outnumber in the aggregate the armies of the world. But there is another and more serious loss than this. It is not the death rate during the school age, however great or small, that is the sig- nificant thing for us. The significant thing is whether in these years of Nature's smiles strength or weakness is being laid by for future years. We are learning more and more clearly every year that our skulking foe, the microbe, of whatever tribe, strikes when a man is down. Patiently he bides his time, gathering his forces in secret until the time to strike. No better illustration could be given than that of tuberculosis. According to Newsholme, only three children in 10,000 from five to fifteen years of ♦Reprinted from Hygiene and Physical Education, May, 1909. 46 THE PLAYGROUND AND PUBLIC HYGIENE 47 age, die of consumption, but from fifteen to forty-five more than one person in four dies of this dread disease. Speaking along this line, Dr. Tyler says: "It would seem highly probable that the increased death-rate of girls at eighteen and thereabout from consumption and other diseases of relatively slow action is the culmination of an attack begun at thirteen or fourteen. If we are to diminish this death-rate, we must fortify the girl against the period of greatest weakness when she is most likely to receive hospitably the germs of fatal diseases. To accomplish this we must not wait until the twelfth or thirteenth year, but meet the difficulty in childhood." Huber, also, in his work on "Consumption" says: "There is the long period of latency in which, if the child be well nurtured and if he live hygienically. he will be likely to overcome such tendency to disease as he mav have begun life with." When at some future time posterity looks back upon the conditions that prevail in our day, it will behold no darker picture, no more disgraceful thing than our weak surrender of our children to sickness and death. What excuse can then be offered for the fact that even in this land, more than one-half of all the children born into the world die before they have reached man's estate; that seventy per cent of school children suffer some physical handicap, more or less serious, at the very threshold of life's opportunity; that our schools not only do not fortify the children against known enemies, but actually betray them, in their innocency to deadly foes. Am The playground is the only place where a school child gets air in the proper amount and kind, the only place where he obtains full and com- plete aeration of the blood. A despicable fraction of school rooms have standard ventilating apparatus, and the rooms that have do not always adequately benefit thereby. I have personally tested a score of school rooms almost under the shadow of the capitol of a state that has the best of existing laws, and found the supply of air to equal the standard in only two of the rooms and in some it fell to less than one-fourth of that amount. But could ventilation be perfect in a school room, there could not be the same aeration of the blood of a seated, studying child as of a child on the playground. There must be the exhilaration of joyous exercise, the strengthened pulse, the quickened, deepened breathing, the full chest of sustained effort that draws the blood to the very apex of the lungs, to meet the needs of the growing child. The school room mav be made less and less objectionable, but so long as it remains a school room it cannot escape the imperative need of the playground as a factor in school hygiene. As you well know, it is not only the lack of oxygen but also the presence of organic poison in exhaled air that makes ventilation so important. * * * Sunshine " - Where the sun does not go, the doctor does," is an Italian proverb quoted by Kotelman. Try as we may, we cannot get the sun sufficiently 48 PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE AND PLAYCRAFT into all our school rooms, and if we could we would shut it out again as soon as we let the children in to study, because we say it hurts their eyes. Where then shall the children bathe in the sunshine as they should, but on the playground ? We do well to debar contagious diseases from the schools, but let fly over our children's clothing myriads of bacilli, while the most malignant perish in a short time in the joy and the sunshine of the playground. Few disease germs have been discovered that can survive even for one hour the streaming sun on the face of a laughing child. You remember the experiment with the tadpoles. They were placed away from the sunlight for thirty days and during all that time ceased to grow. Returned to the sunlight, they resumed their growth and advanced farther in one day than in all the previous thirty- Placed once more away from the sunlight and then returned to normal conditions, they grew to stunted froghood. Just such an experiment, society tried with babies in the dark rooms of New York's tenements, and every baby, almost without exception, born and kept in those rooms, died. But when Jacob Riis smashed the windowless walls and the light of Heaven streamed in, the babies began to live. In our cities and larger towns everywhere, we are still repeating, in a measure, the same experiment and place our children, like the unfortunate tadpoles, in darkened homes, narrow, shaded, and smoke enveloped alleys, and in school rooms into which the sun seldom or never enters. Nay! Often in school rooms lit even in the middle of the day by natural or artifi- cial gas. Bring to these little ones medical inspection, examine their eyes, remove their adenoids, protect them from measles, and all the rest, but shall we not also provide a playground, where for a part of the day they may bathe in the sun as God Almighty has said they must, if they live ! Exercise I have just examined the indexes of two famous books on school hygiene and in them was no such word as exercise. But exercise is life, and the absence of it is the sure sign of death. By exercise came evolution. Exercise shaped the body, determined the vital organs, built the brain. By exercise the child takes possession of his inheritance from the race. To him it is the past, the present and the promise of the future. But that exercise no man can dictate, no teacher devise, no scholar fully define. It comes forth unbidden from the child, declares his nature, discovers him to himself, defines his relation to his mates, shows him the world. It is his play, it is himself. Can the school alone do this, be this ? In the long process in which exercise shaped the body and built the brain there was determined for all time the path by which the child must come into his own. In that shortened process we call childhood, every faculty, every power, every organ that fails to receive its due exercise shrivels, health by so much suffers and by so much the man becomes less a man. It would require a book to speak in full of the exercises of the playground that meet THE PLAYGROUND AND PUBLIC HYGIENE 49 the needs of health, physical, mental, moral, aesthetic, social health, for all these are elements in the health of the body, as we all have come to under- stand. But in many respects, in the very nature of the case, these exercises are impossible in the school; they are possible only on the playground. Once upon a time the people of a certain city really believed what I have just been trying to say, and when the question arose as to whether they should build a great public school or open a playground it was decided to open a playground. Now it came to pass, in the course of years, that the citizens of that city advanced so far beyond the rest of the human race, I hat in all the centuries since, the nations that have gone on building public schools and neglecting to open playgrounds have not been able to catch up with them even to this day. * * * We have reversed the order of importance in education as it was ob- served bv the Greeks. The Greek education was essentially a playground education and the education most nearly approaching it today is that sup- plied by the playgrounds of America. To that classic demonstration of the educational value of the playground has been added in our day an avalanche of testimony from biology, physiology, anthropology, psychology and sociology. Of the $10,000,000 playgrounds of Chicago, Ex-President Roosevelt says: "They are the greatest civic achievement the world has ever seen." To Sum Up First : We do not take good care of our children. Second : We need to improve our care along four lines, namely, better food, better air, more sunshine, better exercise. Third : In the very nature of the case the playground alone can ade- quately supply the last three of these to the child. Fourth: This is no new experiment. We have the classic playground alono; with classic literature, architecture and art. Finally: Just as we have awakened to the fact that the school provides but a small fraction of a child's education, that environment, which includes everything that comes into the child's experience is teaching him every waking moment of the day (perhaps every sleeping hour of the night, if we agree with Doctor Worcester), so we have come to understand that the activities of the school provide but a small fraction of the exercise necessary for the health of a child in this larger meaning. * * * Not in the school but on the playground can these deep instincts of workmanship, imitation, rivalry, cooperation, find their true and genetic expression and build more stately mansions in the soul as the swift seasons roll. These instincts calling from the deeps of the child's nature are not voices calling him astray, or to delay his upward progress. They are the voices savin" - to him and to the race: Build thee more stately mansions, O my soul, As the swill seasons roll, 50 PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE AND PLAYCRAFT Leave thy low-vaulted past. Let each new temple, nobler llian tlie last Slml thee from Heaven with a nie more vast, Till thou at length are free, Leaving thine outgrown shell by life's unresting sea. B. Extracts from "The Physical Director as a Hygienist" Wm. W. Hastings, Ph.D. Physical education as a science is a department of hygiene. It is not an end in itself but a means to health and vigor. There is no branch of hygiene with which we are not concerned, no preventive agency which it is not OUT function to use. But we are naturally concerned more with personal hygiene than with natural and public hygiene; and of those subjects upon which we should be the most capable of giving competent advice — diet, rest periods and muscular activity are most vitally important. Upon these principally depend not only the organic vigor but the intellectuality and moral capacity of the child and the ultimate man. Of the three, diet and rest periods are in a sense negative or passire and recuperative factors while muscular activity is posit ire, act ire and creative and hence most important, bid it is an entire!// mistaken perspective which would emphasize any one of these factors to the exclusion of another. Three years is the average length of time which we may expect to have with gymnasium members. To cultivate in them during this time a half-dozen good hygienic habits is worth more to them in the long run of life than the vhole three years of gymnastics. Teach them how to eat. to sleep, to use the daily tonic of the cool bath, to dress loosely and with adapta- tion, to care for the eyes, and above all to make a hobby of some outdoor game or sport, — ■ walking, running (cross-country), horseback riding, bicycling, golf, tennis, etc., — to culti- vate this habit the year round or, better, to ride some hobby according to the season and ride it hard. Let the seasonal scent of the air bring on the spell of golf clubs, skates or racket, as it does football, peg tops, marbles and baseball with the small boy. Fashions in gymnastics may come and go, but recreation must go on forever. Extracts from Gymnasium Hand Book Wm. W. Hastings, Ph.D. The human body is what we make it; muscle and nerve cells reflect the whole previous hygienic history of the man. Nutrition, strength of tissue, and organic function are the joint product of diet, exercise and other personal habits of life. Modern conditions of living and of labor are responsible for a deplorable lack of or- ganic vigor, especially among the people of our cities. This tendency to physical degenera- tion is due principally to the lack of musuclar exercise involved in sedentary employments. The best remedy for these conditions is to revert to man's normal mode of living out of doors. C. Hygienic Value of the Swimming Pool Extracts from Suggestions for Checking Race Degeneracy Due to the Conditions of School Life* Dr. J. H. Kellogg Superintendent Battle Creek Sanitarium The wearing of clothes is as unnatural to human beings as dwelling in houses, and the evils growing out of house-dwelling, and smothering the skin with artificial coverings must be antidoted by such means as are afforded by the swimming pool and the outdoor gymnasium. I know of no single measure by which so much good can be accomplished as by these. Swimming in water at a proper temperature (75 to 78 degrees) is the most admirable of all developmental exercises. The position of the body is such as to give the lungs the greatest freedom of movement, and all the muscles of the trunk and limbs are ♦Reprinted from Hygiene and Physical Education, May, 1909. THK PLAYGROUND AND PUBLIC HYGIENE 51 brought into active exercise under the most favorable conditions. The temperature of the water both stimulates and facilitates muscular movement and cardiac activity. There is no other form of physical exercise from which so much benefit may be derived in so short a time. A half hour in the swimming pool two or three times a week and an hour with the skin largely uncovered in an outdoor gymnasium every other day during the warm months will work wonders in building up a good physique and developing those functions of the body which prepare it to otter the highesl resistance t<> disease. Provision should be made in connection with every school for instruction and practice in swimming, both summer and winter: and properly equipped outdoor gymnasiums should also be provided for both sexes in which a considerable part of the body's surface may be exposed to the air and the sun. Man is naturally an outdoor animal and requires the advantages to be derived from contact of the fresh air and the sunshine with the skin surface as much as does the gorilla, the chimpanzee and other animals akin to man in their physical structure. Facilities of this sort may be provided at moderate cost, and the expense should not lie at all burdensome even in country districts, especially if the present movement for the consolidation of country schools proves successful. D. Good Health And Good Government* At the third Play Congress in Pittsburg Congressman Burke said in part: Good health promotes good government, and good government likewise promotes good health. When the health of the individual becomes impaired through the neglect of his physical necessities, he forfeits much of his force in sustaining and developing human society. The man who has never cultivated his mind or body, or having developed them, has subse- quently destroyed them through neglect or abuse, becomes as a consequence, and to the extent of that destruction a figure without force in human affairs. Good health is therefore one of the essential attributes of every rugged unit of civilized society. Man was created to do useful things for his fellow men. »In placing him here, God intended that he should toil by the sweat of his brow, in order that he might accomplish the high purpose of man and enjoy the pleasures that endure. He was not placed here that he might prove indifferent to or neglectful of the persons and things by which he was to be surrounded. He was intended to be useful to himself and helpful to others. While all things of man's creation decay with neglect, there is nothing in art or nature that fails as fast and as certainly as man in idleness, and as his energies are destroyed or his faculties undeveloped or impaired by ignorance of or indifference to the ordinary laws of sanitation or sane living during his childhood, or in his mature years, to that extent does indolence upon his part become natural, and to the extent of his idling is his usefulness and value a.s a citizen impaired. It is therefore important that in so far as the government has the right to interfere in the regulations of the affairs of the individual it is not only proper but important that it should by every means within its power encourage the adoption of methods that will promote and protect the health of the citizens. It is quite as important to prevent the development of disease by encouraging young and old to enjoy the blessings of the open air and sunshine and the good health and high spirits that result, as it is to destroy disease, once it has developed. While the scientific world is busy with the development of cures, it is equally essential that the social world should be busy in the development of all forms of prevention of those evils which result in the breaking down of the mental and physical structures of the people. With the rapiil increase of population in our great cities, these questions arc impressing themselves upon us with greater force from day to day, ami these alarming factors are not confined alone to this country, but are developing elsewhere with alarming rapidity. It is only a few years since the Inspector General of the English army said, "The one subject that causes anxiety for the future regarding recruiting is the great deterioration of physique ♦Reprinted from Hygiene and Physical Education, August, 1909. 52 PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE AND PLAYCRAFT of that class of our people from which the bulk of the recruits for the army must be drawn. Were all classes to provide their offspring with ample food and air space, a healthy race would be produced and the proper material to fill the ranks of the army would be obtained." In 1853 the standard of height in the English army was five feet, six inches; in 1883 it was reduced to five feet, three inches; in 1900 it fell to five feet in stockings. A similarly alarming shrinkage in chest measurement was shown. 511 out of every 1000 measured 34; which was less than the minimum chest measurement in 1883. In weight one-third of the whole army fell short of the 136 pounds required a generation before. In 1900 the average British recruit at the age of 19 was two inches shorter, and one inch smaller around the chest, fifteen pounds lighter than the normal Anglo-Saxon youth of that age ought to be. Fifty per cent of the London youths were rejected as unfit even after the standard had been lowered. Of the 11,000 young men examined in Manchester, 8.000 were rejected for want of stamina and defects. In 1903, 81, 000 British soldiers were discharged as unfit for duty after less than two years of service and were discharged as invalids. And to a very large extent were the crowded conditions of great England held respon- sible for the decrease in the physical standard. In a recent article by Ralph D. Payne, he states that the conditions are no better in the smaller cities of Scotland than they are in London, where 300,000 Londoners live in one-room tenements with three or more occupants. In order to provide vigorous recruits for her army and to strengthen the foundations of the empire, Germany prevents the overcrowding of the slum districts in her cities by a system of wise far-sighted legislation. In Berlin the housing conditions ol the poorer classes are regulated and when overcrowding occurs, a new outlet for population is found by the city, which constructs the streets and sewers and maintains the practical cooperation by builders by methods mutually satisfactory. No German town of any note is without a gener- ous playground and recreation center for its people. In this country the housing of the people and the questions arising out of centraliza- tion of population are growing in importance with each day. A century ago only four per cent of the American people dwelt in town, while in 1900 more than thirty per cent resided in the towns and cities of the nation. Many believe that the strength of the nation is enhanced by the fact that almost one- half of the 90,000,000 are still living on the farms and engaged in pursuits that keep them close to the soil and in vigorous out-of-door exercise. The Federal Government and the government of many states have recently estab- lished a system of investigation pertaining to the health of the people, and vital statistics are now gathered with reference to 44,000,000 of our population, and each year this system is growing. 'When is it perfected, it will afford a great impetus for the intelligent conduct of the work to be done by the various branches of the government in promoting the health of the j>eople. For the time being, certainly, no work in progress is more important or is affording more pleasure to those concerned and better results to the nation, than the work of the Playground Associations of this country. The greatest things for a nation's advancement are those which the whole people accom- plish and the establishment by the government of recreation grounds, which will be acces- sible to the multitudes will not only promote wholesome enjoyments, but aid materially in promoting the health and happiness of mankind. E. One Million Pupils Doomed New York, July 14. — On the basis of recent investigations the National Association for the Study and Prevention of Tuberculosis declared, in a statement issued today, that the United States is paying annually $7,500,000 for the education of children who will die from tuberculosis before they reach the age of eighteen. There are nearly 1,000,000 school chil- dren in the country today who will die of this disease before they are of age. — N. Y. Witness. (This society has commended playgrounds as being the best means of preventing tuber- culosis. — Editor.) PART II PLAYGROUND ARCHITECTURE AND LANDSCAPE GARDENING CHAPTER VIII The Playground Beautiful By Arthur Leland and Lorn a II. Leland Pla yg round A rch itects A. Need of Beautifying Playgrounds It had never occurred to us that any defense for beautifying the play- ground was necessary. We had always supposed that the reason why many of them were not beautified was on account of lack of money rather than absence of desire. Of course, the first essential of a playground is that it should make provision for play; after this end is accomplished it should be beautified. Play purposes will not be decreased by making things as beau- tiful as possible. In fact no playground should be entitled to the name which does not provide for the pleasure of the eye. Fences are necessary; why should not hedges or vine-covered fences fulfill the purpose rather than the unsightly board fence or expensive wrought iron picket fence ? LITTLE CHILDREN'S PLAYGROUND, TRIANGLE PARK Louisville, Ky. The first playground we ever saw was Columbus Ave., Boston, which at that time was a desolate waste of cinders without a tree or speck of green upon it. Our impression was that if we should be obliged to play there it would have to be under compulsion, especially so if the country was within ten miles walking distance, but that mav be because we were raised in a 54 THE PLAYGROUND BEAUTIFUL 55 small village, and that most of our early recreation time was spent in the woods. The purpose of play and landscape gardening should he to foster in the child the love of nature and the beautiful. The form which seems best adapted for this purpose is informal gardening or wild gardening. .Esthetic taste has a true commercial value for a manufacturinir coin- munity. W. T. Harris, speaking of this says: One will concede at the first that tool work is valuable as industrial training, for it teaches us to manufacture tools and machinery for the performance of all kinds of labor. The study of natural science is still more valuable, especially in its application to mathe- matics and the laws of matter and motion. It furnishes the theory of all machinery and of all production of supplies from nature. Besides this we claim that general education is of the utmost importance, opening as it does the powers of thought and observation. ^Esthetic education, the cultivation of taste, the acquirement of knowledge on the subject of the origin of beauty, the practice of producing the outlines of the beautiful, all these things we must claim form the true foundations of the best success in the industries of any modern nation. The dynamic side is needed, but the invention of the useful does not succeed in con- trolling the markets of the world. A nation with graceful shapes to its productions com- mands higher prices for them. A graceful shape and the proper ornamentation charm the purchaser and he willingly pays a higher price for the beautiful article of usefulness made by an artist than if it is made by the mere artisan. " On another occasion I have called attention to the backward state of Swedish educa- tion in the aesthetic art. Sweden is the leader in the manual training movement, but her educators have not yet seen the importance of developing correct taste among the laborers as a condition of industrial success. Accordingly we find that ingenuity is increasing to some extent in that country, but that there is no improvement in the artistic finish and ornamentation of their goods. Clumsy shapes and incongruous ornament are the charac- teristics of Swedish goods. Other nations do not want such ugly shapes in sight and do not buy them. To have ugly utensils perpetually in view generally works degeneration in one's tastes." — From Educational Report, 1904, pages 1133-1136. Figures from our commercial reports show that we import raw materials from Sweden, but that we do not buy their manufactures. In 1881 the imports from Sweden and Norway of raw materials amounted to $744,018.00, but of manufactures of iron anil steel, $111,749.00 were reported. We imported wood manufactures from them only to the amount of $137.00, but we imported rags for the paper manufacturers to the amount of $39,000.00, but no manufactured clothing to speak of. The same year Belgium sent us wood manufactures to the amount of $118,14(5.00. Prince Albert in 1851 became convinced that the English manufactured goods were not of a character to compete with those of France and Belgium. So he set in motion a deep- reaching system of art education that should correct the national defect and recover the prestige of British manufactures. General instruction was given in the forms of ornamenta- tion which the world considered beautiful. From this time began a gradual rise in the taste of the English workman; from being an artisan pure and simple, he began to be an artist. England has gone forward rapidly in the production of works of taste. Taking the hint from England, we have in our country paid considerable attention to the cultivation of art education. The days of poverty must of necessity be satisfied with the useful without ornamentation even though the poor desire it. As progress in wealth advances the aesthetic is demanded. If the country is to keep its prestige in the markets of the world and especially if we wish to handle the fancy trade, every possible effort must be made for the cultivation of the aesthetic taste of our workmen. Beautiful surroundings are as important, in fact are more important for the cultivation of taste than is special art education. If we make our playgrounds and cities beautiful the children will become accustomed to the beautiful, will demand the beautiful, and will copy and produce the beautiful. 5G PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE AND PLAYCRAFT B. Importance of a Comprehensive Plan When commencing the construction of a playground the first thing that should be done is to draw up a comprehensive plan of development. Not only should the playground be planned by one who has the knowledge of shrubs and trees but it is necessary to have the work laid out by one who is intimate with playground needs. Most of the playgrounds in our country are rather badly laid out and much money is wasted in changing them; for instance, two playgrounds in Denver were laid out in such a way as to make it impossible to play baseball on the block, whereas with a little more careful planning it would have been possible to have accommodated three times the number of children in a much more effective and beneficial way, on the same grounds. The apparatus is often set up in the wrong place and im- provements are not projected with reference to the future. The North Denver playground illustrates this. It is on a side hill and the gymnasium frame was put on the top above grade. It occupied the only level spot on the block large enough for baseball. Of course the boys who had been playing baseball were much more interested in their own game than in an "old open air gymnasium" fit only for the use of " de big guys." Also the placing of this equipment here covered up the dirt which was necessary in order to fill the lower part of the grounds. The playground was so small and the street grades were such that it was im- possible to grade it in terraces without going way below the street line. This made it necessary to lower the upper end and raise the lower end as described under the article on construction, pages 109-115. The extra expense entailed in the erection of the apparatus, taking down, and re-erecting in the proper place, together with the damage done by the children was probably about five or six hundred dollars to say nothing of the hard feelings. When contemplating the placing of a playground in a new neigh- borhood the first thing to be done should be to study the "kids" in the neighborhood and see what they want. There is considerably more to a playground than teeters and see-saws and gymnastics. If we don't give the children what they want they won't come and we don't blame them. It takes considerable of a playground to compete with the excitement of the street. We can't make the children take what we think they ought to have. They may not want just what they ought to have. We have to com- promise and give what they will take and later add what they need. The first thing one "playground" (?) did was to destroy the play- ground the children already had and as very little supervision was given, those boys were the "sorest bunch of kids" imaginable. It was reported to us that they whittled points on the handles of the teeter ladders, cut the ropes, and raised havoc generally so that the neighbors were continu- ally making complaints. One of the boys asked us, "Be youse going to leave the little punks on the playground this year?" On being questioned as to what he meant he stated that " last year there was a big man stood at THE PLAYGROUND BEAUTIFUL 57 the gate and didn't leave none of the little punks in." We later learned that they didn't have enough money to have the ground supervised all the time. We think that if not enough money is available for supervision, grading and equipment the supervision should come first, then the grading and then the equipment, and after that the playground can be made beautiful. But a comprehensive plan and an expert estimate is absolutely essential in order to know what to do and what not to do. CHAPTER IX A. The Development of Playground Landscape Gardening and Architecture in the United States The forces which have contributed to the development of beautiful playgrounds have been the same as those which have led to the develop- ment of parks. With our English and German traditions we have inherited the love of nature and the beautiful in nature. England has always had sport fields and parks. So naturally the villages of New England had their commons with baseball and football fields which were used also for the pasturage of cows. It has always been their inalienable right for all children to play upon these commons. 1. The Sport Field. Our park movement and our playground movement so far as they are concerned with " sport fields " have a common origin. As the towns grew into cities it was found necessary to adapt these parks to use, and throughout the whole country the majority of the cities maintained parks with facilities for athletics which might be termed " sport fields." Located in parks of course they are in the beautiful surroundings made possible by landscape architecture. Boston has been the leader in the sport field movement. 2. The Genesis or the Outdoor Gymnasium. Two factors led to the combination of the park and the outdoor gymnasium into the play- ground or recreation park. First, the development of gymnasiums and facilities for physical training. There seemed to be a need for exercise out of doors. Second, the maintenance of small parks in thickly crowded sections of the city is a very serious problem. Feeling that they had a solu- tion of this problem the Boston Park Board secured the cooperation of Dr. D. A. Sargeant, who had not forgotten when he was a boy and he designed some gymnasium apparatus, appropriate for outdoor use. A well known landscape architect was secured to add the beautifying and the Charlesbank Playground was a reality. This was the beginning of the {esthetic development of playgrounds in this country. There was an open air gymnasium for men with a running track at one end, then came a little interior park such as had been common all over the city, having the usual landscape features found in such interior breathing spaces, with walks, 58 PLAYGROUND LANDSCAPE GARDENING AND ARCHITECTURE >0 W > WWM POPLAR S T. ALLEN ST J /V7 *8 CQg i w » Jo* O : °^ ... Hi < shrubs and grass. At the other end was a playground* for women and children with gymnasium apparatus and a little running track around the outside with grass in the center for the children to play on. A high board fence surrounded the women's gym- nasium and a thicket of shrubs was planted along the outside to screen the unsightly fence from the passers- by. Both of these playgrounds had buildings with locker rooms and space for dressing and storage. This pioneer playground was opened in 1 889. It was the forerunner and in- spiration | for many other similar movements of the country, the most notable of which is the development of the Recreation Parks of the South Park Commission of Chicago and the Louisville Recreation Parks. 3. The Recreation Park, Louisville. In 1892 the same landscape architects who laid out the Charlesbank Playground were se- cured to plan a park system for Louisville, Kv. Among; the im- provements projected was that of an open air gymnasium at Boone Park and in two other small squares. Boone Park was laid out on the site of an old residence. It was in the form'of a'small recreation park. It had a playground for the boys con- taining swings, giant strides and par- allel bars, which were made by a local carpenter. The surface of this play space was covered with pebbles one- fourth to one-half inch in diameter. *The women's and children's playground was opened in 1891. 60 PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE AND PLAYCRAFT Another portion of the ground was designed for small children and con- tained a sandbank under a vine-covered arbor, a number of swings General Plan For*. FOR. Boone square Louismlle.Ky Scale AaooftLifai MAS* Jul* l»o» Rowan Street "-•(•8 0*-**- Duncan 3tr.eet Duncan 3tr.eet ^V- ,e*y - ,f% ,fl%, /^k C^a t?"k .?%, r' -'?, ^^ «fv\ ^ ^^^ and a band stand. Both of these play spaces were surrounded with iron fences covered with roses and part of the grounds were laid off in a large open lawn surrounded by macadamized walk with shrubbery and trees placed in appropriate places. Outside of the walk, between it and the street, shrubbery was planted. About this same time in Louisville two other very small playgrounds were laid out. They could PLAYGROUND LANDSCAPE GARDENING AND ARCHITECTURE 61 hardly be called playgrounds. They were at the intersection of two streets, and contained a fountain and benches, and shade was obtained by cover- ing them with vines. They also contained play facilities but were soon dis- mantled because they were not properly policed and became a loafing place for bums. Boone Park Playground in its construction very nearly ap- proached the present idea of Recreation Park, emphasizing as it did the playground rather than the open air gymnasium. It was a small inte- rior park with facilities for play. It, however, lacked the proper amount of supervision and it had "Keep Off the Grass" signs in the large central grass plot, but in all the essential features except that of supervision by playground instructors rather than by park guards it was a modern play- ground. Courtesy of Lafon Allen. WADING POOL IN TRIANGLE PARK Louisville The artistic shelter cost 83,000. It has large play room and toilets 4. The Model Playground, Triangle Park. In 1899 the Park Board commenced planning a model playground for Louisville. It was laid out in two parts: a large grass-covered athletic field surrounded by a macadamized walk, and a playground for small children with a wading pool and with an artistic little shelter house.* 5. First Wading Pool of the Country in Small Park. So far as we know this was the first wading pool in the country to be installed in a small park. The children's playground had a shelter house which con- tained toilet facilities and a central play room surrounded with a wrought iron picket fence. Around the outside of the playground next to the street were planted different varieties of hardy shrubbery and trees were located at appropriate places. This playground was two years in construction being completed in 1900. It cost exclusive of the land about $55,000.00 for those two years. It was placed in charge of a park guard. ♦See plan, pages 66, 67. 62 PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE AND PLAYCRAFT ({. Central Park. The Dupont estate, a large private residence and park, had been carried on by the Park Board as a public park for several years. It was located in the heart of the residence district of the city, with the foreign population of the "Cabbage Patch," several blocks distant on one side while the other side of the estate fronted upon the finest residence street of the city. It comprised a tract of about fifteen acres thickly covered with an old grove of elms and other shade trees. In 1900 a referendum was prepared that asked that the city issue bonds for ninety thousand dollars to purchase this estate to be used as a public playground. The Recreation League which had just been formed to agitate playgrounds THE TENNIS COURTS Triangle Park, Louisville used the school children in securing the passage of the referendum. The street car companies gave free passage for the children to the park on the day before election and a gigantic mass demonstration was held. This, so far as we know, was the first instance in which the school children have been used in securing playground votes. The scheme worked beautifully and the voters consented to the issuance of the bonds. Several years were required for the supreme court of the State to pass an opinion on the legality of this action. Finally the bond issue was declared legal after several years* delay and the outdoor gymnasiums and buildings indicated in the illustra- PLAYGROUND LANDSCAPE GARDENING AND ARCHITECTURE 63 6 CAH0 0* MUWCfrWttSWOSi l««V*.lt.< t GENERAL PLAN POM CENTRAL PARK 5^^3R^F^^4R#^^^^^^3^3^ PARK AVE r4fl : ?k --Z^'-y* ^'-fr** * >?> . ■ .f. ^a tions were erected. For several years before these improvements were put in, this park formed part of the playground system which was inaugurated in 1901. 7. The Model Small Playground. In 1901 Louisville laid out another small playground about two acres in extent, Baxter Square. This also had a large wading pool, a small central grass plot, macadamized walk around the outside and shrubbery between that and the street. An iron picket fence" was placed around the outside. This ground also was placed in charge of a park guard, and was intended for the small children only. 8. A System of Supervised Playgrounds. In 1901 all of these small parks were opened up as "really and truly playgrounds" with a man I! c o c 64 S ~3 -z 5 r o - — 3 O n 3 ^ -o o o J3 O .fl °3 z 65 66 PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE AND PLAYCRAFT and a woman instructor at each ground six hours a day and with a park guard on the grounds all the time. The "Keep Off the Grass" signs were pulled down, the children were allowed on the grass and conducted organ- ized plays and games six hours each day. At the expiration of the six hours they were sent off the grass but could spend the rest of the time on the walks or using the gymnasium apparatus. Simple playground equip- ment such as swings, ladders, see-saws, sandboxes, basketball courts and lawn tennis courts were provided. The whole system was in charge of a trained supervisor who directed the work of the various assistants. With the exception of New York, and possibly Chicago, we think that Louisville was the first city to employ a general supervisor of playgrounds, and Louisville was also the first city in the country to have all of its playgrounds maintained under one organi- zation. 9. Philadelphia: The John Dickinson Playground.* So far as we have been able to discover after Charlesbank the next playground approaching the modern idea and including aesthetic features was the John Dickinson Playground, Philadelphia. This playground was open to the public in 1898. It consisted of a city block which was sur- rounded with a border of trees with a large open field in the center and with a building for men on one side of the grounds and with one for women and children on the other. The features of the playground equipment were mostly of a gymnastic nature such as were to be found in the Charlesbank Gymnasium. On account of lack of supervision and defects of construction, for example the walk around the playground was made out of marble dust which became finely pulverized and was blown all over the neighborhood by every wind that stirred, this playground received very severe criticism on the part of the neighbors, for the marble dust became very obnoxious. On account of lack of fences and supervision the playground was, I believe, closed up, and the sad experience gained therefrom has delayed the play- ground movement in Philadelphia very greatly, and has hindered the de- velopment many years. 10. New York. The Park Playgrounds in New York have always partaken more largely of the nature of outdoor gymnasiums and sport fields combined than of recreation parks like those of Chicago and Louisville. The first of these, Hudson Bank Gymnasium and Playground, was opened in 1898. ♦For an account of this Playground see Article by John H. Chase, Playgrounds, November, 1908- January, l'JO'J. PLAYGROUND LANDSCAPE GARDENING AND ARCHITECTURE G7 11. Chicago. "In 189C, under the auspices of the University Settlement of the Northwestern University, a large and splendidly equipped playground was opened which would accommodate from three to four thousand children." The expenses for this work were paid by several gentlemen who desired to furnish an object lesson to the city. " Numerous swings, large and small, giant strides, see-saws, sand piles, etc., afford ample amusement for the children, who fairly swarm here. There is also a large shelter provided with plenty of benches and with a retiring room. A police officer, who is a father to the boys, and a matron have the charge of the grounds. The police in the neighborhood are much interested in this venture; in the spring they planted six trees in the grounds," showing their appreciation of the work. So far as we have been able to find out this is the first instance of beautification in a Chicago playground. Photo by Charles Mulford Robinson EVEN THE OUTDOOR GYMNASIUM MAY HAVE A PLEASANT SETTING Of course, Chicago, in common with the other American cities, had its public parks with sport fields in them. When the South Park Commission conceived the idea that their parks should be useful as well as beautiful, the Playground Beautiful arrived at self-consciousness. For a full description of this system of parks see Chapter X. 12. St. Paul Playgrounds. St. Paul in 1904 attempted upon a very meager appropriation to follow the example of Louisville (see Chapter XIV). 4) V A V o tf -o a 3 o s v b a & o pq w a — u p o Z "? • =« e -c; to M-.-S3 o e |1 Z ==> as 68 PLAYGROUND LANDSCAPE GARDENING AND ARCHITECTURE 69 13. Canandaigua, N. Y. One of the best examples of playground landscape gardening is shown at Canandaigua, which is described by Charles Mulford Robinson, Ph. D., in a paper "Landscape Gardening for Playgrounds," which was reprinted in the Proceedings, 1908, of the Play- ground Association of America. In this article, Mr. Robinson tells in detail the reasons for making playgrounds beautiful, suggests some methods of landscape gardening including beautification of play space. He suggests shrubs, vines and flowers adapted for use. This paper is a very valuable contribution to the subject. 14. Rochester, N. Y. Brown Square playground, located in one of the Rochester parks is a Recreation park similar to those at Louisville. Shade and grass combined with supervised play are here united. CHAPTER X The Recreation Parks of Chicago By Henry S. Curtis 1. Origin. In 1903 an amendment was made to the Park Act enabling the South Park Commission to issue bonds for the purchase and equipment of ten new parks. These were laid out with all the aesthetic features ever seen in any park in the country and with every variety and sort of recreation feature. The following bv Dr. Curtis is a characteristic description : 2. Description: The South Park Playgrounds. No one can see the new system of parks and playgrounds in Chicago without a feeling of admiration and wonder at this magnificent civic enterprise. Taking all in all and considering the magnificence with which it is planned, the great number and variety of new features which have been introduced, and the rapidity with which it has been accomplished, this seems to me one of the most remarkable undertakings that has been carried through by any Com- monwealth. 3. Manner of Appointment of Commission. The South Park Commissioners, appointed by the judges of the circuit court, and thus inde- pendent of politics, have always been men of the highest ability and integ- rity. The actual supervision of the parks and playgrounds has been in the hands of Mr. J. Frank Foster, a man of tireless energy and unusual ability, for the past twenty-seven years. He has had the same freedom in making appointments and discharges that a man has in his own private business. South Park is a separate taxing body and levies a tax of two mills on South Chicago for the support of this park system, so that it is independent of the city both in its officers and its funds. It gets its appropriations directly from the State. It has a separate police force, a separate water system and is now installing a separate electric light plant. This form of organization has doubtless added to the efficiency of the system, yet, the new South Park System still remains a work of almost inexplicable genius. 4. Cost. A little more than two years ago it received $4,000,000 for small parks and playgrounds. Since that time it has received $2,500,000 additional, West Park has received $3,000,000, and North Parks $500,000, making $10,000,000 in all. This increase of $6,000,000 over the original appropriation seems to show that Chicago believes in her new system, and is ready to tax herself for its support and increase. 5. Combine Beauty and Utility. One of the first features to strike the eye of the visitor is that this park playground has the beauty of the park and the utility of the playground at the same time. It is, in fact, a 70 mm. i f PLAN OF RECREATION BUILDING ARMOUR SQJJARE SFCO/VD FLOOR PLAN F&CL SM SHH r CHBO/>KD\ ffOOfil F/P3T FLOOR PLAN 71 72 PLAYGROl \l> TE< HNIQUE AND PLATCRAFT playground for all ages and sexes, and yet so beautiful that it seems like an oasis in tin- coal-grimed desert of South Chicago. Each of them is surrounded by a high iron fence, but even now the fence is so far concealed by trees, {lowers and shrubs that it can scarcely be seen from the inside, and soon it will entirely disappear. On entering one is first impressed by the athletic field, where baseball and tennis are played during the summer, football and tennis in the fall, and skating and tobogganing are enjoyed in winter. The water is sprayed on with a hose, so that the ice is frozen as soon as the thermometer drops one or two degrees below the freezing point. As these parks are in crowded sections the ice is literally covered with skaters. A slide is erected at one edge for tobogganing. The shelter house on one side is closed in and heated for the skaters and coasters. In HARDIN SQUARE— A RECENT SOUTH PARK PLAYGROUND (j. Outdoor Gymnasium for Men. A second notable feature is the athletic field and gymnasium for men. This is also surrounded, as are each of the features of the playground, by a high fence of sharp iron pickets. This field is surrounded by what they claim is the best running track in the world and which is certainly among the best. The outdoor gymnasium is large and complete, with every detail of outdoor gymnasium equipment. There is a separate place for each field event, such as putting the shot, the high and broad jump, pole vaulting, etc. Not far from this is the outdoor gymnasium for women and girls, which is similarly equipped but smaller, and with more features intended for play rather than systematic exercise. 7. Playground for Small Children. A fourth feature is the play- ground for small children, also surrounded with a high iron fence, and equipped with all the most improved forms of playground apparatus. In the center is a good sized wading pool. Running nearly around this is a concrete sand bin often as much as 150 feet in length and 15 feet in width. THE RECREATION PARKS OF CHICAGO 73 NATURE'S SUMMER OCCUPATION FOR CHILDREN It is covered with an awning. Around this on a concrete platform runs a concrete seat for mothers who come to put their children in the sand while they sit on the bench and sew, or read or watch the children. 8. Outdoor Swimming Pool. The outdoor swimming pool is the most popular feature of the whole playground during the summer months. It is a concrete pond a little less than a half an acre in size and ranging from three to eight feet in depth. It is surrounded by a beach of white sand in which the bathers burrow and bask as they do on the sea shore. Around this are some two or three hundred bathing booths. The gateway into the pool is through a shower house containing some ten or fifteen showers, through which everyone is required to pass in going into the pool. Just outside are the waiting benches where about 200 people are usually collected during the middle of the day waiting for an opportunity to go into the pool. Each group of bathers is given an hour, and then, at the sound of the gong, they leave the pool and another set of bathers take possession of it. The park furnishes bathing suits, towels and soap. It is open four days a week for men and two days for women and children. The pool is lighted by electric lights and is open until 9:30 every evening. The attendance ranges between 500 and 1500 daily. 9. Field Houses. The most notable and distinctive feature of these new parks, however, is the field house. These field houses cost about $90,000 apiece. The material used in nine out of ten buildings is concrete and the roofs are green mottled tiles. The approach is by a broad flight of steps extending almost the whole length of the building. On entering one is struck by the magnificent color scheme and the wonderful harmonies of the reds, browns, greens and blues and other colors which have been used £> ►— I < o en Z W o o 74 THE RECREATION PARKS OF CHICAGO 75 THE SWIMMING POOL in the decoration. The broad entrance hall contains a circular rack of potted plants which enlivens the interior and reminds one that he is in a park At one side of the entrance is a restaurant or lunch room at which such small refreshments as soups, sandwiches, coffee, ice cream and pie are served. All of these viands are sold at cost. A five-cent dish of ice cream which is made by the park department, is said to be the best ice cream in Chicago and is certainly delicious. So excellent is this simple lunch room that many working people in the vicinity are now going there for their lunches in place of going to other restaurants. The settlement workers say that they are having a strong influence against the saloons; that the people find it a pleasant place to come and sit down and have a cup of coffee or a dish of ice cream, and that the attractive surroundings give it advantages over the saloons. 10. Branch of Public Library. On the other side of the entrance, in a number of buildings, is a branch of the Chicago public library. All of these libraries are used to the fullest extent and the Chicago librarian, Mr. Hurt, says that the one criticism which he has is that the rooms are not large enough to hold the people who wish to make use of them. I can testify for my own part that in the libraries which I visited there was scarcely a vacant seat. 11. Indoor Gymnasium for Men. At one end of the building is a gvmnasium for men. This is completely equipped with the best modern apparatus, so arranged that the apparatus goes up on pulleys to the ceiling, thus leaving a- clear floor for games of basketball, indoor baseball, etc. Just off from this are the best steel lockers which can be had, five or six shower baths, and a plunge pool usually about 15 to -20 feet in length. At the other end of the building there is exactly the same equipment for women. 76 PLAYGROUND TK( UNIQUE AND PLAYCRAFT THE FIELD HOUSE Sherman Park 12. Auditorium and Club Rooms. Sometimes on the ground floor, but more often on the second floor, is a large auditorium with movable chairs which is used for public lectures or public meetings of any kind, or for dances or social gatherings. One of the greatest perils of South Chicago, as of most cities, is its dance halls. These halls are generally connected with saloons and often with Turkish or Russian baths as well. The South Park System is offering to the people a clean, attractive, well-lighted hall which may be used for any neighborhood purpose where the best influences prevail. They have already done much to lessen the use of the surround- ing dance halls, and it is hoped that they will soon be able to close many of them. Off from the auditorium are four or five club rooms. A notable feature about the use of the new parks, and especially the field houses, is that the ones in the better sections of the city are most used. In Hamilton Park, which is surrounded by a professional and business population of men who are supposed to earn from two to five thousand dollars a year, all of the features of the field house are now used almost to their full capacity. 13. Supervision and Maintenance. The keeping of this system is fully up to the level of the plan itself. Every part of it is faultlessly clean. Every piece of apparatus is tested every morning before the children are allowed in. During the summer time there are from fourteen to twenty attendants in every one of these playground parks. There are three life savers at the swimming pools. There is one who has charge of the shower- bath house and several attendants at the bathing booths themselves. There are three janitors, and a force of three or four men who mark out the running Till: UFX'REATION PARKS OF CHICAGO 77 tracks, tennis courts, care for the approaches, etc. There is a manager in charge of the building. Gymnasium instructors from May to November have charge of the outdoor gymnasium and fields, and from November until May they have charge of the indoor gymnasiums. The hours are from 2 :00 to 9:30 in summer and from 3 :30 to 9 :30 in winter. All of these instruc- tors are a high type of men and women, most of them being college graduates. They are receiving, at present, $1,100 a year. Every part of the playground is open until 9 :30 at night. On Sundays there is a special director who is an assistant to the regular athletic director and who takes charge of the work on that day. If one may venture a criticism of this truly magnificent system, it is that the children's playgrounds are much in need of kindergartens, and that, as in many cities, there is great scarcity of well-trained and experi- enced social organizers. (Chicago is now taking steps to remedy this need. — Editor.) There can be no doubt but that Chicago appreciates its new system of playgrounds. The attendance has doubled every year to date. $6,000,000 for improvement has been voted Chicago since the first parks were completed, and the new parks are to be made larger and better than those now finished. Note — See "Recent Developments in Chicago," E. B. De Groot, Proceedings, 190S. m^s^m^ ift^g^j^.:/v>-i ARMOUR SQUARE A typical recreation park CHAPTER XI Playgrounds Down en the Blue Grass "in old kaintuck" Madeline McDowell Breckenridge The playgrounds of Lexington present some very unique features. The one in which they are absolutely unique we think is that a system of parks has been created as the result of establishing playgrounds. Mrs. Desha Breckenridge who has been the inspiration and the motive force tells us about the movement. — Editor. The first playground in Lexington was started in the summer of 1901 in the section of the city known as Irishtown. It was a typical Kentucky playground, located in the shadow of a distillery, and attended before the close of the season with many stormy incidents. The first superintendent resigned his job in a few weeks. He had come to the conclusion that the neighborhood was not "healthy" for him. The second superintendent, a college athlete, got along famously until the father of a large bov, whom he had picked out of a scrimmage with some little boys and put off the grounds, vowed vengeance. This father was known as a bad man. He had pre- viously killed his man and escaped the penitentiary. Discretion on the part of the supervisor seemed the better part of valor; but the committee concluded that the moral effect on Irishtown of another supervisor resigning would be disastrous. They employed an assistant supervisor who was in reality a deputy sheriff. The two young men hunted in pairs, going to and from Irishtown always together and letting it be known by way of a peace argument that their hip pockets were equipped in true Kentucky fashion. The playground committee with this first year's experience had not only every problem that may arise in running a playground, but it had gotten immediately into the midst of the whole Sunday question. When, the second year, the piece of property on which the playground had been held was offered for sale, an old saloon man across the street bought it and refused even to rent to the playground people. He did not like their in- fluence in Irishtown and he thought he was getting rid of them. But a slip of a house was found with a tiny yard, and a vacation school with a little children's playground in the yard was conducted. It may be mentioned here that there had been no public school in this section of the town. The playground committee induced the school board that autumn to start a kindergarten that has grown into a school of a hundred and fifty pupils and that will be much larger when the new school building is erected. The school board has appropriated $10,000 for this building and an effort is being made by the Civic League to raise $20,000 on the outside. It is planned that the building shall contain a carpenter shop, a kitchen, a laun- dry, shower baths, an assembly room, and if possible a swimming pool and 78 PLAYGROUNDS DOWN IN THE BLUE GRASS 79 accommodations for library and club rooms. The baths, the wash tubs, the auditorium, etc., are to be used by the adults of the community out of school hours; and if the plans of the Civic League are carried out the school house will become virtually the social settlement house of that community. When, the second summer, the playground of Irishtown was turned into a vacation school, another playground was started on what is known as the city dump, a piece of land which the city was fast selling off, the remnant of which the Civic League hoped in this way to preserve for park purposes. It succeeded, and that land is now planned as a beautiful little interior playground with swimming pool, shelter house, etc. The third summer the Civic League placed a third playground on what is now Wood- land Park, a piece of laud which it desired the city to buy as a park. This has happened. The park with its splendid old trees has been put in order and beautified and is being greatly enjoyed by the people. * * * The first year the playground was supported by the Civic League and the Woman's Club, or rather by private subscriptions collected by them. The second year the Civic League assumed the expenses, the Woman's Club contributing in some measure. The third year a city appropriation was obtained, and now the $800.00 annually paid over by the city to the Civic League for the maintenance of the playgrounds is supplemented simply from private sources. It is perhaps not too much to claim that three important things have grown out of the little playground work started in Irishtown in the summer of 1901. The creation of a Park Commission and the embryonic park system which Lexington now has are in a large measure the result of the playground movement and the agitation kept up by the Civic League through the hearty cooperation of the newspapers. The introduction of manual training into all the public schools, white and colored, of Lexington is one outgrowth of the humble work started in Irishtown and of the con- tinual pressure and agitation of the Civic League. The system is not yet complete as the school board has not been able to equip all the school buildings for cooking and wood work, but it has been started on the right principle and some hand work is given to both races and both sexes in every grade from the kindergarten through the high school. And last, but not least, the model school planned for Irishtown. or rather for the whole sec- tion of the city known as the West End, which embodies the very newest ideas as to the function of the public school will, if consummated, be a step very far in advance. It will have its effect not only on the school system of Lexington, but on the schools of this whole section of the state. "However difficult it may be to interpret America to the recent arrivals from other countries; however difficult it may be to unite our adult population on public issues of the day affecting the common weal, they may be unified most easily on those things which affect the interests of children. And the children's playgrounds not only help in unifying our adult population, but they interpret fundamental American ideals to all concerned. The central ideal in America is that we are self-governed people. We are governed by laws made by our own people, and we appoint officials to enforce the laws. But the best and most patriotic citizenship comes not as a result of compelling obedience to and respect for laws, but as a result of the practice of right ethical relations with each other, no matter what races, nationalities or classes are in- volved. This is the spirit of the playgrounds as expressed in the plan of play and games which teach self-control and self- government." — E. B. De Groot. 80 PART III CONSTRUCTION CHAPTER XII Construction Methods A. Grades and Drainage 1. The First "Work. If there are buildings on the grounds they must be removed. This can usually be done by some wrecking company who will buv them. If you wish to use the materials for other buildings it would be better to have it done under your own auspices. The city engineer's office will give a plan of the land showing the exact size, grades of the streets, general city specifications, etc. Also from the city engineer's office may be obtained other information which would be valuable, as follows: Established grades of streets at all corners. Established grades of property line on all corners of the playgrounds, and the established grades of property hues on property exactly across the street from these corners. Actual grades in the same places. From the city engineer also obtain information as to the probability of bringing those streets up to grade in the near future (the established grades in all cities are usually much higher than the actual grades, and it is quite the custom after houses have been built on the hills to lower the grades because the people who have secured houses on the hills do not want dirt dug out from under them.) The land secured for playgrounds will usually be below grade. Secure from the water department the following information: Exact location of water connections. Size of main. Depth of water main. Size and location of outlets. (Also "work" them for all the second-hand pipe you can get, as it is good for fences.) From the sewer department get the following information: Location of sewers. Depth of sewers below actual grade and below established grade. Size of pipes. Location and size of outlets. Also city specifications for making catch basins and sewers. 2. Drainage. If the land is much below grade and filling is scarce, it can be made a sunken garden with catch basins and sewer connections so that it drains to the center. If it is on a side hill, it should be graded so that the gymnasium and space for children's games is level. The baseball diamond and running track should be one to two feet below the rest of the grounds, sloping at a grade of four inches to a hundred feet to a point near the center just outside the infield of the baseball diamond, where a catch basin is located and connected with the sewer. The manhole should have two covers, one to drain the field in the summer time and the other without holes to be used when the field is flooded. After the land has been graded, a water system should be installed. 82 CONSTRUCTION METHODS 83 3. Specifications for Brick Meter Box: Meter l)o\' must he constructed of .sewer brick according to the specifications for brick work of the Hoard of Public Works. The inside measurements of the box must be seven feet (7 ft.) in depth, four feet (4 ft.) long and three and one-half feet i.'JA ft.) wide at the bottom, extending upward the same size to a height of lour feet (4 ft.) from which point the box should be drawn together so as to be covered by a two foot ( L 2 ft.) manhole and cover. Two iron pipes or rods at least one and one-quar- ter inches (1J in.) in diameter shall be inserted in the brick work at a height of four feel 1 ft.) from the bottom as indicated in the plan. Two other rods for steps shall be inserted in the brick work as indicated in the plan. The manhole cover ^hall be cast solid and shall have a hole drilled near the center through which a one ami one-half inch (H in.) eye bolt shall be inserted. Through theflanges of the manhole top two (2) eye bolts shall be in- serted with one and one-half inch (l\ in.) eyes coming just above the surface of the ground. The bolt from the top of the flange to the surface of the ground shall be imbedded in concrete. All eye bolts must be made of iron at least one-half inch Q in.) in diameter. The bottom of the box shall be made of concrete. A one and one-half inch (H in.) lead water pipe shall be connected and extended from the city water main at the property line into the meter box and a one and one-half inch (1£ in.) gal. pipe shall extend through with the necessary connections to a distance of one foot beyond the other side of the box, from which point a gal. iron stand pipe one and one-half inches (H in.) in di- ameter shall extend to a height of eighteen inches (18 in.) above the surface of the ground and shall have at the ends a connection for a one and one- half inch (1£ in.) hose, water to be turned on and oh" with a key. Inside the water box the construc- tion shall be as follows: An automatic drip valve and shut-off shall be placed on one side of the meter and a tee with a plug in the end of it shall be placed on the other side; beyond this an automatic drip valve shall be placed which may be opened and closed by an iron rod extending to the top of the box. Outside of this shall be placed a one and one-half by one and one-half by seven-eighths (H x 1$ x I) reducing tee with a plug in the end of it. All connections and fittings to be of malleable iron and placed as indicated in the appended plan and all work to be done in a thoroughly workmanship manner, and finished not later than 4. Water System. The water system can be either a gravity system which is the cheapest, or it may be the system which is usually used in parks, with the pipes all below the freezing line. The latter system is more satis- factory but the other is somewhat cheaper and answers the purpose. There should be provision made for flooding the skating rink; the plan above with specifications shows the method which we have used in St. Paul. We made no provision in this for connection with the sewer which was a bad mistake. There should be inserted in the specifications provision for a cesspool trap, and very small connection with the sewer. This meter box can have the top filled with hay above the planks in the winter time so that the water can be turned on and oft' without danger of freezing. Street washers should be placed about one hundred feet apart over the space which is to be watered. It is not convenient to handle much PLAN OF BRICK METER BOX Used in St. Paul 84 PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE AND PLAYCRAFT over fifty feet of hose. Care should be taken and not have any of the street washers project above the surface of the baseball field as they will cause accidents. They can sometimes be placed below the surface in a box which will have a sod on top, so that it will not hurt any one if they fall upon it. 5. Retaining a Slope. Good sod, of course, is the best thing for retaining a slope, but it is quite expensive. A bank one and one-half by one can be planted with grass but it is quite apt to wash. For a very steep or a very long slope where it is not absolutely necessary to have a velvet surface alfalfa can be planted, in sections where it will grow. In other parts of the country red clover might be used. Both of these plants have extremely long roots. A lawn mixture in which clover predominates is the best for use on an embankment. Where there is not sufficient room for a slope a concrete retaining wall may be used, but it is expensive. B. Playing Surfaces 1. Running Track. There are three kinds of running tracks which may be used. a. The cinder track which should be made as follows: There should be a bed of dirt or small stones, a layer of sod placed edgewise on this; over this should be placed a layer of coarse cinders four to six inches deep, and on top of this a layer of fine cinders which have been screened through a one-half inch screen should be spread to the depth of two or three inches. The whole surface should be thoroughly rolled with a heavy roller. A cinder track is very hard to keep in shape. b. Clay. Place clay on top of soil or dirt. This is apt to be pretty muddy for playground use. c. The best track which we know of is a mixture of cinders and clay made as follows : Three or four inches of coarse cinders, well packed and covered with one inch of cinders which have been run through a half-inch screen will make a hard surface over a sandy bottom. If equal parts of screened cinders and good clay are mixed together, dampened, spread one inch thick over a layer of coarse cinders and well rolled, an ideal playing surface will be made for the athletic field, the running track or any part of the playground; such a mixture packs well, is springy, does not get dusty in dry weather and can be played on in the ram. 2. Baseball Diamond. For the baseball field a good closely cropped turf is best, and is quite practicable if the playground is of sufficient size and not in a very thickly settled part of the city. The base lines should be cut out and made with cinders and clay. If the baseball diamond is to be used extensively it should be made entirely of cinders and clay. This treatment for running tracks and baseball diamond also applies to the hockey field and skating rink. In some places sand and clay can be used to a better advantage than cinders and clay, as follows: About 2 parts of coarse sand and 1 part of good clay mixed; this is especially valuable for running tracks and walks. CONSTRUCTION METHODS 85 In the Chicago playgrounds they are using a mixture of clay and cinders and on top they are putting a layer of very coarse sand sometimes called binding sand or torpedo sand. Cinders will often be hauled to the {(round for nothing in the winter and dumped in place. Get from hotels, factories and lighting plants. Are often used for concrete in the building season, hence expensive. 3. Under Swings. The swings must have very hard surfaces under them or in a few days great holes will be worn in the ground to fill with water every time it rains. We have used a strip of cement sidewalk about three feet wide which works like a charm. It is so narrow that if the chil- dren fall out of the swings they fall beyond the sidewalk. 4. Under Giant Strides. The giant stride is subject to the same condition of use which applies to the swing. We have settled this problem in two ways. We placed around one giant stride a bed of screened cinders and clay, equal parts mixed and spread to a depth of eight inches. This worked admirably on a hard soil for a foundation. In case the subsoil is sandy we would suggest that a bed of coarse cinders about eight inches deep be put underneath the top dressing. Another treatment which we used was to make a concrete runway about 3 feet wide entirely around the giant stride. This was placed just where the children would run on it. It had a big hole in the center which was filled with soft sand and the space outside of the runway was also filled with sand. The runway itself was placed on an incline. This seemed to answer the purpose very well, but the cinders and clay treatment seemed to give as good results at less cost. 5. Under See-saws. The space under the see-saws should be filled with soft sand to a depth of about six to ten inches. This can be kept in place by means of narrow cement curbing or planks, which should be placed at least four feet from the ends of the see-saws. 6. Under Flying Dutchman. The runway around the post should be a circle 6 feet in diameter made of cinders and clay, or of concrete. The one who runs around and furnishes power for the flying Dutch- man will run on this runway which should be on a slant. Outside of this extending around a distance of four feet bevond the flving dutchman should be placed a small curbing and the space between filled with soft sand. 7. Under Gymnasium. The surface under the gymnasium appa- ratus should be of sand eight to ten inches deep. This should be kept in place by a retaining curb or plank allowing three feet of space outside of all apparatus. The only exception to this would be under the trick rings, which should have a hard dirt surface directly under them in order to enable the children to swing by striking with their feet. This surface, however, should be cinders and clay and not concrete. 8. Basketball Court. The basketball court requires a very hard surface. Cement would be best but would be rather expensive. We 8G PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE AND PLAYCRAFT used cinders and clay in the proportion before mentioned hut would suggest that it would be better to use two parts of clay to one part of cinders for the toj) dressing. J). Tennis Courts. Tennis courts should have a drainage founda- tion of coarse cinders 4 to G inches deep, well packed and rolled after being dampened. This drainage foundation should lead off on a slope in several places so as to cany away surplus water. On top of the coarse cinders spread fine cinders mixed with clay, 2 parts clay to 1 part cinders, level and then roll. In order to keep the horse off the tennis court hitch a long rope to the handle of the roller so that he can do all the rolling from the outside without stepping on the court. The clay which we have always used was yellow molding clay but we should judge that common gray or blue clay would answer the purpose just as well. It would not, however, be quite so sticky perhaps and we would advise you before using any clays to mix up a small amount and test. In the west the common adobe soil answers the purpose of clay but is not quite so sticky and would probably require a little larger proportion to the cinders. In a very dry country we would recommend that the proportion of clay be increased and that salt should be mixed with the surfacing to conserve the moisture. We have always done the mixing by hand but should judge that it could be put in a concrete mixer or it might be necessary to make a special mixer. 10. For Games. Grass is without question the best surface on which to play games, and it can be maintained under certain conditions. Our experience in Louisville was as follows. We had a plot of grass in the center of the park which was about seventy-five yards across. We al- lowed the children to play on this grass six hours per day while the play instructors were there. After the six hours had expired they were kept off and the park keepers tenderly watered the surface and kept it in shape. For three months this playground had an average attendance of 425 children who played on this grass all the time, basketball, baseball, hockey, races and all manner of games. At the end of the season the grass was a little bit brown around the bases and the runs which we had not treated in any special manner. In a few other places especially under the trees it was slightly worn. This was in an especially dry summer. In order to maintain grass the ground must be covered with about eight inches of black dirt. 11. Dancing. Grass also makes the best surface for dancing, and should be used whenever possible. A little separate green could be very well reserved for this purpose. In this connection we have considered the possibility of making a combination skating rink and dancing pavilion. This could be made of concrete so that in the winter time it could be flooded for ice skating and in the summer time it could be used for roller skating CONSTRUCTION METHODS S? BASEBALL DIAMOND, TRIANGLE PARK Louisville and for dancing. It should have a roof and the sides could be covered with vines. Summer gymnasium classes could also be given in this pavilion. 12. Artistic Tennis Courts. Tennis courts, on account of the back stops used, are generally an eye sore in any park. The treatment used in Hartford, which consists of running vines over them, makes a very artistic feature. The vines used can be Virginia creeper, woodbine, Ivundz vine, or annuals such as morning-glory and wild cucumber. (See page 1-2-2. ) 13. Swimming Pools. The construction of swimming pools is best taken up in the little book as follows: ♦Swimming Pools. By John K. Allen. 63 pp. 50 cents. Chicago. Domestic Engineering, 1907. This little handbook outlines briefly the construction of swimming pools; their mechanical in- stallation, water supply, heating the water, various types of installations adapted to different condi- tions, with thirty illustrations and charts. More than half the book is devoted to the discussion of methods of heating and modes of cal- culation of the amount of heat required. The section discussing various safe methods of construction is equally valuable as it abounds in accurate information as to adaptability of materials, errors to be avoided, etc. In brief, this compact little book may be characterized as filled with accurate technical informa- tion on Swimming Pools. No public library should be without it, and no one planning to build a natatorium should fail to read it before making any plans for construction. A recent patent on a method for securing surface drainage for swimming pools has just been awarded. The ideal surface drain is one extending entirely around the tank, without a break at the normal water level. When such a drain is not provided the dirt is washed against the walls -of the tank and the grease and scum have to be scrubbed off. This new method obviates the difficulty and the rounded edge serves as a life rail in place of the metal rail usually in use. A manufacturing firm is prepared to install such a combined life rail and gutter. — {Editor.) ♦The July number of Hygiene and Physical Education contained valuable articles relating to natatoriums. W.39tMvt, PLAN OF NORTH DENVER PLAYGROUND 88 CHAPTER XIII The North Denver Playground* Arthur Leland Playground Architect 1. Improvements Completed. This Denver playground presents a problem in playground engineering, the successful solution of which makes possible the utilization of odds and ends of land for playgrounds, which are below grade and unsuitable for building purposes. The block used for this playground lies on two slopes sidling both ways, with the lowest part at the corner of W. 39th avenue and Navajo street, where the actual grade of the property is eighteen feet to twenty feet below the established jrrade and three or four feet below the actual grade of the before-mentioned streets which are unimproved. The property line at the corners of W. 38th with Osage and Navajo streets is practically the established grade and somewhat above the established grades of the streets. Baseball in this part of the city is the only game interesting the boys. The field is so small that grading on two levels left no room for baseball, so a grade was selected which would utilize all of the available dirt, making the grounds practically level and not too far below the grades which would obtain if the ungraded streets were improved. When the street improve- ments are made, the corner of W. 39th and Navajo will be about three feet below the street. It now is, after grading the field level, about ten feet above the present grade of the streets, on an average. In order to hold the soil where the grounds are above the present grades, slopes were made, in some places eighteen feet high. These banks were sowed thickly with alfalfa and the long roots serve to keep the soil from washing, thus saving the expense of a retaining wall. When all the streets are improved, these banks will be entirely filled and a slope made leading from the surfaces of the playground to the edge of the street, so that the places now above actual grade will then be some- what below the established grade. The entire surface drains to the center of the athletic field, where a catch basin can be made directly over the sewerage system already installed. During the first four months of the time I was in Denver, the grounds were graded level; the border of trees planted, consisting of white maples with Carolina poplars alternating on the south and west sides. A gym- nasium frame, purchased and erected by my predecessor, was taken down and reset in the proper place. Girls' swings, see-saws, baby swings, giant strides, were manufactured and erected according to the plan. A merry-go- ♦Reprinted from Hygiene and Physical Education, April, 1909. 89 90 IM.AYOHOIND TK< UNIQUE AND PLAYCRAFT round and slide were installed later. A fenee ^'ith iron pipe posts and wire netting surmounted with barbed wire was erected around the entire play- ground. 2. Improvements Projected. The plan calls for the following additional improvements: cinder and clay walk and 12-lap to the mile running track laid outside of athletic and baseball field. A border of grass to be made around the edges of this track with shrubbery grouped in places indicated. A drink- ing fountain to be installed ^ t ».', *& f 4tf'i * n HOME MADE MERRY-GO-ROUND with vine-covered wire screen to protect it from the baseball field. Connecting the athletic field to the projected field house is to be a small con- crete arch bridging the wading and swimming pool. *A high wire fence covered with vines and acting as a backstop and screen will keep baseballs from entering the girls' playground and the boys' gymnasium. A hedge around the girls' playground will act as a screen to insure seclusion. Climb- ing vines will be planted next to the fence around the entire playground. Shrubbery and trees for shade complete the interior landscaping projected. A water system must be installed, then the vines and shrubs are put in, and temporary toilet accommodations must be put in to serve until other Denver playgrounds are partially developed, when a permanent bath house and gymnasium with outdoor wading and swimming pools can be constructed. As soon as the surrounding streets are graded, boulevards and street lines of trees, not indicated in the plan, will be planted. The improvements completed were put in at an expense of $2,000 to $3,000, most of which sum was spent on grading. The land cost $7,500 and the value of this land was assessed upon property in the district benefited. This is the first playground in Denver to be made on land owned by the city. Denver has maintained in addition, a playground on leased land and is now expending over $250,000 on sites for new playgrounds. For Recent Developments in Denver see Volume II, XXV (C). ♦This could well be extended around two sides of the athletic field in order to protect those not playing baseball. CHAPTER XIV The Evolution of St. Paul, Minnesota, Playgrounds Arthur Leland and Lorna Higbee Leland Pla 1 1 (j rou n d A rch itects 1. First Attempts. The present playground movement in St. Paul had its beginning in a parlor conference held by the Associated Charities. As a result of the interest shown at this meeting, two playgrounds were equipped with funds raised by subscription. One of these was carried on in connection with a social settlement and was quite successful, but was abandoned in a year or two on account of the land being required for other purposes. The other playground was a decided failure on account of lack of supervision, and as it became a crime breeder, it was dismantled. 2. Public Baths and Playgrounds. Realizing the need of play- grounds and baths in that part of the city in which this unsuccessful play- ground was located, Dr. J. H. Ohage, the Health Commissioner, saw possibilities in an island in the Mississippi about eight or ten acres in extent. This island he purchased and equipped as a public bath and playground, along distinctively German traditions. Harriet Island was later turned over . to the city, improved and maintained by it during warm weather under the supervision of the Health Department. "The Public Baths" have always been a very valuable feature in St. Paul's recreative life. 3. The Present Movement. The members of the Civic League under the leadership of Mrs. Conde Hamlin, feeling that the Public Baths did not reach all parts of the city and were limited in scope, met with the officers of The Commercial Club and organized in October, 1903, a Joint Playground Committee as follows: Representing the Civic League: *Mrs. Wm. E. Bramhall, Mrs. Alex. Barclay, Mrs. W. E. Howard. Representing the Commercial < Hub: Frederick G. Bradbury, Secretary, Paul N. Myers, Treasurer, Bishop II. Schriber. Frederick Nussbaumer, Superintendent of Public Parks. Arthur W. Dunning, M.D., Chairman. Each one of this committee was also a member of a larger committee in each organization. Profiting by the inauspicious beginnings of the two small playgrounds, they decided that the enterprise should be a municipal one, and following this idea, the committee appeared before the City Conference Committee and received an appropriation of $2,500 for the purpose of starting a system of public playgrounds. 4. Hwv- Land Was Secured. The city owned an old haymarket site 125 x 300 feet in area, comprising half of a small block. This site was turned over to the Committee to be used as a playground. ♦Replacing Mrs. Hamlin who went to Chicago to engage in philanthropic work. 91 < o H P Q K O c3 92 THE EVOLUTION OF ST. PAUL PLAYGROUNDS 93 5. Supervision. From previous experience, having determined that supervision was the most valuable feature to successful playground operation, the committee secured a trained supervisor. COMO A\ZEA/UE PL/KYGROUA/D ST. P/KUL^M /A/AJ. A rth u r L e. t art d, ■Super- v/* • f When the work of construction was definitely outlined, it was dis- covered that the City Council had turned over to the Playground Committee, the land on which the city engineer had his storehouse and lumber yard. It was impossible to use the ground for both purposes or to dislodge the engineer; furthermore the piece of land was entirely too small and the rest of the block being built up, there was absolutely no chance for enlargement. 94 PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE AND PLAYCRAFT The situation is shown by the accompanying plan of the Corao Avenue Playground, I tt being the haymarkel site and (5) the city engineer's storeyard (page 93). After investigating the adjacent vacant lots, two triangles of land were discovered, (1) and (2) in the plan. These had been purchased by the Board of Park Commissioners in order to secure frontage lor the proposed boulevarding of Como Avenue. A plan showing possi- bilities for playground development of these triangles, which called for the alteration of the intervening streets, and exchange of block 4 for block 5, also vacant, was prepared and submitted to the Superintendent of Parks. The Superintendent had no objection to the use of this land provided no permanent improvements were included. As the plan called for perman- ent improvements, the matter was not presented to the Park Board until the Chairman of the Park Commission and creator of St. Paul Parks, the late Hon. J. A. Wheelock, returned to the city from a health trip. The matter was immediately submitted to him and received his heartiest com- mendation. In fact, he said, "I bought those pieces of land for a play- ground." Each member of the Park Board was visited with the plan and they authorized the use of the land in question as a playground. One of the hardest problems of the year was the exchange of plot 4 for plot 3 as each lot in 3 was owned by different people. A special appropriation was secured to make the engineer's yard .smaller and finally the exchange was effected without cost to the city. 6. Grading, Landscape Gardening and Buildings. About 1300 loads of filling and ^00 loads of loam were hauled in, bringing triangle l 2 up to grade. The borders were sodded and the edges seeded; 15 elm trees, 90 lilacs and 30 buckthorns were planted around the border, suggestive of a hedge, which was to be made by rilling in the interspaces when more money could be secured. The grading and landscape gardening was done at a cost of $457.'-29. A small playhouse, as shown in the illustrations, was erected at a cost of $815.04. The floor plan of this is seen on page 96 and the elevation opposite. The superstructure is of wood with shingled roof and drop siding. The outside is painted a dark bronze green, with lighter bronze green trimmings. The windows are large with diamond panes and red sashes. (We do not recommend red sashes for the red excites the boys, so that they try and see how near they can come to the sashes with slinjj; shots.) The inside walls show the planed siding and studding which are stained dark green. A cement floor 33 x 35 feet serves as a foundation to the building and also as a veranda, en- closed within which are the sand boxes. The overhanging roof gives partial protection from sun and storm. The building is divided into a large central play room 1(5 x 16 feet (which, owing to lack of other storage room was used at night for the storage of apparatus). At each side of the play room are toilet rooms for the boys and for the girls, each with shower bath and drinking water. 7. Play Equipment. The facilities for play included sand boxes, illustrated on page 97, a giant stride, a gymnasium frame made of old bridge beams, illustrated on page 99, a set of 9 swings on iron pipe frames, illustrated on page 98, a Flying Dutchman, illustrated on page 91, a steel horizontal and vaulting bar, a pair of basketball goals, a pair of parallel bars. Triangle 1 was used as a baseball diamond. The entire cost of this gymnasium apparatus and athletic supplies was $179.40, (it is needless to say that the work was home made and that most of it was done by the supervisor with the assistance of the children). However, the quality of most of the equipment was good, and most of it is still in use after six years' time. 95 96 PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE AND PLAYCRAFT 8. Opening Day. The city officials and council were invited to the dedication exercises and the playground was thrown open to the children. The Commercial Club was there. The Street Railway Company furnished a special car. The ladies of the Civic League served lunch and St. Paul's Model Playground was a reality. FLOOR PLAN OF SHELTER HOUSE St. Paul 9. Playground Benefit Baseball Game. Toward the latter part of the year, our $2,500 appropriation was rapidly diminishing and the Commercial Club arranged a benefit baseball game to be played with the Town and Countrv Club. This, too, was an excellent advertising feature and for two weeks the newspapers boomed the playground benefit game. Incidentally we netted $400. 10. Charter Amendment. By an act of the Minnesota legislature passed in 1899 and 1903, the judges of the district court appoint a committee of fifteen freeholders who act as a charter commission to frame and submit to popular election necessary amendments to the city charter. The Play- ground Committee went before this commission at its last meeting and THE EVOLUTION OF ST. PAUL PLAYGROUNDS 97 secured the insertion of the following amendment to the list of fourteen already drafted for last fall's election: To provide and maintain public playgrounds and places of recreation for children and to levy the necessary tax to support the same, not exceeding in any one year the sum of $10,000. SAND BOXES AND BLOCKS FOR THE LITTLE ONES St. Paul This much accomplished, another campaign of publicity was necessary, for in order to become operative each amendment required three-fifths of all the votes cast in the city. Failure to vote for an amendment is equal to a negative vote. The state and county officers were to be elected; some amendments to the state constitution, besides the fifteen charter amendments, were to be voted upon and altogether fifty crosses were required for the whole ticket. The chances" looked dubious for the measure at the "tail-end of the heap." Undaunted, the committee, headed by its Chairman, Dr. Dunning of the Commercial Club and Mrs. Bramhall, President of the Civic League, took up the task. Its amendment, along with the others, was considered by the ward improvement associations, women's clubs, civic associations, Q - o •J P o - cfi a2 98 THE EVOLUTION OF ST. PAUL PLAYGROUNDS 99 trade unions and other commercial bodies. The Ministers' Association took it up and some of the members preached playgrounds from their pul- pits. Letters from prominent people telling the value of playgrounds and the importance of the playground amendment were published. Each of the papers gave us editorial space. The committee, supervisor and park board delivered campaign speeches. Healthful Exercise i n t h e Open Air Away from the streets and alleys; cars and auto- mobiles Will you give us a place of our own like this ? Waste Bridge Material Converted for Use Total cost set up by contract, $65 A LEAF FROM THE DODGER USED IN THE PLAYGROUND CAMPAIGN St. Paul 11. The Children Secure Votes. All this we felt was falling short of accomplishment and it was decided to make a direct appeal to the voters, those interested in the 2.5,000 school children in the city. To this intentfcirculars and dodgers were prepared and made as attractive to chil- 100 PLAYGROl \l' ll < BNIQUE AND PLAYCRAFT dren and parents as we could devise. Obtaining permission from the school board, the leaflets Mere given out by the teachers to the children with instruc- tions to take them home to fathers and big brothers. Two weeks later the count was completed. Only six of the fifteen amendments passed and the playground measure showed a margin of seventeen votes. When the conference committee met to prepare the tax budget they gave us the charter limit of $10,000. The council first talked of cutting it down to $2,500, but such a storm of protest was raised that the full appropriation passed. The successful passage of the measure was attributed to the campaign- ing of the children. 12. Publicity. Of course the most effective factor in securing this favorable public sentiment was due to the successful playground work inaugurated and to the publicity given the playground movement. Throughout the season all possible use was made of the daily press. Editors and reporters were given the news before it became history. During the period of construction the different papers showed the progress of the work by means of half-tone illustrations. Our endeavor was always to keep the playgrounds in the public eye. An incomplete collection of local press clippings shows one hundred and sixty-three items as to playgrounds published during the first six months. Every addition to our equipment — every game played — every plan organized — everything, having any advertising value — was used. We tried to treat the papers impartially and planned to reach all sorts of readers by having playground news appear at different times in every department. In fact, one obliging city editor said he would "put our stuff in the want columns if we wished it." In addition also to printed matter 30 or more photographs and draw- ings together with 6 cartoons let the St. Paul people know that there was " something doing" all the time on the public playground. 13. Two Baseball Leagues Organized. In order to make use of the sporting columns, and interest, through them, all parts of the city, we organized a city baseball league, having a team in each of eight differ- ent wards. This, with another league of teams from the vicinity of the playground, made an aggregate of sixteen teams who played some weeks as many as twenty games. Percentages were kept and the leading teams of each league given a pennant at the end of the season. Some of the wames were played on this playground and some were played on vacant lots in various parts of the city. In order to successfully carry on the press work and organization of games the supervisor was obliged to spend most of his time away from the playground which seems to us to be the proper place for a general supervisor to spend most of his time. THE EVOLUTION OF ST.- P UiL- PL AYG-ROLXt>S 101 14. School Teams. The children in the Seheffer School were divided into three sides, the reds, whites and the blues. Each division had a bov and a girl team representing each grade. Games were scheduled and a record of points kept. The captains of each side were elected by- popular vote amid wild excitement. By making scholarship a necessary qualification to playing on the team this competition can be a great help to school work. One of the teachers said that already she had noticed a more regular attendance on the part of some boys. 15. Attexdaxce. The playground was kept open 72| days, the average attendance being for the mornings, 130; afternoons, 235; total, 365. 16. Fourth of July Play Festival. The Commercial Club, through its Playground Committee, has maintained for several years a Fourth of July Play Festival at the Public Baths. The supervisor of play- grounds was a member of this committee and appointed to confer with the Superintendent of the Public Baths, regarding the preparation of a program of sports. Two complete programs were made, one set of programs having for prizes gold and silver medals, while baseball bats, gloves, etc., were given for prizes for the other series of games. The Commercial Club raised some over $1,000.00 which was expended in giving the children a "free feed," bunches of small fire-crackers and for music and fireworks. The children from all over the city were assembled early in the morning near the city hall and marched over the bridge, down to Harriet Island, where, in the midst of the river, pandemonium reigned supreme. A WRESTLING MATCH 102 PLAYGROUND TL' UNIQUE AND PLAYCRAFT Nothing but very small fire-crackers and harmless noise makers were allowed on the Island. Any one transgressing was promptly ejected. The programs of athletic and aquatic sports kept the children busy and they were sent home early. This Fourth of July Plav Festival seems to be a happy solution of what to do with the children on our great National Holi- day. Not a single serious accident resulted from the Fourth of July cele- bration throughout the city, which is now an annual affair. KINDERGARTEN GAMES FOR THE LITTLE ONES St. Paul 17. Sources of St. Paul's Success. In summing up the first year of playgrounds in St. Paul, during which by far the most valuable work was done, I should say that their keynote of success was the cooperation of a great number of interested leagues, clubs, and allied associations. The joint committee was an enthusiastic body representing numerous THE EVOLUTION OF ST. PAUL PLAYGROUNDS 103 allied interests and the supervisor was allowed to work out the technical details and the disposition of his time to the best interests of the play- grounds. The Second Year of St. Paul's Playgrounds After the Playground Amendment was successfully passed, it was found that no provision had been made for the administration of the play- grounds. By a Charter provision, St. Paul is not allowed to create any new board or commission, or any salaried official thereof, hence the playgrounds must be administered by some board already in existence. 18. Park Board and Advisory Playground Committee. As the President of the Park Board seemed to be very favorably disposed to playgrounds it was thought best to put them under its charge, with an advisory committee of three persons to advise with the Board of Park Com- missioners, on all matters which related exclusively to Public Playgrounds. The mayor appoints annually an advisory committee to act on play- grounds . The Park Board handles the accounts and appoints a supervisor who devotes all his time to the supervision and technical operation. The mayor was given full authority to appoint this committee and it was supposed that he would appoint the ones who had done the work on the old joint committee. 19. Politics. Unfortunately, the mayor had some political debts to pav. Two or three different men were offered a place on the committee but refused to accept. Finally two were secured, but while these were very good men they had not been connected with the other committee and so were entirely inexperienced. The other position was tendered to one of the ladies of the Civic League, with a string tied to it that if she did not accept it would be offered to one of the men who had served on the previous committees. Naturally she did not care to accept the place. As a result of these appointments the playground movement lost both the backing of the Civic League and the Commercial Club and the advisory committee of three had absolutely no function other than that of giving advice. An advisory committee without official powers must have a substantial backing in order to carry weight. The work the second year consequentlv was much delayed and impeded by friction. At the request of the Park Board, the supervisor gave up his outside excursions, organizing teams, etc., and put in all his time on the one playground until the latter part of the summer when a new ground was opened. Considerable new apparatus was erected at the Como Avenue Playground including two giant strides, a set of baby swings, as illustrated in Chapter XXVI, a pair of parallel bars, a tennis set, and jumping standard. 20. Night Playgrounds. During the summer the playground was opened nights and two persons were expected to carry on the grounds from nine o'clock in the morning until half past eight at night. lilt PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE AND PLAYCRAFT The oighl work i^ very valuable as it gives the boys and girls who work daytimes an opportunity to use the grounds, but the disciplinary problems at night on an unfeneed playground are verv serious ones. It is absolutely impossible for two people to keep order on a three and one-half acre play- ground and at the same time carry on a verv highly organized system of games. Especially is this true when those same teachers have been actively at work in the playground a greater part of the day. About the middle of August on account of the opening of a new play- ground another assistant was secured and pending the delay in construction of the new grounds, he was utilized for a short time at the Como Avenue ground, and a number of teams as well as classes in horizontal bar, parallel bar, and other gymnastic work were organized. 21. Show t er Baths. The shower baths proved most popular in 1905. The average number of baths taken daily was: Boys, 56; girls, 27; total, 83. The two shower baths were worked to the limit of their capacity. Twice the number of baths could have been given had space permitted. 22. Playground Self- Government. In order to simplify the dis- cipline of the playground the children were formed into a body politic, a miniature municipality, with the power to elect their own officers and have a say in the making and enforcing of their own laws. One enterprising candidate for mayor formed his own party and got such a lead that no one else dared to start a party. It was also said that he promised political jobs to the available opposition candidates in addition to telling them that they had no hopes of victory. After some encouragement from the supervisor another candidate was found and a party formed to support him. The registra- tion commenced. All who were over eight and could read and write were allowed to vote. The electioneering was spir- ited. Ralph McNellis, the citi- zens' candidate for mayor, had some cards printed after the most approved municipal fashion. The playground shelter house was covered with posters. The election was by secret ballot and resulted in a victory for Sam Longfellow, the candidate for the playgrounds party. The election, however, was the main thing, There never seemed to be any time to get the council together, they were all too busy playing. ELECTION DAY AT COMO AVENUE PLAYGROUND THE EVOLUTION OF ST. PAUL PLAYGROUNDS 105 OFFICERS OF COMO AVENUE PLAYGROUND CITY We tried to get the Board of Park Commissioners to appropriate a small sum of money to the Juvenile City and have the children in return take the contract for cutting the grass, watering, assisting in clean- ing the grounds, etc., which seemed to us a very practical way of teaching municipal methods of handling money and the working of city governments. Incidentally the care of the grounds could be secured more cheaply than in any other way and the plan would give the juvenile officials some- thing to do. However, this plan did not appeal to the park board. I hope to see this plan w r orked in some city. With nothing to do, our juvenile officials pined and died officially. Such a condition does not seem so unfavorable to more mature incumbents! 23. The Playground School Athletic League. For a description of the activities of this League see Volume II. 24. From Report of Superintendent of Parks. 'The present organic act of the playground management is one of the most unsatisfactory of any of the departments of the city government. The powers of the play- ground committee under the city ordinance confined to an advisory capacity, do not serve as a stimulus to enthusiasm in their work. The development and care of the playgrounds should be placed in the hands of aggressive men and women, especially fitted for and interested in the work, with suffi- cient authority to care for, provide, and equip the playgrounds of the city outside of public parks." The purchase of a tract of land shown in plan on page 106 and the installation thereon of a set of iron pipe swings, see-saws, as per illustration on page 98, giant strides with a very small amount of grading completed the improvements for the second year. 25. Fighting the Street Railway to Save the Playground. People who know, say that the street railway in St. Paul own the city govern- ment. Early in the winter of the second year, the street railway conceived the idea of making an extension and laying tracks directly through the street which separates the two larger triangles of the Como Avenue play- ground. Largely through the efforts of Mr. George F. Fisher, of the play- ground committee, who aroused intense opposition to the scheme among the property owners in that part of the city, the street car tracks were put through on an adjoining street, thus preserving the possibility of improving the playground ultimately, according to the plan proposed. 10(1 PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE AND PLAYCRAPT M1RYUN0 ST 1Uft LELBIUO ROSC 5T PLAN OF ARLINGTON HILLS PLAYGROUND St. Paul 1. Elms. 2. Lombardy poplars. 3. Buckthorn hedge. 4. Lilacs. 5. Oaks. 6. Willow hedge and wire screen. 7. Sewer. 8. Water pipes. 9. Hose bibs. 10. Meter box. 26. Playground Extension. Early in the spring of the third year, the work of improving the Arlington Hills Playground according to plan above was commenced. This ground was very rough, having a hole where some street car barns formerly stood. The ground is graded level with the exception of the baseball diamond, which is lowered two and one-half feet, draining to the center where it is connected with the sewer. The banks on the sides make possible a skating rink in the winter. Outside the baseball diamond is an eighth of a mile running track; then a grassy slope to the upper level. The borders around the grounds are a few inches higher than the play space and covered with turf. Lilacs are grouped in appropriate places. Along the front of the grounds is a buckthorn hedge, while one side has a hedge of lilacs. A high wire fence at the top of the bank around the running track protects those using the playground apparatus from the batted balls. This provision and the fact that the baseball diamond is much lower than THE EVOLUTION OF ST. PAUL PLAYGROUNDS 107 the rest of the ground makes baseball in such small quarters possible, course the ball goes out into the street quite often. Of 27. Gymnastic Equipment. The gymnastic equipment installed includes 2 giant strides, 1 set of nine iron pipe swings, 1 set 4 see-saws with iron pipe frames, 1 iron pipe square gymnasium frame, with ladders, hori- zontal bar, climbing poles, climbing ropes, trick rings, etc. PLAN OF COMO PARK PLAYGROUND St. Paul This equipment cost about $500. The grading, surfacing, play space and running track with cinders and clay and placing concrete under swings and around giant strides cost about $2,500. The other landscape gardening outlined will be put in some time. Another playground was secured by exchanging seven lots belonging to the city, another unused haymarket site, and purchase of the remaining lots in the block. This, when improved, will make the largest playground in the interior of the city. The same plan of athletic work used in previous years was carried out earlv in the winter and a skating rink was made at the Arlington Hills playground. After I was called to a larger work in Denver, the physical director of the Y. M. C. A. was secured to devote half of his time to the supervision of the playgrounds. The Park Board has established, under the direction 108 PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE AND PLAY( RAFT of its Superintendent, a Large playground in one of the outlying parks, and one or two small pieces of land have been purchased to be improved as playgrounds. 28. Minnesota State Law. The State of Minnesota, in 1909, passed a new law permitting the cities of Duluth, Minneapolis, and St. Paul to issue bonds not to exceed one hundred thousand dollars for the purchase and equipment of playgrounds. These bonds are distributed through a period of four years, twenty-five thousand being available each year. St. Paul has taken advantage of this and will spend twenty-five thou- sand immediately for the purchase and improvement of two new play- grounds. The following statement regarding the duties of playground super- visors we made in the June number of Hygiene and Physical Education, page 34 1 : "In order to successfully carry on the press work and organization of games, the super- visor was obliged to spend most of his time away from the playground, which seems to be unfortunate as the playground is the proper place for a supervisor to spend most of his time." Lest the statement should be misunderstood, we would add that the supervisor of playgrounds, especially when the movement is young, is primarily an organizer, promoter and advertiser. The committee says, "Here is so much money; make and run a play- ground system." It would be as reasonable to expect the supervisor of playgrounds to spend his time on the playground under such circumstances, as to expect a superintendent of schools or a superintendent of parks to spend his time in any one school or park. A playground committee or association made up of social workers able and willing to attend to executive details, including publicity and outside organization of sports will enable the supervisor to devote more time to activities on the playground. The term, Director or Superintendent of Playgrounds, would more accurately indicate the place of the head of the playground system. "Children are not asking for playgrounds," and the supervisor or someone must go out and work up an attendance. "The child who cannot find his own amusement on the street isn't worth saving." Competition of the street and vacant lot in a medium-sized city makes playground operation difficult. To create public sentiment playgrounds must be constantly intruded before the eyes of the people by the public press, but if you expect the press itself to do the work you are seriously mistaken. The work devolves on the director. Most boards expect the supervisor to attend to all executive details, to keep the playground filled with children, playing under his personal supervision, and to find him at any one of the playgrounds at any hour of the day. Our advice is to have the expected duties defined and clearly stated in a contract to prevent any misunderstanding. rxr CHAPTER X\ An Ideal Development for a Playground ox an Irregular Tract of Land Between Five and Six Acres in Extent* Lorn a Higbee Lelaxd Playground Architect and Organizer The fullest possible utilization of a piece of land for play purposes is not in anv way inconsistent with its development as a work of outdoor art. In preparing this plan the play possibilities have, I think, been developed to the fullest extent consistent with the maintaining of landscape beauty. 1. Grades. The lowest grade called for is in the center of the ath- letic field, where two catch basins are to be placed for drainage of the left- hand half of the entire playground. The running track and 100-yard straightaway are each approximately the same grade, but higher than the athletic field, so that they drain into it. In winter time the entire surface of the athletic field and running tracks is to be flooded for skating and for coasting; the all-seasons coast being conducted down the shoot and around the running track, ending over the end of the straightaway running track, making a coast of about one-third of a mile. The boys' playground, the borders around the athletic field, and the borders outside the athletic field are all higher than these other two grades. The little children's playground and the girls' playground will be graded at still another level. The space taken up around the all-seasons coast, winter coast, neigh- borhood club house, dancing green, and the right-hand side of the girls' plavground is all on the grade given by following the natural slope of the land. Considerable of the apparatus in the girls' playground will be set up on a slope, the peculiar construction of this apparatus making this possible. 2. Walks and Tracks. The main entrance to the grounds and the plaza in front of the neighborhood club house and on the side should be of concrete. The slope of the walk at the right-hand side of the club house will give admirable opportunity for roller skating and small wagon ■coasting. In order to economize space, the walk and irregular one-quarter mile running track are combined with each other. This and the 100-yard straightaway track should be made of a combination of clay and cinders, or a combination of clay and certain kinds of sand is sometimes cheaper and nearly as efficient. *Reprinted from Hygiene and Physical Education, March, 1909. 109 110 A PLAYGROUND ON AN IRREGULAR TRACT OF LAND 111 The runways for jumping, for the baseball diamonds and playing sur- faces for boys', little children's and girls' playgrounds can be made of the same material, preferably of clay and cinders, and the playground surfaces should have a larger proportion of cinders than is used in the runways. 3. Fences. The entire field should be surrounded by a fence, the construction of which will depend upon the amount available for this pur- pose. An iron picket fence is best, but a very good substitute ean be made by attaching a strong fine mesh (not more than 2 ',-inch opening horizontally) field fencing attached by bolts to second hand 1\ or 2-inch iron pipe. This should be 5 or 6 feet high. Above this and very close to it should be sus- pended three strands of hog style barbed wire fencing. Chapter XVII (5) . There should be a fence around the boys' playground and around the little children's and the girls' playgrounds; and a fence around the running track would be very valuable during exhibit games and meets, but could be dispensed with, or a temporary fence could be made by setting permanent posts through which rope could be run whenever competition games were to be held. 4. Landscape Gardening. The entire grounds with the exception of walks, tracks, boys', little children's and girls' playgrounds, as well as the athletic field and tennis courts should be covered with turf. If the playground is not in a very populous district, it may be possible to maintain turf on the athletic field and girls' playground and on part of the little chil- dren's playground. The plan calls for the planting of over 100 elms and about 50 Carolina poplars together with some other trees and various hardy shrubs which are massed in corners. The little children's and girls' playgrounds should be surrounded with a high growing hedge and the boys' playground should be surrounded with a thorn hedge. If hedges are too expensive they can be replaced by hardy annual climbing vines, which will cover the fences around each enclosure. The fence around the entire ground should be covered with hardy vines or with annual climbers if the others are too expensive. The little children's playground and the girls' playground should be separated by a low fence covered with sweet peas. The walk should be bridged by an arched trellis and vines should be trained to run over this and over the fence concealing the disagreeable effect of the sharp corner, where the walk runs near the property line. 5. Play Facilities. Mr. Leland has assisted me in developing the various pieces of play equipment. Only those pieces of apparatus which we have proven by years of observation as play directors, to be most valu- able and interesting to the children, are suggested. The opinions and ex- perience also of such play authorities as Doctor Curtis, Joseph Lee and LIS PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE AND PLAYCRAFT Tl. others have been consulted in this study of play equipment. ne details of const ruction, and liow they can be made economically by home labor or local contractors will be dwelt upon later (Chapters XXV, XXVI). Boys' Playground. Combination (i. swings and gymnasium, consisting of six 1 1 fool swings, two pairs trick rings, one trapeze, one in- cline steel ladder, one incline steel wire cable ladder, two pairs incline steel sliding poles, one slide for life, leading to teeter ladder frame, one horizontal bar. Teeter ladder frame with four teeter ladders and attachment for slide for life. Volley hall and basketball courts. Tether pole tennis. Flying Dutchman. (iiant Stride. The traveling rings are planned to be suspended from wire cables stretched from the top of the climbing pole frame to another support on which is attached one of the basketball screens. This is a new piece of apparatus which has not been tested as yet and if it works successfully, it will entirely do away with the necessity of using square, iron pipe gym- nasium frames, as traveling rings are the only pieces of apparatus which cannot successfully be attached to straight line frames. Straight line frames are more economical of space and money and better adapted to make possible artistic landscape effects than square frames. BASEBALL BACK STOP 7. Girls' Playground. The girls have a combination gymnasium and swing frame similar to the boys only somewhat lower and containing only three swings and four teeter ladders, and omitting the horizontal bar, which I think of little use in the girls' playground. A PLAYGROUND ON AN lliUKcn.AH TRACT OF LAND US ( riant Stride. Tether pole tennis. Set of four see-saws. Girls' swings, including three I 1 and six S foot swings. Basketball goals and volley court. Playground slide and volley coast and slide and dancing green com- plete the equipment . *6 &" Joint Bacon Hntchings, Architect NEIGHBORHOOD CLUB HOUSE Central Park. Louisville 8. Little Children's Playground. The little children have a frame with two 8 foot wood seat swings and eight (> foot leather scat baby swings: also two small playground slides and a set of four see-saws, sand court and wading pool complete the equipment. !). For Boys and Men. Athletic field, space for several baseball diamonds, full sized, and field hockey field. 10. For All. Tennis courts, use of running track and athletic held, all-seasons coast, winter coast. A very good handhall court can lie developed against the side of the neighborhood club house. 11. Neighborhood Club House. This should include assembly hall, club rooms, branch of public library, baths, and small gymnasiums for use when it is impossible on account of had weather to use the outdoor play facilities. 12. General Remarks. The intention in this suggestive plan of treatment is to make the play facilities out-of-doors so attractive both summer and winter that there will he little need of indoor amusements and attrac- 114 PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE AND PLAYCRAFT tions. Unless I had at least $50,000 to $75,000 to expend on this ground exclusive of club house, I should not include a more elaborate outdoor gymnasium equipment. Such equipment as is outlined can be used almost to the fullest extent of its possibilities without requiring much of the atten- tion of the director, leaving his time free for the formation of athletic fields, teaching games, etc., which is much more important than the teaching of gymnastic stunts from a social and moral as well as physical standpoint. All of these pieces of play equipment, with the exception of all-seasons coast, roller coast and slide should be purchasable ready made from the machine companies, and set up ready for use for about $1,100 to $1,200. They can be made by local contractors from proper specifications for this sum if not less. Provided such a plan is feasible, wherever there is a lack of financial support, frames can be erected by local contractors and the apparatus to attach thereon made by manual training students of the public schools, working from properly prepared plans, or in case of extreme necessity the trades union people may be induced to contribute their ser- vices in erecting the frame, providing merchants' associations will contribute materials. A playground in Omaha, Neb., was equipped in this way. CHAPTER XVI Landscape Gardening 1. Trees. (a) For quick shade, the Carolina poplar is the best tree. This should be planted in alternation with other trees which grow more slowly and which live longer, such as elms and oaks. White maples also grow very quickly but are not as long lived as oaks and elms. We have never known of chestnut being used for playground purposes but think it would be admirable, the ripening of the chestnuts would be an never ending sort of delight. The chestnut, however, will not grow in soil where lime is present. In general, trees should be used which have a heavy rough bark, and if possible those with low branches should be selected, for sometime, it is to be hoped, they will grow so that the boys can build a playhouse in them. (b) Trees necessary for shade as well as beauty. (c) Should surround also each separate section of the playground. (d) In Germany they surround the larger playgrounds with several rows of trees, thus making it in effect a glade in a forest. 2. Grass. (a) Grass should be encouraged wherever possible. (6) In the larger playgrounds all the chief fields should be covered with grass. (c) Even in the smallest grounds, there is usually some strip or border where grass can be encouraged. 3. Flowers. (a) The larger grounds have the same possibilities as the parks, though they must be placed so as not to interfere with the activities. (b) In smaller grounds, flowers may be put around the flag pole, and about the buildings and fences. The children may be encouraged to tend them. 4. Vines. (a) The use of vines will be determined by the nature of the fences and buildings. (6) A wire fence can be made beautiful with morning-glory, honey- suckle, cypress or thumburgia, climbing pea or scarlet runner vines. (c) Virginia creeper will cover an ugly board fence so as to make it presentable. 115 11G PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE \M> PLAYCRAFT i(/) Wisteria, Kundz vine and ivy will cover the playground buildings if desired. u ) Morning-glory and Kundz vine will cover the trellises at the toilets or the frame over the sand bin. .5. Shrubs. Aboui the best shrub to use on playgrounds is the lilac. It is perfectly hardy, will grow almost anywhere, and the more it is picked and maltreated the more it spreads and grows. Forsvthia is valuable for planting along the side of walks. Hawthorn, deutzia. dogwood, bridal wreath, roses, sumach, viburnum, syringa, weigelia, snowball, common and Japanese, are all suitable for playground use. By having the children plant the seeds and grow the shrubs a playground could be made beautiful quite easily. We would suggest that the children be encouraged to secure, transplant and tame wild shrubs. (See article on " The Play Course in Landscape Gardening and Horticulture." Chapter XXIII). (a) ( Jreat possibilities in the use of shrubbery in large grounds. (6) Very restricted use in small grounds. (c) It is very desirable that the girls' playground especially should be screened from public gaze. If there is an iron picket fence, a few feet of shrubbery just inside it will serve to make the playground exclusive. (d) A border of shrubbery can also often be used effectively imme- diately about the building. (5. Rules for Landscape Gardening. It is impossible to make a landscape architect by means of writing upon the subject because it is all or largely a matter of composition. Nature is the best teacher. When trees, plants, shrubs and flowers are arranged in the way Mother Nature does it, the affect cannot help being artistic. Landscape gardening is used for the production of beautiful pictures. One has to know what these would be. In general the aim should be to conceal all unsightly objects, buildings, etc., and to bring into prominence anything of beauty such as a distant church spire, a hill or a mountain. It would be well to let the children experiment and try to imitate and reproduce beautiful views which they may see. This would give an never ending source of interest for excursions into the country. 7. The Use of Water. (a) There is an abundance of opportunity for water landscape effect in the large playgrounds through the use of lagoons and lakes. (b) There arc usually some possibilities from the wading pool and swimming pool in the smaller playground. Wherever possible, the landscape value of water should be made use of. Water seems to have an effect upon our subconscious mind, which is very valuable, especially in the noisy city. It suggests quiet, peace, repose and coolness. It is not necessary that there should be an ocean of it either. Perhaps the best use for water is in the wailing pool. Wherever^possible, LANDSCAPE GARDENING 117 the traditional form of the wading pool should be altered. Many parks have streams running through which might he utilized. A pool could be made by hollowing out a place in the natural course of the stream and covering the bottom with rocks, with about six inches to a foot of sand covering them. A background of spruces* would give tone to the picture and set off the naturalistic treatment. Rushes, water grasses and wild rice could fringe the further bank; between these and the trees quantities of cardinal Mowers and fringed gentians should be planted. On the near side of the wading pool is an appropriate place for a broad sand beach; at the small end of the pool may be placed an immense boulder where the children may play " Pilgrim Fathers Landing on Plymouth Rock," etc. A retaining wall in the rear may be covered with Boston ivy which grows from the ground below and also which runs down from the street above. This is applicable where the brook runs through a culvert under a street. Violets and other plants which love to grow beside the brook may be transplanted here and taken care of by the children. Courtesy Geo. A. Parker. AUTISTIC TENNIS COURTS Hartford, Conn. 8. Wading Pools for School Yards. Mr. Walter Hardy says in regard to wading pools: "No playground is complete unless it affords a ♦Conifers are not adapted to smoky cities. US PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE AND PLAYCRAFT chance for the children to gel their feet wet. Twice during the past summer we had rains heavy enough to fill a low spot in one corner of our playground with water which remained there all day. Nothing pleased the children more than to wade in this little pool. Even big girls twelve vears old, who at first thought themselves 'too big to go barefooted,' were soon in with the rest. Following the suggestion of this incident and the plan of the pools on the South Park playgrounds of Chicago. I believe it would be possible at very little expense to have a wading pool on even a school yard plav- ground. A man with team and scraper could soon lower a basin two feet deep and sixteen feet square which, lined with cement and a drain in the center, could be filled with fresh water every day." 9. Shade. Shade is absolutely essential to the successful conduct of a playground. This may often be furnished by means of awnings but it is our opinion that landscape gardening and the use of trees and vines should be prominent. The sketch on next page shows an easy method whereby swings may be shaded. The same principle may be applied to other features of apparatus. Mr. Walter E. Hardy, speaking of shade in an article in Playgrounds, says in part : 10. Playground Conditions Best When Like Country. "The most ideal conditions for freedom of play are to be found in the country where nature offers opportunities that harmonize with boy nature — shade, grass on which to roll and tumble, an old 'swimmin' hole,' trees in which to climb, and fields where he may run and romp. Then we at once conclude that city playgrounds should conform as nearly as possible to natural re- quirements. In our congested city population the lack of these natural places for play creates the need for artificial playgrounds." 11. Shade Absolutely Necessary. "Nearly all of the play centers now furnish opportunities for climbing and running, but the shade, grass, and water are lacking. In most places where playgrounds are started as experiments by private donation, in order to get them centrally located, they are opened up on some sun-baked schoolyard, with possibly a few 7 scrawny trees around the outside, no water near, and no grass. Apparatus, such as swings, teeters, ladders, etc., and a bare, heat-reflecting open space for massed games, are common to all such playgrounds as I have seen. Such an equipment would tax the ingenuity of the most re- sourceful director to hold the interest of the children during the hottest days of summer, when every game that calls for violent exercise in the hot sun is sure to result in some child having a headache, nose-bleed or sunstroke. "My observations have been that the shaded apparatus is most used by the children. Swings hanging in the sun on our playground in Kalama- zoo, Michigan, last summer, remained empty, while those in the shade were being used. As soon as the afternoon shade from the schoolhouse reached the hot, empty teeters they became filled. Sand piles in the open sun dry out and are of little use. The largest crowds came to play on cloudy and cool days. On those days all of the apparatus was in constant use, LANDSCAPE GARDENING 119 LET NATURE FURNISH SHADE besides the enthusiasm that was shown in the team games, story hours and quiet circle games, all of which goes to prove that playgrounds should be provided with plenty of shade. If trees are not to be had, tents and canvas coverings will serve the purpose, and should be placed over the sand piles and apparatus, in part at least. The tents appeal to the child's imagination and may, in consequence, be put to various uses. A piano, if one is provided, should be under this shaded area, to be used in many of the games, marches and dances." CHAPTER XVII Fences and Hedges* 1. Reasons for Fencing Playgrounds: (a) Protection of the trees, flowers and shrubbery. (b) Keeping out lawless gangs and toughs, and helping in discipline. (c) Protecting the girls and little children from annoyance. (<•/) The protection of the apparatus and preventing the congregation of undesirables on the playgrounds at night. The question is often asked can a playground be run without a fence ? In answer to this, we would say that it is not an impossibility. The play- grounds of St. Paul have been run without fences for a number of vears. This is the way we did it. All the apparatus was taken in at night. Two or three nights a week the supervisor had his assistant go away and leave him in the build- ing, where he staved until children and others congregated. When a sufficient crowd had assembled the supervisor appeared and sent them home. After several weeks of this the children got the idea that he lived in the shanty, so that it was not necessary to watch it closely. We think it is cheaper to have a fence. The supervisor has more important business to attend to, and very little dependence can be placed upon casual visits of the police. W T e never would recommend the establishment of an unfenced playground. Aside from the maintenance of order there is a psychological value to a fence which cannot be over-estimated. It transforms the playground from the vacant lot and gives something which the children belong to so that the maintenance of discipline is much easier. ARTISTIC l'KNCE POSTS (Chicago small parks) *See Article by John H. Chace, Playground, November 1908-January, 1901. 120 fences and hedges 121 2. Kinds of Fencing, («) The steel picket is the most common. It is very expensive. Chicago playgrounds show best example. {/>) A wire feme covered with vines is much cheaper and seems to serve equally well and need not he a disfigurement to the grounds. It can, in fact, be made a decided ornament by covering it with vines. (c) Evergreen hedge or privet, reinforced with wire, makes an ex- cellent fence. ;{. The ( tates. The gates should be of a kind that cannot be easily climbed over and should be closed at a certain hour every night. 4. Hedges. (a) In general, hedges are very much cheaper, harder to climb and are much more beautiful than picket fences, and shut out the gaze of unde- sirable spectators. (b) They will need to be reinforced by a wire fence at the beginning. (c) Some form of evergreen privet seems to serve the purpose best in the North. (d) Prickly barberries make a good low hedge to protect grass areas and keep the children in the path. We have always used buckthorn for hedges. This, however, is quite expensive and the buckthorn is rather a difficult shrub to grow. Japanese barberry makes a very good hedge and is suitable for separating the interior parts of the playground, but not so good for the outside. We have been experimenting with hawthorn which if it proves suc- cessful ought to be the best hedge for New England, where it grows wild. The hawthorn will grow on very poor sandy soil. We have a hedge set out two years ago, taking the plants direct from the woods. We did not prepare the soil and watered but once. Only a few died in spite of hot, dry summers. If any of our readers should desire to plant a hawthorn hedge we should be glad to furnish them with sample plants at cost of collecting them from the woods. The hawthorn is about the toughest shrub which grows. When the branches are green it is absolutely impossible to break them across. 5. Wire Fence and Specifications. Specifications For fencing: The meshes of the fence must have no openings horizontally over two inches wide. The openings vertically must not be longer than tour inches. It the style of fence is cable field fence, the horizontal cables must be made of not smaller than No. l'2l steel wire, placed every four inches of height. Cross wires must not be smaller than No. 14 steel wire. If the tending is made of electrically welded steel strands, the wire must not be smaller than No. 11. All fencing must be galvanized and in first-class condition. 122 im. vy<;hoi \d i i:< n\nji i; \\d \-\.\\ en \i r Specifications for posN: All posts except corner posts and braces must be of sound second-hand or new l§-inch pipe, which lias Bad the rust thoroughly cleaned off and a coating of asphaltum or elaterite paint applied. All corner posts must lie made of sound, second-hand or new 2£- inch pipe, cleaned and painted as specified above. All braces must be made of second-hand or new 2-inch pipe, cleaned and painted as specified above. Specifications for erecting the fence: Bach corner must be braced both ways with 2-inch pipe as specified in the drawing. Each fence post shall be anchored as specified in the drawing. Midway in each stretch of fence which is over 100 feet long, the post at this point shall be braced both ways with 2-inch pipe anchored as shown in the drawing. Posts shall be placed 1(5 feet apart. Specifications for placing barb wire: The 58-inch fence must have a strand of barb wire, hog style, fastened with bolts to each post, one and one-half inches above the top of the fencing. The 48-inch fence shall have in addition to the strand of barb ware mentioned above, two additional strands, bolted to each post at distances respectively 2 inches and 4 inches above the first strand. Specifications for attaching fencing: The fencing must be secured to the posts by means of bolts and wires. The lower border of the fence must be placed one and one-half inches above the ground and the whole fence thoroughly stretched and erected in a first-class and workmanship faslnon. /3/rce ofA-^H»»tf-P/p« for ATOATHJiENVER PLAYIMOUNJ) 7i ,.,r jo r. wm /.► f„.r e ,«cr«j Mm* i *f ill H i m tt. Hay Bmrk+j Witt. TJ^»/l.*T W/XH '••rf 0»*1 C»|r *t >'tj L a — 'i /"•«• / no lift PLAN OF A SERVICEABLE AND ECONOMICAL FENCE Cost 40c. per foot erected by contract in Denver. Could be erected by day labor for 20c. per foot. Specifications for gates: All gates must be made of one and one-quarter inch pipe with malleable fittings as shown in the plan. If they have a steel gate which can be altered so as to permit the necessary strands of barb wire being placed on top, have them give us a price on both the steel gates and the iron pipe gates made according to the specifications. The gates must be secured to the post in such a fashion that it will be impossible for the boys to take them off, or work them loose. They must be braced as shown in plan and another brace at right angles to this must be used on the side where the gate swings. CHAPTER XVIII * Los Angeles Playgrounds and Buildings A. Playgrounds and Operation Los Angeles represents the final consummation of the combination of the playground and the social settlement. The country at large has much to learn from this city. Chicago has developed its wonderful system of field houses and recreation parks on a gigantic scale. Los Angeles was the first city to adapt these to the conditions which obtain outside the largest cities. Through the kindness of Miss Bessie D. Stoddart and Mr. Raitt, we are enabled to reproduce specifications and plans of these buildings as well as photographs. For other matter regarding supervision of Los Angeles playgrounds and the playground commission, see Volume II. field house at echo park playground Los Angeles One of the most valuable features of the work in Los Angeles is the fact that the playground directors live on the grounds. In this connection, Miss Stoddart says: "We find it most important to have the man in charge of a playground resident upon it. This insures perfect care of the apparatus, and abso- lutely no interference with grounds when they are closed. Far more than this, however, is the factor of the resident director being a part of the ♦Compiled from reports and letters. 123 H4 LOS ANGELES PLAYGROUNDS AND BUILDINGS 125 POUCH OF SUPERINTENDENT'S BUNGALOW RESIDENCE Los Angeles neighborhood. He is one with the people. His home becomes a nucleus of social life in the community. The playground possesses the craving feature of the settlement, the home atmosphere and influence. " In the recreation center, we have an artistic little apartment of five rooms and hath for the resident manager and his wife. At Echo Park Playground, Mr. Best and his sister. Miss Best, occupy certain rooms in the Club House, but a bungalow residence will be erected there the coming fiscal year. So much evening work makes it almost imperative to have residents." LIVING ROOM OF SUPERINTENDENT Los Angele? 126 PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE AND PLAYCRAI T Playgrounds Nos. 1 and 2 The children and young people have enjoyed to the utmost the games, sports, and gymnastic drill, and free play upon swings, see-saws, Maypoles, and other apparatus, which these grounds provide. The little folks have amused themselves in the sand boxes, playing with the large blocks, while the adults have found pleasure in watching all that Avas going on. Count being taken once during the day of those present, 53,948 represents the at- tendance for one year. Little gardens were cultivated to the number of fortv-eight, and the children proudly carried home their products of vegetables and flowers. A system of daily marking for care and neatness was instituted, and in June prizes were awarded to those whose gardens showed the most faithful and diligent attention. The grounds are open all day during vacations, and on Saturdays and holidays, and from two o'clock until dark on school days. On Sunday CCHCPARK PLAYGROUND PLAN OF ECHO PARK PLAYGROUND Los Angeles By C. B. Raitt, Supt. LOS ANGELES PLAYGROUNDS AND Hill. DINGS H7 afternoons, though there are no match games or gymnasium work, the place becomes a park for the families of the neighborhood. The play- ground has been open during the noon hour on school days to accommodate the 83.5 children of the near-by Seventh Street School, where the yards are very small. The kindergarten of the school, too, frequently employs a morning at the grounds. The .'500 girls of the Boyle Heights Orphanage, just across the river, at intervals spend a whole day on the playground, bringing luncheon with them. Interest in girls' games and athletics was greatly stimulated by the creation of the position of assistant, who had charge of girls' work, dividing her time between Playgrounds Xo. 1 and No. -2. One of the chief features at both playgrounds was the organization of basketball teams. And an interesting outgrowth of this was instruction in sewing, the girls bringing DO ©' © © o to the grounds material for their suits, and being taught how to make them. The care of the little children, the leadership of older girls in their games, athletics and gymnasium work, demand that each ground have a woman assistant. 1. Visiting Nurse's Headquarters. Adjoining the superintend- ent's bungalow is the station of one of the city visiting nurses, working under the auspices of the College Settlement, and in close connection with the City Health Department. Besides the district work, this nurse has charge of the school nurse work of the Seventh Street School. -2. ('lib House. The building for indoor recreation was finished this year. It is an artistic bungalow, the main room of which is about 25 \ 36 feet, with one end elevated as a stage. A large open fireplace, many windows and electric lights, together with chairs and tables for grown people and children, make this a pleasant place for meeting. A small club room, a dressing-room, a kitchen and a storeroom complete the house. 3. Playground Library. The work which the Public Library began in the summer of 1906, continued out-of-doors two afternoons a week throughout the winter, but when the Club House was opened it found accommodation there. We have 183 books from the city library, and about 800 discards. The city books are circulated only among those having regular city cards. For the discards we issue a playground library card. We have issued 551 of these cards. 4. The Story Hour. The story hour has been from the first a source of great interest, and has created a demand for books which other- wise would not have been read. But during the past few months the time has been^sQ taken up at the desk thai the stories have been almosl entirely discontinued. 5. Girls' Club. The girl's scrap-book club has been cutting and pasting magazine pictures into books made by themselves. They have made twenty-five. in "a; bo a i— i i m H H M PQ 3 I— < o ft? Si ft. c o 128 LOS ANGELES PLAYGROUNDS AND BUILDINGS 129 ECHO PARK PLAYGROUND CLUB HOUSE Los Angeles 1 story in front, 2 in rear It has been the aim to teach respect for books and the proper care of them, to uphold the dignity of the library, and to inculcate feelings of civic pride and responsibility in all who come in contact with the library. 6. Boys' Club. Miss Belle Parsons has been very successfully directing a club of boys from eight to thirteen years of age called "King Arthur's Knights," organized for the study of Knights and Chivalry. There are thirtv-four members. Thev have regular readings from the best books on the subject, and from the study of legends and pictures have made arms and armor and spend a part of each meeting in outdoor practice of knightlv games. A grand tournament will be given in December, after which the club will take up the reading of Greek hero tales and their dramatization. B. Celebrations During the Year 1. Christmas. On December 29th, Christ Church Sunday school entertained about 500 children at the playground. A beautiful Christmas tree was placed outdoors, around which the children's choir sang carols. Mr. Baker P. Lee gave an interesting talk to the young people, after which gifts and candy were distributed. The candy was kindly furnished by Bishop & Company, and Kahn-Beck Company, while Hamburger & Sons provided a share of the toys. 2. Circus Day. On April 10th the Los Angeles Examiner gave a children's day at Sells-Floto Circus. About 300 children and 50 adults from the playground neighborhood enjoyed this treat. Mr. Howard E. Huntington kindly furnished four special cars for transportation. ■e Si 53 130 LOS ANGELES PLAYGROUNDS AND BUILDINGS 1.51 3. Opening of Field House. On April 13th the new recreation building was formally opened. As public library work was to be one of its chief activities. Doctor Jones of the library staff, and Mr. Giffen of the library hoard, made the addresses of the day. The pretty bungalow had been decorated by the boys with wild poppies. Tea was served, and the building was inspected by I lie visitors. TEETER BOARDS ON VACATION PLAYGROUND Los Angeles 4. Fourth of July. Park Commissioner Humphreys and Council- man Heal}', of the Fourth of July Committee, arranged a band concert for this occasion, together with a patriotic address by Mr. E. J. Harper. The same gentlemen also personally provided, at their own expense, a treat of ice-lemonade for the 500 children present. An interesting exhibition by the Polytechnic (iymnasiuni Club, led by Mr. (). S. Lowsley. added to the pleasure of the occasion. 5. Annual Inter-Playground Track Meet. On September 14th, to mark the close of the Vacation Plavgrounds, teams from Plavgrounds No. 1 and No. "2, and from New Macy and Utah Vacation Playgrounds, held an interesting contest, for which Ihev had been training during the summer. (J. Special Features. Other features of the work in Los Angeles are: bowling alleys, pets, such 'as rabbits, pigeons, etc.. aquarium, self- government, physical examinations, lecture course, musical and dramatic organization. At Echo Park Playground there is a bows' brass band, a girls' brass band, a mixed orchestra and a mandolin and guitar orchestra. At the Recreation center there is the choral class and the bugle and drum 132 LOS ANGELES PLAYGROUNDS AND BUILDINGS 133 corps. It is planned to have dramatics on all the grounds. Walks into the country and camps are also planned for this season. The playground is a branch of the public library. It is possible to carry on such a work through the assistance of voluntary helpers who aid the paid workers. C. Los Angeles Buildings The Chicago buildings are described in Chapter X; more applicable to the small city is the Los Angeles style of building which we are able to show in detail together with plans and specifications. Miss Stoddart says : 1. Club House. "The contract of our latest club house at Slauson Avenue Playground has just been let for $8,885. This will be located in a four and one-half acre playground, which will have an equipment of an outdoor gymnasium, ball field, handball, basketball, croquet, play apparatus, gardens, wading pool, and in time a bungalow residence for the director. Planting will surround the building. A feature which we think will prove a great saving in time and exertion is the device for storing the chairs under the stage, when the hall needs to be cleared (which will be the greater part of the time) . The steps up to the stage hinge back and trucks under the stage can be pulled out, the folding chairs laid flat on them and the trucks be pushed back out of the way. So the transformation from a lecture hall to drill or club room can be made very quickly. The new club house will have plaster and half timber exterior, as is the case with the club house at Playground No. 2; the club rooms and kitchen will be used for residence of director until his bungalow residence shall be built, as we firmly believe in having the director a resident. 2. Recreation Center. : 'The cost of the building was less than $21,000. It w T as built in the hard times when materials and labor were low and is really about a $30,000 building. The extra cost of apparatus, running track, bowling alley, lockers, furniture, $5,600 extra. On the drawings no note is made of mezzanine rooms over the kitchen and library; one is the physical instructor's room for measurements, private shower, etc., the other, a small club room. "Alterations suggested by experience: I would say that the stage should be wider, and library room and club room in mezzanine larger. We changed the plans as follows: Main entrance basement floor we made one large lobby with stairs ascending (instead of club room and hall as indi- cated on the plan) . Where these stairs lead to the gymnasium, we left out toilet and made wide double doors into gymnasium; also cut doors \Jor outside and ran iron stairway down to the ground. Until other parts of^the •■ ■«■ jr- ■ t 134 LOS ANGELES PLAYGROUNDS AM) BUILDINGS 135 Crconv Floor- Plaa ^Vv-niciPAL Rccrcatio/i (brrcR. liUAT. Eager. ^Bub/v Arjcmsjcctj. I3A.5E/*\c/vr Fla/i ~ PLAN OF SECOND FLOOR AND BASEMENT OF MUNICIPAL RECREATION CENTER Los Angeles building are added, present entrance to gymnasium (not indicated on drawing) is with outside iron stairway and porch to large doors in side of gymnasium*?- 3. Specifications of Municipal Recreation Center. Bids: . . . . Bids will be received as a whole. Also with certain omissions as noted at beginning of specifications. 13(*» PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE AND PLAYCRAFT Kl s| kv \tions: TJiere will be reserved from the general contract, the following items: — The curved form and finished running track floor. The howling alleys. The lockers and seats in locker room. EXCAVATIONS (Read General Conditiom) Establish the grade line at the building approximately corresponding with the present grade, as directed by the Superintendent, and excavate i'or basement and foundations as shown by plans and sections. Vuxsnoanv J\jm.\vm. Recreoxh (bum. J$r AnGnx;. PLAN OF GYMNASIUM, AUDITORIUM AND PROPOSED ADDITIONS LOS ANGELES PLAYGROUNDS AND BUILDINGS 137 Fill in around the walls after they are up to established grade and settle with water and tamp the hack tilling well into place. Deposit such portion of the top soil, as directed by Superintendent, on the premises for use in grading by others, and remove all surplus earth from the premises and adjacent streets. Should any old vaults or other excavations come within the building area, clean them out and 611 in to bottom of basement floor with clean gravel, and thoroughly puddled with water. CONCRETE (Read General Conditions) All footings for walls and piers will be of concrete composed of one part Portland Cement, two parts clean, sharp sand, and four parts crushed stone or screened gravel — all by measurement. The cement to be of some well-known and tried brand approved by architects; the stone — granite or other hard stone — none larger than will pass through a 2" ring, with the dust screened out. Thoroughly mix the cement and sand dry, add sufficient water to form a mortar of the proper consistency and thoroughly mix the same, then add the stone or gravel and cut and turn over the entire mass three times until each piece of stone is fully coated with the mortar. All mixing shall be done on a tight board platform and measurements shall be made by the use of boxes to the satisfaction of the Superintendent. After mixing, dump the mass into the trenches and tamp with a metal paving tamp until the water flushes to the surface and all interstices are thoroughly filled. Provide good dressed plank forms for all footings and leave them in place until the concrete is thoroughly set. Forms shall not be removed until directed by Superintendent. Should old excavations be found under walls, fill them from bottom with concrete or provide such reinforcing members in footings as required for support of walls above. CEMENT WORK (Read General Conditions) The floors in basement, marked "Cement Floors" on plans will have a 3" bed of con- crete as described for footings and a finish coat \" thick composed of three parts cement to five parts sand, troweled down to a smooth, hard, uniform finish and blocked off into squares of not more than 16 square feet. In the bowling alley, finish the surface of all floors, except under the alleys proper, where the rough concrete bed will be dropped below floor level as noted and left without top surface. Where Terrazzo floors are noted in shower room, clinic room and entrance vestibule, put in 3" bed of grouting as above specified, leaving the top surface 2" below finished floor line. Grade the floor of shower room to pitch as directed and form the pockets for showers. In apartments where cement floors are used, form up a cement base all around the walls 6" high, finished with a sanitary cove at floor. Make cement plinths ^" wider than trim with face \" in front of face of trim. Steps to outside basement entrances will be of cement, formed up to concrete as for floors with a finish coat -}" thick. The outside of brick basement walls which come in contact with the earth to be plas- tered with a |" coat of three parts cement, five parts sand with three per cent by weight of Medusa Waterproofing Compound added to and thoroughly mixed with the cement accord- ing to the instructions of the manufacturers, this coating to extend from footings to top of base around building, including wash of base. Form up copings around basement stairs of concrete and finish the surface, also finish the inside face of walls of step areas. BRICK WORK (Read General Conditions) Foundation walls and area walls for basement entrances up to grade fine, and all other walls shown as "brick" on drawings to be built of good, hard common brick, no soft or salmon brick will be allowed on the premises. All brick to be laid in the best manner of "Shoved" work— i. e., each brick laid down in a thick bed of mortar and shoved into position ami all joints thoroughly filled with mor- 138 PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE .VXD PLAYCRAFT tar. Neatly strike tlic face joints of unplastered brick walls (the inside of brick walls in furnace room and store room will not be plastered). Where walls are to be plastered both exterior and interior, leave the joints rough. Bond all brick work with headers every six courses in height. Mortar for brick work in general to be composed of freshly burned, thoroughly slaked Mini cooled lime, and clean sharp sand in proportions to insure a first-class mortar. For the outside basement walls below grade line and the area walls, use one-half barrel of Portland Cement to each yard of mortar. Smoothly strike the joints of inside faces of ventilating stack. Build all fireplaces and trimmer arches as required by city ordinances. Line the smoke flues throughout their entire length with fireclay Hue lining of sizes shown on plans, and extend these linings 2" above top of chimneys. Provide sheet iron thimbles at all Hues where there are no open fireplaces, anil clean outs at bottom of flues where directed. Lay up all walls to a line and level them up to proper heights. In no case shall any portion of the work be carried more than six feet above that already built, and such work must be racked back 4" on each course. Leave channels or openings in walls where shown or directed for pipes, etc., wall in all nailing blocks, bond timbers, templates, anchors, lintels, etc., coming in the brick work. Set the centers for all arches and leave them in place until the brick work is thoroughly set . (Over the walls for protection from the weather at all necessary times. Form up the sill courses as directed. At completion, clean down the faces of unplastered walls, and clean up and remove all masons' rubbish from the premises and streets. Build the brick portion of mantels as shown by details, and line the fireplaces with fire brick of best quality. Build hearths of brick to correspond with facings. PLASTERING (Read General Conditions) Interior Plastering: The brick walls of furnace room and store room in basement, and the ceiling of gym- nasium and the soffits of running track gallery will be unplastered. The remainder of the interior of the building will be plastered as follows: Lath the ceilings of furnace room, clinic and shower rooms and stud partition of shower room and bath room and kitchen wainscot with No. 24 Western Expanded Metal lath dipped in Wood Perserving Company's preservative, nailed every 8" with galvanized iron nails or staples, the joints properly lapped and securely fastened down. Lath all other ceilings and stud partitions with best quality O. P. lath, breaking joints every tenth lath. No loose pieces to be nailed between studding or joists. Lath to be placed f" apart and nailed at each bearing with 3d. blue nail. Plaster the ceiling of furnace room with a first coat composed of six parts well haired lime mortar and one part (measurement dry) approved Portland cement; and a second coat of three parts lime mortar without hair, H parts clean sharp sand and l\ parts Port- land cement (all by measurement dry). Plaster the walls and ceiling of shower room and clinic room, and wainscot of second story bath and kitchens with Best's Keenes Cement, with a smooth finish for enameling, put on according to the manufacturer's instructions in the best manner. Round the corners and angles in these apartments. Plastering on wood lath to consist of two coats, the first of brown mortar, composed of Red Star or other lime approved by Superintendent, clear sharp sand, and good long jute mixed in proper proportions and well manipulated. This plaster to be made up at least ten days before using. The second coat to be composed of lime putty and clean, screened sand in proper proportions and floated up to a true, straight, uniform surface with a fine sand finish. Office on Mezzanine floor to be a smooth troweled finish. All exposed angles to have Cook's metal corner strips. All plastering must be free from stains, blisters, chip cracks or other defects. Plaster close down to the floors, and close up to all grounds and openings. Put up the ornamental plaster work at stage opening, forming up the columns and molds as detailed, and furnish and put up the capitals and bases of the columns and pilasters LOS ANGELES PLAYGROUNDS AND BUILDINGS L39 adjacent. Use metal lath in forming up this work, following as nearly as practicable the finished profile with the furring. Use metal lath over all lintels, channels ami at such other points as may he required to prevent cracking of plaster where different materials are joined. Kxtkriok Plastering: The entire outside of the building will he plastered as follows: ( .'5 parts good lime mortar (no hair) First Coat J \\ parts clean, sharp sand f 1 1 parts in hulk dry. Imported Portland Cement This coat to he carefully rodded and trued up and afterward given a slap dash coat, covering the entire surface composed of: L 2 parts lime mortar 1 \ parts sand H parts Imported Cement In each coat of plaster use Medusa or Richard's Waterproofing Compound in pro- portions and as directed by the manufacturers. The Contractor must guarantee the plastering waterproof and proof against "Salt- petering" or the working out of the alkali from the brick. Form up and run the label molds over openings. These label molds, all belt and sill courses and the reveals of all openings to have a carpet float finish. The exposed corners of basement story and all basement openings, also the entrance to gymnasium shall have metal corner strips well secured into brick joints. Plaster the outside of penthouses and exposed portions of wall from gymnasium roof to floor of roof garden, also soffit of main cornice, in same manner as brick work, except that a scratch coat composed of six parts well haired lime mortar to one part (dry bulk) of Imported Portland cement shall be used, and the other two coats applied same as on brick. This work to be done on metal lath as above noted. Plaster inside of entrance porch same a- exterior walls. CARPENTER WORK * Head General Conditions) The Carpenter is to render all general assistance to Contractors of other crafts that the Architects may consider usual or necessary. He is to prove all measurements (although made by other craftsmen and contractors) which are fundamental to his work. There is to be no smoking inside of the building, or spitting of tobacco juice on the floors or into the registers. Lumber: All lumber used for framing is to be first quality (). P. All lumber to be used for other purposes to lie as hereafter mentioned. All lumber to be free from saps, shakes, knots, twists or other defects that may render it unserviceable. Joists: Joists throughout will be of sizes figured on plans, run and spaced as shown. Joists for running track gallery will be dressed on all exposed faces. Prepare the floor under toilet and shower room in Mezzanine for concrete ami Terrazzo floor. All joi-t- sized to an even width. Trimmer and trimmer heads are to be double, like- wise double joists under cross partitions; all headers carried on Van Dorn metal joist hangers; also certain joists as noted on drawings. Anchor the joists into the brick walls and tic the anchor joists together over bearings as required by the Building Ordinances. Furnish the anchors and joist hangers. All joists, including ceilings, are to be bridged with -2" x :5" double cross herring bone style bridging, placed so that the distance between two rows of bridging, or between a row of bridging and a bearing shall not exceed 6' 0": all nailed with four nails to each piece; lower ends nailed after floor is laid. Bridge solid over all bearing partitions. 140 PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE AND PLAYCRAFT Studdim;: Studs throughout to he of sizes figured on plans. All studding is to he placed 16" on centers. All openings douhle studded with double heads properly framed. Form truss braces over openings where the wall or partition carries joist. Fit in accurately fire stops to comply with the Fire Ordinance. All studding sized to an even width. All walls and partitions are to he braced and trussed as directed. All bridging to consist of 2" stuff of the width of studding, herring bone style, four nails to each piece, and to consist of two distinct rows in each story. Provide all required timbering, furring, etc., throughout to make the work complete. Set f" grounds at all openings, except where jambs are plastered round, base and wainscot throughout, to be put on perfectly accurate so as to form a guide to the plastering; ground at floor as well as at top. Rafters: Rafters of main roof over gymnasium will be 4" x 12", dressed, spaced as shown and secured to the steel trusses by heavy lag bolts at each end. Rafters for front part of building as figured on plans. Double all valley rafters. Flooring: All floors are to be double and are to consist of a sub-floor of 1" x 6" surfaced O. P. laid diagonally, joints cut over joists and in same direction, and boards nailed in each edge to each joist. \Yhen plastering is finished and interior finish is on, lay down on above one thickness of approved heavy felt paper. Contractor should take care that each width laps another, and the material is not torn up. The sub-floor of running track will be laid with 1" x 3" matched beaded ceiling, smooth side down. (The curved furring and floor for the finished running track will be put in by the builder of the track.) On top of the felt paper in the gymnasium, put down a floor of best grade, clear, white maple, boards \" thick, 2\" wide on face. No boards less than four feet long, and butt joints over joists. Throughout the remainder of building where wood floors are used, lay the top floors of thoroughly dry No. 1 1" x 4" vertical grained O. P. Top floors to run at right angles to joists where practicable. Maple flooring to be milled concave on bottom. Maple floor to be thoroughly dressed and smoothed ofl' for finishing after laying. Other floors to have the overwood and raised joints smoothed off to a true surface. Drive up each board tightly and nail thoroughly to each bearing. No weather colored flooring allowed. All lumber used for flooring to be No. 1 of the best quality, free from saps, knots or other defects and well seasoned. Sheathing: Sheath the gymnasium roof with lf"x(j" clear O. P., matched and Y-jointed as per details, laid smooth side down and thoroughly spiked to each rafter with three large spikes at each bearing. Sheath other roofs with 1" x 6" O. P., surfaced and laid close. Form the grades and valleys and line the gutters close as directed. Exterior Work: Build the cornices, pergola, flower boxes, penthouse, balustrades and other exterior woodwork, as shown by drawings, in the most substantial manner. Over the finished roof of front portion, put a floor formed of slats as shown, nailed to sleepers and leveled up by blocking from roof below at proper intervals. Provide and put up the flag poles of selected O. P. as shown. Each pole to have swivel blocks and pulleys of rustless metal and rustless metal chains or cords for operating the flags, with clamp device for securing the cords or chains at bottom. At the south side of roof garden, where shown, build a sand box of 2" O. P. dressed, made tight with sides 12" high. Slat platform need not extend under this box, but box will he blocked up from roof below and made level. Furnish and put up the wire screens, pipe rails and frames for same in connection with the roof garden. All material for this outside work to be best quality R. W. LOS ANGELES PLAYGROUNDS AND BUILDINGS 141 Slatted platforms to be of O. P. vertical grain, dressed. Other material for roof garden and pergola construction left rough for staining. .' , , ,• i Cornices to be dressed. Brackets to be of Stall" or Composition of best quality securely put up. Windows and Sashes: All box frames to be made of \" O. P. Sills 2" thick. Box frames to have pendulum of No. 24 galvanized iron securelv suspended from top. , Generallv, unless otherwise specified or shown, all sashes are to be hung with the best braided cotton sash cord and cast iron weights on ball bearing turned 2}" axle cast face pullevs, which are to be furnished by the Contractor. All sashes are to be made of sugar pine with ogee extensions to the upper sash. All meeting bars of wide sashes are to be made so as not to bend upon operating either sash. All parting beads plowed into frames. . All windows are to have openings covered by cheese cloth pending the drying ol the Frames for transom sash will be plain \\" frame and sash hung to swing as directed. Doors and Frames: Generallv, all interior frames are to be made of \\" O. P., carefully blocked at proper positions for the screwing on of lunges. Frames to have %" rabbit strip cut therein. All frames of width for lathing and plastering. All frames, unless otherwise noted, are to have hard O. P. door saddles. All interior doors are to be of 1£" thick sugar or Oregon pine, with horizontal, sunk, flat panels on each side; all prepared for natural finish. At stair from gvmnasiuni to basement, make good batten doors in three or four sections covering full length' of well hole and hinge them at wall side to swing up against wall. Provide them with counterweights, metal cords and pulleys and heavy flush lifts as directed. The fly doors to toilets and showers will be of clear, seasoned, kiln dried, quartered oak, made 'with extension stiles top and bottom and slatted between, hung and trimmed by Carpenter with hardware furnished by Owner. Transoms: Transoms throughout to be as shown, of same material as sash and same thickness as sash or doors over which they are used. Stairs : Carriages 2" rough O. P., 12" on centers, strongly supported. Treads of all interior staircases to be \\" vertical grained surfaced O. P., exterior edges nosed, interior edges grooved to receive risers. Risers to be \" surfaced O. P., each riser and tread to be housed into strings unless otherwise directed. Whole staircase made as per drawings, in a first-class manner and guaranteed not to creak. Hand rails on wall supported by metal brackets about 3 apart. Balustrade as per drawings. Boxing: Box up all soil and other pipes where exposed to view. Furnish the Plumber and Gas Fitter with all the required cleats, shelves and brackets. Do all required cutting for Plumber, and for ventilation and heating. Lxside Finish: The entire interior of the building is to be finished complete as regards finish and wainscoting, doors and windows and finished plastering, painting and varnishing. Excepting in clinic room, and second story bath, the entire interior woodwork to be of O. P., selected, clear and perfect, kiln dried, free from all defects and imperfections of anv description whatsoever, and made as per detail. All, including sash, doors and tran- soms, prepared for natural finish by hand smoothing and sand papering. Chnic room and second storv bathroom will be finished in clear white cedar for enameling. Doors to have a hard wood stop knob with India rubber tip. All windows are to have molded stools, aprons and plain square edged stops, except where otherwise shown or directed. Wainscoting, casing and base as per detail. Contractor shall furnish and put up a pair of "Perfect" sliding doors between stage and club room, with all necessary frames and hangers complete. Abo a vertical rolling parti- tion (Jas. G. Wilson Manufacture) at the stage opening. I W PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE AM) PLAYCBAFT Form proper coil boxes at sides of opening and fit and put up this partition to work perfectly; hardware to be furnished with same to match other hardware. Rolling partition to lie of same material as other interior woodwork. Hi nning Track: build the sprung girders for running track of clear, thoroughly seasoned, dressed 1" (). P., thoroughly nailed with lOd. nails. Put up the facing and nosing and form the channel for electric lights as directed. Support the girder by rods and I beams to wall as shown. Furnish and put up the iron standards, railing and wire guard around track; these standards to he spaced approxi- mately :i' 0" apart and bolted securely to the woodwork. Stage: Form u]) the gutter for footlights and the channel for border lights, and finish the front of the stage as shown. Cupboards, Lockers, Etc.: The lockers for the main Locker room in basement will be reserved from general con- tract and furnished by others. Build all other cupboards, shelves, mantels, lockers, hook cases, etc., shown by draw- ings. II \kdwahk: The Contractor to allow Two Hundred and Twenty-five Dollars ($225.00) for all trim- ming hardware and to prepare an accurate and detailed list of the goods required. The hardware will he selected by the Architects and after delivery to the Contractor he shall lie responsible for and shall apply the same as required in the building. Contractor is to furnish all nails, screws and rough hardware, sash weights and cords and all pulleys outside of the allowance made for trimming hardware, which will consist of the necessary hinges, locks and trimmings for doors, cupboards and drawers, and the sasli locks, lifts and hinges, and the screws necessary for putting the trimming hardware in place. Glazing: All glass in the entire building, except as noted, is to he -21 oz. American glass, first quality, free from blisters or waves. All glass to he well tinned, puttied and hack puttied, to be of No. 1 quality of its kind. Glass in certain windows and doors noted on drawings to be maze pattern. The glazing is to be done in the best workmanlike manner, and all glass left cleaned, whole and perfect at completion. SHEET METAL AND ROOFING (Read General Conditions) Make and put up securely the vent ducts in basement of No. 24 galvanized iron, joints to be locked and made thoroughly tight. Line the flower boxes and cover the copings of wood balustrades with same material turned down with drip at edges. Run a 1" pipe outlet from flower box linings as directed. Furnish and set cast iron register faces at openings into vent ducts of sizes shown — Tuttle i\. Bailey Manufacture, lattice design — these faces to be white Japanned finish. Make a galv. iron duct to cold air cupboard connecting with outside under buffet. In outside wall put a galv. wire screen \" mesh with wire fly screen behind it. At top con- nect by galv. iron duct with flue as directed, with flv screen at outlet. Make all rain water conductors and waterheads of No. '•if) galv. iron, conductors 2£" x 4", brought down to grade anil connected with underground leaders put in by others. Line the gutters for footlights and border lights at stage with I. C hright tin. Roofing: (over all roofs with Carey's Magnesia Flexible Cement Roofing. Roofing to be applied by careful workmen in accordance with the instructions furnished. The building to be prepared with dry, surfaced lumber; all knots, nail holes and other projections to be re- moved from sheathing before application of roofing is commenced. Lay the roofing with LOS ANGELES PLAYGROUNDS AND BUILDINGS 143 burlap side to the weather. The sheets are to be lapped together fully U" and nailed se- eurelv to roof boards with 1}" flat head galv. iron nails, with head at least V' in diameter; care being used to avoid driving nails through cracks. Nails must be driven \!" apart. After the roofing sheets have been nailed, cement the laps down over the nail heads and seams, making alt such connections absolutely water tight. Roof is then to he completed by painting entire upper burlap surface with Carey's Magnesia paint supplied for this purpose. Roof to be guaranteed for a term of ten years. Cornice covering formed with regular roofing and graded to catch basins over leaders, see scale detail of cornice. WROUGHT AND CAST IRON" AND STEEL (Read General Conditions) This Contractor to furnish and set all roof trusses, I beams, channels, angle iron lintels, spiral stairs to running track, outside iron stairs and railings, pipe columns, bearing plates, rods, bolts, nuts and washers, the iron pipe railings around areas, iron pipe sliding pole from running track to first floor, all supports and bracing for apparatus and the light standards at front entrance as shown by drawings. The anchors, joist hangers and railing, and standards of running track, and railing and screens around roof garden will be furnished by others. This work to be executed complete in the best manner according to the true intent and meaning of the drawings and these specifications which are intended to include every- thing neeessarv. although every item necessarily involved or that may be reasonably inferred be not particularly mentioned. All steel to be Medium Open Hearth or Bessemer process, bolts and rods of wrought iron, rivets of rivet steel, and all cast work of tough grey iron. Bearing plates to be of steel. All material shall be in accordance with the manufacturer's standard specifications as to quality and workmanship. Connections, unless otherwise noted, shall be Carnegie Standard. In construction of trusses, the plates and rivets connecting the various members shall be of size and spacing to develop the full strength of members. Where pieces are in contact, each surface shall be thoroughly cleaned and given a coat of paint before assembling. Before leaving the shop all steel and iron work shall be cleaned and painted one coat of paint, and after erection at the building an additional coat. Paint used shall be a first quality preservative (Dixon's Graphite, Detroit Superior Graphite or Lowe Bros. Red Lead Metal Preservative). Drill the angles of truss for application of bolts for securing rafters and furnish lag bolts for use of carpenter in securing them. Furnish the steel smoke stack, of §" steel plate, 12* diameter, well riveted and provided with steel braces every four feet in height to be walled into brick work and riveted to stack. Rivet on the collar, extending through the wall of stack and extend the steel stack one foot below bottom of collar. Support the steel stack on a h" steel plate 36" square, walled into brick work. Under steel stack put a door in plate for cleanout, and a cast iron cleanout door and frame in brick stack just above the basement floor line. The Contractor shall submit shop drawings of the iron and steel work for the approval of the Architects before the execution of the work. TERRAZZO AM) MARBLE Read General Conditions) The floors of shower room, clinic room, vestibule and, hall at main basement entrance and toilet room in Mezzanine will be of best grade Terrazzo, laid in a bed of Portland Cement mortar 1" thick, the wearing coat to be not less than \" thick composed of white marble chips and Portland Cement thoroughly mixed, laid on the bed of mortar while the latter is yet soft and trowelled down smooth and even. After the" cement is thoroughly set, the surface of the Terrazzo floors to be rubbed down to a smooth surface and washed clean. The wearing coat to have such a proportion of marble chins that the finished surface will show at least 75 per cent marble. Cement to be tinted with pigment as directed. Form up the gutters of shower floors and the risers between showers proper and dree- ing rooms, and pitch all tloors in shower room toward gutter> about \" to l'O", and the gutters toward waste outlets. IN PLAYGROUND TECHNIQ1 I. AND PLAYCRAFT Round the edge of riser slightly to prevent chipping. In the shower room in Mezzanine pul a good bed of concrete 4" thick under the Ter- razzo floor with waterproof paper under the concrete turned up in such a manner as to prevent seepage while putting in floors. In the shower room, the walls all around, except where marble stalls make it unneces- sary, shall have a 6" x I" marble base, and the door trims shall have marble plinths 1£" thick. S" high and width of trim. Doors opening into shower room shall have cast iron thresholds covering the joint between the Terrazzo floor and the floors adjacent. In the entrance vestibule and hall and clinic room furnish and set 6" marble base and plinths as above described of a warm tone and quality equal to the best Tennessee marbles. The toilet room with Terrazzo floor will have good wood base. Scenic all base and plinths in place by screws and secret fastenings in the best manner. The base and plinths in shower room to be of same marble as stalls. The shower and toilet partitions and stalls in shower room will be of best quality white Italian marble of size shown by drawings, \" thick supported on galv. iron standards of heights shown and provided with all necessary angle clamps, railing standards, spring hinges for fly doors, rubber tipped bumpers and door strikes. The shower stall in Mezzanine story will be of same material, but partitions shall extend to floor instead of resting on standards, and a slab 9" high shall be placed at entrance to shower stall for protection from splashing. The fastenings for fly doors will be N. P. turnbuckle casement fasteners, as per plate 99-P Sargent's Catalogue, 1902. Tops of stalls to be braced from ceiling or with continuous rail as directed. All of the above and other necessary brasses to be plain brass, nickel plated, equivalent in style and finish to that shown in Catalogue "B," Ahrens & Ott Mfg. Co., pages 69-90-91. Brass work to have double head bolts throughout, and be put up in the neatest manner Alternatives: As an alternative for the Terrazzo floors, proposals will be received for first class Ceramic Mosaic of thoroughly vitreous tiles not larger than f" square. In general the fields shall be white with neat borders approximately 12" wide of such colors and design as approved by Architects. Foundations for these floors will be put in by General Contractor to within 2" of the finished floor line. This Contractor to fill in to required height with cement and sand in equal parts, and bed the tiles and point the same with clear cement mortar. All cement to be best quality Portland of brand approved by Architects. Tiles to be well hammered down to a true and even surface and cleaned with sharp sand and a soft wood board and left in perfect condition. Contractor to submit designs to Architects for approval before ordering tiles or be- ginning work. Also as an alternative for White Italian Marble for stalls, proposals for best quality Pink Tennessee, and for marble base a white glazed tile base, 6" high with sanitary cove at bottom. PLUMBING AND GAS FITTING (Read General Conditions) Fixtures: In the various apartments, furnish and set up the following fixtures: Clinic Room: One Douglas Gloria, low down combination water closet, complete as shown by *plate No. 112, with dark cherry woodwork. One, 20"x30" Standard, P-1200, roll rim enameled cast iron sink, with back (in one piece) supported on concealed wall hangers with combination plug and strainer. Fuller adjustable flange bibbs, concealed galv. air chambers and N. P. brass P trap, vented in the rough. Shower Room: One, Standard "Ortho" Lavatory, P-5.53, with slab, "D" pattern bowl, back and overflow in one piece, with Standard Torrance pattern N. P. brass Fuller faucet, with china 'Not illustrated in this volume. LOS AXCKLKS I'LAV(iHor.\[)S AND BUILDINGS L45 handle and index P-651, with X. P. brass supplies, supported on concealed hangers, with N. 1*. brass P trap, vented in the rough, with waste plug coupling and rubber stopper complete *(plate P-553) lavatory to be enameled all over. Two, Douglas "Reliance" low down combination water close! with cherry woodwork and extra heavy "Clinto" ware syphon jet bowl complete with flush connection and X. P. brass supply as shown by *plate 1(»(>. One, cast plate glass urinal slali. 5' long, 5' high, f thick, with 1" perforated galv. supply extending entire length and arranged to spread the water uniformly over the slab. At bottom furnish and set a standard urinal stall gutter of galv. cast iron, P-1700 with screen and spigot end for 2" outlet, with 2" trap vented, and connected with main soil pipe by 2" waste. Six, Individual showers, and four showers for shower room as shown. Showers shall be of the rain hath type with 5" removable face, adjustable hall joint and combination valve with f" mixing column, V' supplies and controlling valve with detachable key on mixing column. Bach shower to be fitted with "Equality" perfect mixing shower valves complete (Haines. Jones & Cadbury Manufacture, Philadelphia, Pa.). Shower stalls to have outlets in gutters as shown through brass combination floor drains and traps of approved design with detachable strainers and be connected to soil pipe by 2" wastes. First Story Toilet Rooms: In each. One, Douglas "Gloria" low down combination as described for clinic room, excepting the woodwork, which will be of oak instead of cherry. In north toilet room. One, Standard "Chelsea" corner lavatory complete, enameled all over, with supplies, waste, trap, faucets and fittings complete as described for lavatory in shower room. (See *plate P-5.5.5). First Story Kitchen: One, Standard 20" x 30" flat rim sink, enameled inside with faucets, fittings, trap, etc., complete as specified for clinic room. Mezzanine Toilet Room: One, "Gloria" combination water closet as specified for first story toilet rooms. One, shower complete, as specified for individual showers in basement. Office (Mezzanine Floor): One, corner lavatory, complete, as specified for first story toilet room. Second Story Bath: One, "Gloria" combination water closet as specified for first story toilet rooms. One, Standard "Ortho" lavatory P-553, as specified for shower room. One, Standard "Ionian" bath tub, P-147, No. 2 zinc white finish outside, with Standard Fuller double bath cock Xo. 4V offset supply pipes and connected waste and overflow, all X. P. brass and rubber stopper P-304). Tub to he i' (i" long. Second Story Kitchen: One, Standard enameled sink 20" x 30" with supplies, waste, trap and fittings complete* as specified for first story kitchen. One, flat rim enameled inside Standard laundry tray with X. P. soap dish, waste plug, coupling and rubber stopper. X. P. Fuller adjustable flange bibbs, waste and vented S trap as shown by *plate P-1296. Piping: Contractor to see to and pay for putting in a IV' water service from Street at most convenient point with box and iron cover for shut oil' at curb line. From this point extend to basement under windows. At this point take off a 1" branch for outside hydrant service and turn hack outside of house and extend in both directions to serve four outside hydrants located near the four corners of the building, and provide f" garden hose hydrants at these points as directed. Continue IV' pipe from point of division to a point near heaters with 1" connection to each and 1" branch to front part of building, with \" branches to each room in which water ♦Not illustrated in this volume. 146 PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE Wl> PLAYCRAPT is used. Detached fixtures may l>e supplied with 4" pipe. Continue a }" pipe up to roof garden where directed and provide hose bibb for root' garden use. Carry a 1" pipe to showers, with \" branches and h" connections to each separate shower. Branch to urinal and connect with the perforated pipe at that point, and with each fixture in basement. From one gas water heater carry a f" pipe to the six individual showers in shower room with \" branch to lavatory and sink in basement, and V' connections to each fixture. From the other gas heater carry a f" pipe to the four showers in shower room and continue to front end of building and up to second story with h" branches to each shower, lavatory, bath tub, laundry tray and sink. The supplies for showers to be carried over marble stall partitions and the branches brought down to mixing valves as directed. All to be properly supported from the marble work by metal supports of approved design. Any cutting or boring of marble for securing of these valves, pipes or supports shall be done by the marble cutter at the expense of the plumber, who shall arrange with the marble cutter to do the same at the time. All supply pipes to be of standard wrought galv. iron,with galvanized fittings. All soil and waste pipes to be of standard cast or wrought iron, dipped in asphaltum (no wrought pipe larger than 2") the joints in cast pipe well yarned run with lead and caulked. Connect the main soil pipe with the sewer in Holly Street by 5" vitrified sewer pipe laid with uniform grade with no pockets, the joints properly cemented and left uncovered until inspected by the Architects as well as the Plumbing Inspector. Trap all fixtures with traps most suitable for the locations where not specially provided heretofore. All traps to have trap screws. Back vent all traps and run all soil, waste and vent pipes in strict accordance with the sanitary rules governing such work in the City of Los Angeles. The Plumber must present to the Architects the certificates of the Plumbing Inspector before the work will be finally accepted. All piping to be run in such manner as not to interfere with head room in basement or with the structural qualities of the building at any point. No joists must be cut, notched or bored at a greater distance than one foot from its bearing unless the approval of the Super- intendent is obtained before so cutting, and the Plumber shall confer with the Architects or Superintendent as to the most desirable runs for pipes. Stand Pipes: Plumber to provide and pay for a fire protection connection with street main and bring direct into building, and carry to points indicated on several plans with outlets as follows: Two, in basement. One, in first story. One, in Mezzanine. One, in second story. One, on roof. This stand pipe to be 2" from main to top, with no connections except those for fire hose. Connections for fire hose to be If/', and at each one furnish and put up complete with valves Howard Swing Hose Packs (or equivalent) (Fig. 8, Cat. 1901), with fifty feet of hose to three outlets and seventy-five feet to the remaining three. All hose to be No. 1 Underwriters' linen hose 14/\ and each outlet to have a suitable brass nozzle. Hose racks in basement corridor and first story polished brass; others painted. Heatkrs : In basement where shown, furnish and set up Two Latest Improved Automatic Gas Water Heaters with a guaranteed capacity of six gallons water per minute each heated from normal winter temperature of city water supply to a temperature of 140° Fahr. These heaters to be the "Pittsburg" or its equivalent in the judgment of the Architects and approved by them before installing, and must be put up in strict accordance with the in- structions of the manufacturers and under the direction of the manufacturer's representative. They must be installed under a written guarantee to perform the work required of them to the full satisfaction of the Architects, and failure to fulfill the requirements will be considered as sufficient cause for their removal at the cost of the Contractor and the retention of a sum sufficient to reimburse the Owner, for any and all expense or damage incurred in their installation and removal. LOS ANGELES PLAYGROUNDS AND BUILDINGS 147 Connect the heaters by proper sheet iron pipes for conveying the fumes out through the wall into a galv. iron riser 8" square on outside and up above roof. This vent riser to be made of No. 24 gauge iron, supported with metal bands and hooks from the wall on the outside. Gas Fitting: Pipe the building throughout for fuel gas with -i" main line from meter to water heaters and \\" branches to each heater. Branch to the various rooms and locate the outlets where shown on plans and cap them for future connection. Pipe sizes and fittings to be in conformity with the city rules and regulations. A certifi- cate from the City Gas Inspector will be required by the Architects before final acceptance. All conditions as to running of piping and cutting of joists, etc., as noted for Plumbing shall apply to Gas Fitting. PAINTING (Read General Conditions) This Contractor shall examine carefully the drawings and specifications for the various branches of the work. All painting, staining, varnishing and finishing other than pro- vided for therein shall be considered as a part of his contract. The woodwork of roof garden (not dressed) shall be stained two coats in a first-class manner with stains approved by Architects. The slatted floor of same, and all dressed exterior woodwork and staff shall be painted three coats pure white lead and linseed oil, the first coat thinned down for a priming coat. The galv. iron conductors and waterheads to be painted one coat pure red lead and two coats lead and oil and be sanded as directed. Wood balustrade over main entrance to be sanded. The exposed portions of roof trusses and other interior iron and steel work showing after completion to be painted two coats white lead and linseed oil. The under side of sheatliing and rafters over gymnasium and the soffits and dressed joists of running track to have two coats pure linseed oil, the first coat with a light stain. The walls and ceiling of shower and clinic rooms and the wainscot of first and second story kitchens and second story bath room will be sized with glue or varnish sizing, a suffi- cient number of coats to prevent further absorption, and will then have four coats white lead and oil and be finished with two coats Ripolin Enamel put on in the most skilful manner and showing a uniform gloss without brush marks at completion. The woodwork in clinic room and second story bath room will be shellaced, then finished with four coats lead and oil and two coats enamel as above noted. The woodwork in shower room to be stained with oil stain filler and varnished two coats best quality interior varnish with one coat Flattine. Kitchens and toilet rooms to be finished in same manner. Other woodwork throughout to be finished with oil stain filler and have one coat best wood alcohol shellac and be rubbed to a dull finish. All colors for stains and paint will be selected by the Architects. Putty stop all nail holes and other defects. Examine the woodwork carefully before beginning and where necessary sandpaper and remove any machine marks on the finish and doors, and leave the whole in a perfect condition on completion. Oil the floor of gymnasium one good coat pure linseed oil well brushed on. Also the treads of stairways. Risers to be finished same as other woodwork. ELECTRIC WIRING (Read General Conditions) Electric Lights: AYire building for lights at all points marked — — on plans, with capacity for number of 16-candle power lights marked on plans, and wire to roof garden for an extra capacity to carry twenty lights. Switches : All switches specified "S. S." to be Hart Surface Snap switches, and those specified "P. S." to be Diamond H. Hart flush push button switches. IIS PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE AND PLAYCRAPT Bring in feed wires from ~-ii l<- of building to meter located where shown in South Lobby; branch from here to distributing points in basement and second story. At each place provide cutout board of Catalina marble with ylass panel door in front and batten door in back and locked with cylinder lock with two keys, and where located the different cutouts for the adjoining circuits, ami these feeds to lie three-wire and to have three pole knife switches with plug fuses forward of same mounted on cutout board with the necessary capacity in each case. Provide gravity knife throw switch and plug cutouts forward of same, with capacity of 200 amperes for lighting system, and all enclosed in neat box with glass panel door. linn i\\''\ wires from meter to >tcrcoptican outlet, these wires to be three-wire feeds and all of >aine size and capacity for 25 amperes. Put in cutout with plug fuse back of meter and at outlet put in 25 ampere three-blade knife throw switch and lugs for wire attach- ment enclosed in metal box with cover. All main Iced wires up to distributing points will be on the three-wire system enclosed in cutout box of Catalina marble back and marble sill, with all necessary cutouts and switches as hereinafter specified, said board to be enclosed in neat case of O. P. with glass door and fastened with cylinder lock and two keys. Location of Switches: Basement: Bowling alley, outlet at pin end of alley by key switch at head of alley. Other five outlets by key switch adjoining same. Front entrance, outlets on post at inside door P. S. Vestibule, ceiling outlet at inside front door and door to hall, three-way, P. S. Hall, at door to vestibule and head of stair, three-way, P. S. Club room, at door to hall, P. S. Clinic room, at door to outside, P. S. ( 'linic entrance, at inside door, P. S. Locker room, eight outlets at door to shower room, S. S. Side entrance hall, at door to storeroom, S. S. Side entrance, at inside side door, S. S. Storeroom, two outlets at door to side entrance hall, and door to shower room, three-way, S. S. Furnace room, outlet near window, S. S. Shower room, two corridor outlets at door to side entrance and at head of stair in Gymnasium, three-way, P. S. Five other ceiling outlets at foot of stair, S. S. First Story: Footlights, By 2 double pole knife switches on board operating outlets alternately. Arch, By 2 double pole knife switches on board operating outlets alternately. Gymnasium, two arc pendants by '2 double pole knife switches on board. North Lobby, between door where shown and head of stair in Mezzanine story, three-way, S. S. South lobby, at door to gymnasium and door to club room, and head of stair in Mezzanine story, four-way, S. S. Stage, two ceiling outlets and two side outlets at door to south lobby, P. S. Club room, ceiling outlet at door to south lobby, P. S. Gymnasium, four side outlets at head of rear stair and door to side entrance and door to south lobby, four- way, P. S. Kitchen, at head of stair and opposite wall, three-way, S. S. Gymnasium outside entrance, at inside door. Running Track: Outlets on under side of running track to be run in molding and to have porcelain molding sockets of approved pattern put in and operated alternately from cutout box by 2 double pole knife throw switches. Mezzanine Fluor: North hall, at foot of stair and door to office, three-way, P. S. Office, at door to hall, P. S. South hall, at foot of stair and door to shop, three-way, P. S. Shop, ceiling at entrance door, S. S. LOS ANGELES PLAYGROUNDS AND BUILDINGS 149 Second Floor: Office, (tiling outlet at door to hall, 1'. S. Dining room, at door to hall, 1'. S. Kitchen, at door to hall, P. S. Corridor, at door to bed room, 1'. S.- Hath room, at door to hall, 1'. S. South Hall, at door to office and foot of stair, three-way, P. S. Molding: All molding where used under running track to lie made of O. P. and well shellaced to comply with X. 15. of !•'. Q. and according to detail. Wire: All wire supplying current to lights to be Roebling White Core of the best drawn copper, not less than 97 per cent conductivity, and no wire less than No. 14 B. & S. gauge, and any larger than No. 8 must be stranded. Wires to be of ample size to carry current without heating, and to conform to N. B. of F. U., and allowing a drop of not more than one-half of one per cent on all feeds and circuits. Circuits: No branch circuit shall control more than 10 lights. All branch circuits so arranged as to give two separate branch circuits in each room. Joints made electrically perfect and then soldered without using acid and re-insulated. Put in sockets for footlights on stage and arch and also sockets on beams as before specified under running track. These sockets to be of approved make. Where two or more switches come together, use gang plates and all switches where practicable to be located in casings. All switches to be enclosed in iron boxes. Side Lights: All side lights to be 5' 8" from floor. Bells: Put push button with escutcheon at front entrance to ring a 3" bell in second story hall. All work to be done in accordance with the Rules of the City of Los Angeles and Contractor to pay for permit and get certificates of inspection from City Electrician. 4. Specifications of Club House. Bids: Bids will be received as a whole, with three alternate bids as follows: One to leave out all woodwork in clinic room except outer structural walls and do only the roughing in of plumbing in this room; one to omit outside plaster, leaving T. & G. with no covering except the paper; and one to use O. P. floor same as noted for club room instead of the maple specified for auditorium. EXCAVATIONS (Read General Conditions) Excavate for ground floor and for foundation wall footings as shown on plans, and fill in around walls after completion. All soil taken from excavations will be evenly distributed just outside of building on all sides. MASON WORK (Read General Conditions) Build general foundation walls and piers and chimneys of good, hard, red brick. No salmon brick allowed, all bricks wet before using. All work well bonded and all joints well filled with mortar. General mortar is to be composed of a standard brand of lime acceptable to the Architects, and good, coarse sand; mixed in proper proportions and well manipulated with J barrel of cement added to each cubic yard of mortar, cement added only as used; all 150 PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE AND PLAYCRAFT exposed work will he fairly even color hard burned hrick and all outside joints laid in colored mortar with raked joints and inside exposed work laid in regular mortar and neatly trowel pointed as directed. All wood sills bedded in mortar. Outside of all hrick walls from footings to grade line plastered with \" coat of cement, one of cement to two of sand, troweled smooth. Flues to he of the sizes shown, and flues in rear chimney lined with terra cotta flue lining , joints set in (ire clay: flues in main chimney carefully plastered. Rough opening in fireplace will have V' x 2£" tie bar over rough opening, with ends turned up -J" into brick, opening in finished facing to have channel iron over. Fireplace will he faced with Simons 12" hrick tile, laid in same mortar noted for other exposed brick work. fireplace will he huilt with fresh air inlet and hot air flue connected to iron hack, as shown on detail, and hearth paved with hrick tile same as noted for facing. Contractor will guarantee draught in fireplace. CONCRETE (Read General Conditions) Kntire ground floor will he paved with concrete; rough work 3{" thick, made of one part cement to seven parts clean, coarse gravel and sand; mixed twice dry and twice wet, well tamped into place. Finish coat \" thick, made of one part cement to one of sand, troweled smooth and market! off in 2' 0" squares. Outside steps leading down into ground floor, lower flights leading up to terrace over clinic and all entrance areas made of concrete same as above. Chimney caps concrete same as above. All cement left natural except chimney caps, which will be colored to match brick. All entrance areas have grating in floor to allow water to drain into sand. Cement man will build in sleepers furnished by bowling alley men and put in cement as instructed by them. CARPENTER WORK Lumber: Framing timber to be first quality, sound, dry O. P., and of the sizes and spacing noted on plans or as noted below. Main floor joists 2" x 10", 16" centers. Main floor joists under stage will run on same level as on auditorium floor, and stage floor joist of 2" x 6", 16" on centers, will be blocked up from floor under stage on three rows of 2" x 4" studs, 16" on centers, with top and bottom plate of 2" x 4", all as per details. Entire building above brick walls as shown on sections will be constructed with ex- posed skeleton frame, which, with the exception of first floor joists, will be surfaced timber up to level of top of main wall plates and as more particularly shown on drawings, and rough timber above this level. The surfaced timber will be mill surfaced and clean and smooth enough to take oil finish. The rough timber in auditorium will be selected, sound, true stuff; all of sizes and spacing noted on plans; and this timber, particularly in trusses, will be sized to even dimen- sions so abutting pieces can be neatly joined. The general studding will be 4" x 4", spaced as shown on plans, with 2" x 4" sills, plates and cross pieces. The general rafters will be 2" x 4", 32" on centers, and the ceiling joist of club rooms, stage, etc., the same. Iron Work: Provide all necessary structural iron work as shown on truss detail, and also plates under truss posts and pins under basement posts. Frame and Roof Covering: Cover outside walls from sills on brick walls to roof plates with 1" x 6" clear, sound, dry V-joint O. P. boarding, surfaced on inner side, put on vertically and nailed twice to each sdl, cross piece, diagonal and plate. Cover this boarding up to top of ground floor windows with waterproof sheathing paper well lapped, and then put on the 1£" R. W. boards shown for timber effect, these to be of rough lumber on outer face and rebated to receive plaster as noted later. Walls above this will be covered with paper same as noted above, then stripped horizontally with rough 1" x 3", 12" on centers, to receive shakes and then with split R. W. shakes 3' long and 6" wide, nailed to stripping, 4 nails to the shake LOS ANGELES PLAYGROUNDS AND BUILDINGS 1.51 and 12" to weather, and set alternately above and below a true line as shown on ele- vations. All rafters, including eaves, will have 1" x 3" shingle strips 4" apart for shingling. Cover all root's with best sawe.l R. W. shingles, laid 4V" to the weather; no shingle wider than 8" and each shingle nailed at least twice to each course. Flash and counterflash around chimneys with redipped stamped tin, painted on each side with two coats metallic paint before using. Shf:kt Metal Work: Lay all valleys with 1.3" galvanized iron and furnish all necessary flashing of redipped stamped tin. l'lit galvanized iron gutters on all caves as noted on plans, with .'5" round leader to ground (no ornamental gutter heads), except leader shown on main chimney, which will be -2V'x.~>". with box head as shown. Cover small flat roof over with galvanized iron. All galvanized iron No. 26. Outside Plaster: Outside walls when marked "Plaster" are furred with \" x 1" strips put on vertically 8" apart, and then lathed with Steelcrete Expanded Metal No. -24 steel lath, redipped, and put up with lapped joints, fastened with galvanized iron staples 8" apart, or closer in special cases if needed. This work to be plastered as follows: t- ,. o x \. r^ i 6 parts well haired mortar First Scratch Coat j j part m bmk> ^ Approved p ort l a nd Cement !3 parts mortar without hair \\ parts clean, sharp sand if parts in bulk, dry cement This second coat to be carefully rodded and given a slap dash coat thrown on to cover entire surface, this last to be in proportion of two parts mortar, H parts sand, \h parts cement. All this outside plaster will be treated with Medusa Waterproofing Compound, using six pounds to one barrel of cement, this to be thoroughly mixed with the dry cement. In mixtures with cement in them, enough only to be mixed at one time that can be used up in an hour. Clean all splashes from wood and brick work. Exterior Finish: Eaves rafters left rough same as on main roof; all bracket or other exposed timber work rough O. P., but all must be dry and sound. Flower boxes are 1" rough R. W., with 1" hole in bottom at each end, painted on inside with hot asphalt. Casings of main floor portion and porch rails, sill courses, etc., are surfaced R. W., and ground floor casings are rough R. W., as previously noted for timber effect. Floors: Cover all main story floors except auditorium with Xo. 1, 1" x 4" T. & G. O. P., blind nailed, butt joints face nailed; all joints dressed as soon as laid. Lay under stage on main joists a floor of No. 2, 1" x 6" T. & G. O. P. Cover auditorium with 1" x 3" T. & G., ends T. & G., best grade white maple flooring. Auditorium, club rooms, office and stage floors scraped and sandpapered for oil finish. Floor of front terrace over clinic room same material as noted above, for club room, etc., joints heavily leaded before laying. This floor painted one coat by carpenter and then covered with No. 6 canvas, stretched tight, well turned up against walls and down over edges, fastened with copper tacks. The landing of stairs to this terrace made same as main floor, and between landings and main floor under steps carpenter will lay light boarding and cover with No. -26 galvanized iron, carefully flashed to make water tight, and on this will lay carriages for steps. Stairs : 'Outside steps will be \\" vertical grained O. P. treads, $" O. P. risers, all nosed and molded and cut between strings. The two flights from landings to terrace floor will be put in so they can be removed. Inside stairs will be same as noted above. 152 PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE \\l> PLAYCRAFT j \ 1 1 euoh Boarding: Inside partitions will l»- same character as outside boarding, but will be double sur- faced, also nave V-joinl on each fare -,-.■ below). Ceilings of all rooms in main story will lie I" \ Id" dear, dry ( ). I'. boarding, with rebated channel joint. The partitions enclosing showers and at back and sides of basins and urinal to height of ."/()" will lie left rough on inside to receive woodstone covering. Doons. Windows \\n S( hi i.\s: Door and window frames are fully shown by scale details. Outside doors I ;" thick, as per detail, of selected O. P., with 2" vertical grained O. P. sill: other doors 11" thick live-panel Colonial pattern flat panel stock O. P. Doors marked "S. D." are sash doors. All sash are 1^" thick and are casement sash to swing out unless otherwise noted on plans, except transoms, which will be hinged at bottom, lipped over T. bar, and swing in. All glass double thick, first quality, common. Put up screens where marked "S; ' all sugar pine with copper bronze wire. For lunged windows they will be the same size as sash and for double casements arranged to slide side- ways past each other. In auditorium the screens will be on transoms only and will be fixed in place with hooks and eyes. Screen doors as shown, \\" thick sugar pine, same wire as window screens. All screen doors have wood panels below and screen above. Put screen wire over all vent openings. All screen doors to have f" metal rod on each side of screen wire to protect wire from pusliing. Located as directed. All screen wire copper bronze. The sash over stage will be glazed with opaque glass and will be hinged and operated with cord and pulley as shown. Interior Finish: There will be no base and no casing, except as shown on door and window details. Build mantel shelf, bookshelves and general cupboards, seats, etc., as shown on plans and details; all of clear, dry O. P. The cupboards in general built of 1" x 6" V-joint T. & G., same as partitions, and all cupboard doors will be T. & G. same as partitions. The sink drain board in kitchen will be If" sugar pine; drain board graded to sink and also grooved. All drawers will have side guide strips and be fitted to work smoothly. All seats will have hinged lids and inside finished. All bookshelves and shelves in club room and stage cupboards made adjustable. Hardware: Contractor will furnish all structural and finishing hardware, the latter to cost Two Hundred and Fifty Dollars ($250.00) for the building and to be selected by the Architects. Slidino- door hangers will be furnished by Contractor and can be of any good make satisfactory to the Architects. Woodstone : Inside face of all shower rooms will be covered with woodstone, connected to cement floor and left in water tight condition. The backs and side of walls around basins and urinal to height of 5' 0" will also be covered with woodstone. Skylight: Will be as shown, built with metal frame of No. 26 galvanized iron with iron bar stiffening, anti-drip bars and wire glass; all properly flashed. PLUMBING AND GAS FITTING (Read General Conditions) Fixtures: In the various apartments furnish and set up the following fixtures: Clinic Room: One Douglas "Gloria" low down combination water closet, complete as shown by plate No. 15 D, with natural oak woodwork. LOS AXGEKKS PLAYGROUNDS AND BUILDINGS L53 One '2()"x:5()" Standard P-1200 roll rim enameled cast iron sink, with .back in one piece) supported on concealed wall bangers, with combination plug ami strainer, Fuller adjustable flange bibbs, concealed galvanized air chambers and X. I'. brass P. trap, vented in the rough. Gihls' Toilet Room: One Standard "Ortho" Lavatory, P-553, with slab, "D" pattern bowl, hack and over- flow in one piece, with Standard Torrance pattern X. 1'. brass Fuller faucet, with china handle and index P-651. with X. P. brass supplies, supported on concealed hangers, with X. I'. brass P. trap, vented in the rough, with waste plug coupling and rubber stopper com- plete (*plate P .V>:; i. lavatory to lie enameled all over. Three Douglas "Reliance" low down combination water closets with natural oak wood- work and extra heavy "Clinto" ware syphon jet bowl complete with flush connection and X. P. brass supply as shown by *plate 97 D. Girls' Shower Room: Three showers of the rain hath type with 5" removable face, adjustable hall joint and combination valve with \" mixing column, V supplies and controlling valve with detachable key on mixing column. Bach shower to be fitted with Speakmans Anti-Scalding mixing shower valves. Shower stall to have outlets in gutters as shown through brass combination floor drain and trap of approved design with detachable strainers and be connected to soil pipe by 2" wastes. Boys' Toilet Room: Three closets same as noted above for girls' toilet, and one 5' 0" urinal trough complete as per plate 1651 Standard Catalogue P. Boys' Shower Room: To have six showers same as noted for girls' shower, except to omit the adjustable ball joint, floor to have outlet same as noted for girls' shower. Detached Lavatories: One outside of boys' toilet and one outside of girls' toilet same as noted for girls' toilet, and one in hall near boys' toilet will be the "Chelsea" corner lavatory, complete as per plate 555 P, with fittings same as noted above for other lavatories. Main Story Kitchen: One Standard "20" x 30" flat rim sink, enameled inside, with faucets, fittings, trap, etc., complete as specified for clinic room. Main Story Bath: One "Gloria" combination water closet as specified for clinic room. One Standard "Ortho" lavatory P-553, as specified for girls' toilet. One Standard "Ionian" bath tub P-147, Xo. 2, zinc white finish outside, with Standard Fuller double bath cock No. 4£, offset supply pipes and connected waste and overflow, all X. P. brass and rubber stopper (P-304). Tub to be 5' 0" long. All supplies to have valves at each fixture. Piping: Owner will bring -2" water service to within 10' 0" of house line near closet under office stairs. Contractor will take 1£" pipe from this to house and put shut-off in closet, and then run on with IV' pipe to boys' shower room, from which take 1" pipe to each group of showers and |" pipe to each other group of fixtures. Detached fixtures, except showers, may he supplied with V' pipe, individual showers \". There will be no water heater installed, but hot water piping will he carried from point marked "Heater" in work room to all showers and to tub and basin in bath rooms and to kitchen and clinic sinks. Same regulations as to size of pipes for hot water as for cold. All supply pipes to be of standard wrought galvanized iron, with galvanized fittings, except that all piping of shower fixtures — that is, all pipe exposed to view in shower rooms — will be nickel, and all supply fitting at fixtures will be nickel. *Xot illustrated in this volume. L54 I»L.\Y(iHOr\I) TECHNIQUE AND PLAYCRAFT All soil and waste pipes to he of standard cast or wrought iron, dipped in asphaltum (no wrought pipe larger than 2"), the joints in east pipe well yarned, run with lead and caulked. Connect the main soil pipe with the cesspool where shown by 5" vitrified sewer pipe laid with uniform grade with no pockets, the joints properly cemented and left uncovered until inspected by the Architects, as well as the Plumbing Inspector. All changes in direction of waste pipe will have V's with screw caps, and change in di- rection of sewer will have Y's plugged with cement. Trap all fixtures with traps most suitable for the locations where not specially provided heretofore. All traps to have trap screws. Back vent all traps and run all soil, waste and vent pipes in strict accordance with the .sanitary rules governing such work in the City of Los Angeles. The Plumber must present to the Architects the certificates of the Plumbing Inspector before the work will be finally accepted. All piping to be run in such manner as not to interfere with head room in basement or with the structural qualities of the building at any point. No joists must be cut, notched or bored at a greater distance than one foot from its bearing unless the approval of the Superintendent is obtained before so cutting, and the Plumber shall confer with the Archi- tects or Superintendent as to the most desirable runs for pipes. Stand Pipes: Plumber will run from the 2" pipe outside of building a l%" pipe direct to points marked "F. H.," one in each story — no branches to any other points, and at each one furnish and put up complete with valves Howard Swinging Hose Racks or equivalent (Fig. 8, Cat. 1904), with fifty feet of hose to each outlet. All hose to be No. 1 Underwriters' linen hose \\", and each outlet to have a suitable brass nozzle. Hose racks painted. Gas Fitting: Pipe the building for fuel gas where shown on plans and cap them for future connection. Pipe sizes and fittings to be in conformity with the City rules and regulations. A certifi- cate from the City Gas Inspector will be required by the Architects before final acceptance. All conditions as to running of piping and cutting of joists, etc., as noted for Plumbing shall apply to Gas Fitting. PAINTING {Read General Conditions) Exterior Work: The surfaced casings of main story and porch rails, etc., and outside of all sash and doors, except main entrance to auditorium, are painted a primer and two coats lead and oil paint. The first story casings and timber effect, and all eaves, rafters, timbers, etc., are rough and will be given two coats oil stain, except eaves soffits can have one coat only. The shake walls and shingle roofs one heavy coat oil stain; canvas floor of front terrace over clinic room and all wood platforms and steps will have two coats lead and oil paint. Interior Work: (Main Story) The entire wall and ceiling surface of interior of main floor is surfaced wood, and all timber and finish up to under side of trusses surfaced, and all timber above under side of trusses, rough. The boarding will have one coat of oil with light stain, and all timber work and trim will have one coat of darker oil stain. Floors: Floor of auditorium is maple and stage, office and club rooms O. P., given one coat of suitable filler and one coat white shellac. Floor of bath room will be painted two coats. Ground Floor: There will be no finish in work room, and no finish on any of the ceilings of ground floor. The walls of bowling alleys and hall and clinic and boys' dressing room treated same as noted for main story. LOS ANGELES PLAYGROUNDS AND BUILDINGS 1 ■">■"> The walls of hoys' and girls' toilet rooms, and girls' dressing room, boys' and girls' shower rooms, except the woodstone on walls, will be given one thin coat of paint, one coat of shellac and two coats paint and one coat of enamel. General Directions: Clean all spots from glass, hardware and floors. All inside and outside work cleaned free from dust before applying any coat of finish. All work, inside and outside, puttied with putty, colored to match stain. I ELECTRIC WIRING Wire the building throughout for electric lights with outlets located where marked on plans _0— , and with capacity for the number of 16-candle power lamps marked at outlets. Materials and workmanship must conform to the rules of the N. B. of F. U. and the City Ordinances governing electric work. Location of Switches: Switches to he located where shown on drawings. In certain cases the lights con- trolled by switches are connected by dotted lines. First Floor: Main entrance, from switchboard in closet of office. Auditorium, each pair of outlets in each bay between trusses and ceiling lights of stage by a switch at switchboard. (4 switches). Sta^e footlights, each receptacle by a switch at switchboard. Border lights, alternate lights (two circuits) by switches at switchboard. Office, switch at door near stairs. Club rooms, switches (two to each room) located near doors where shown on plan. Landing (Outside), between auditorium and kitchen, from point inside auditorium entrance door. Basement: Entrances to clinic room, both by one switch near entrance door. Clinic room, ceiling lights by switch near entrance door. Workshop, two switches, one at outside entrance door, the other at bowling alley entrance. Bowling alley, two switches in cupboard under stair, one for alley lights, the other for those in lobby portion. Light at runway of alley by switch at outside en- trance door. ( rirls' dressing room and toilet, switch in closet off of corridor. ( orridor light, same location. Bovs' dressing room, showers and toilet, same location. Light at outside side entrances to basement by switches inside entrance door-. Lights at head and foot of main stairs, three-way -witches at basement entrance and near head of stairway. Wire: All wire supplying current to lights to be of the best drawn copper not less than 97 per cent conductivity. Insulations to be Roebling White ('ore. Wires to be of ample size to carry current without heating and to conform to N. B. of F. U., allowing a drop of not more than \ of 1 per cent on all circuits, and no wire shall be less than No. 14 B. & S. gauge, and any over No. 8 will he stranded. Feed Wires: Run in feed wires from point outside to meter under main stairs, where provide a three point gravity throw knife switch of ample capacity for all current in building, and also cut-out forward of same. From there continue feci wires to the switchboard, providing cut-outs on each circuit. All these feed wire- to he three wire, thoroughly sweated into lugs at main switch. Switches: Wall switches to be Diamond II. flush push button switches. Switches for lights controlled from switchboard will be throw knife switches of best qualitv. Where two or more switches come together use gang plates. All switches to be provided with iron switch boxes firmly set in position. L56 IM.AYGHOl'NI) TKCIINIQUE AM) PLAYCRAFT Switches to correspond in finish with other hardware. Where shown, provide two Diamond II. flush wall receptacles at sides of stage for portable footlights. Provide complete ;i •-!•"> ampere Lane, Bryant, or other make approved by Architects, Stereoptican receptacle on tie beam of truss where noted on first floor plan. Wire to th outlet from switchboard and control with knife throw switch at switchboard. Wiring f this outlet to comply with City Ordinances. this or Sv» itchboard: In closet of office set up a switchboard, with slate or Catalina marble back and sides, sill and top of sufficient size to readily accommodate the main feed switch and all switches ami fuses for other circuits. Enclose switchboard with glass panel door, fitted with cylinder lock and three keys. Electric Contractor to pay for casing in this opening, hanging of doors, etc. All bus bars and other metal work to be fully finished. Circuits: No branch circuit shall control more than 10 lights. The wires generally to run in O. P. moldings, well shellaced and neatly placed so as not to disfigure the wood in any way, and cleaned off ready for painter. Meter: Locate meter under main entrance stairs at side. Permits: Contractor to pay for anil procure permit and inspection certificates from City Electri- cian before Architects' certificates will be issued. D. Los Angeles Playground Apparatus. (Home Made.) 1. Swings at Violet Street Playground, 11' and 14'. Length 42'. Spread 20'. All galvanized pipe. Uprights 8". Braces 2". Set on cement by bolted flanges. Photograph and figures by C. B. Raitt. ; SWINGS AT VIOLET STREET PLAYGROUND Los Angeles LOS ANGELES PLAYGROUNDS AND BUILDINGS 157 OUTDOOR COMBINATION GYMNASIUM Los Angeles 2. Style of Outdoor Combination Gymnasium at Vacation Grounds. Contains 2 inclined ladders, 2" galvanized pipe. 2 sets inclined chutes, -2" galvanized pipe. 1 steel core horizontal bar. 1 swing. 1 pair flying rings. Cost erected, $160.00. Photograph and figures by C. B. Raitt. 8. Outdoor Gymnasium at Echo Park Playground. ( 'ost : All galvanized pipe (3"), ladder 2" pipe: Pipe tor frame work $4.3.5.00 Ladders, chutes, etc 175.00 Tan bark 395.00 Su inging apparatus: Flying rings, traveling rings, horizontal bars, rope ladder 135.00 Erection complete $1,175.00 Size of gymnasium frame, 40' x 00' x 14'. Size of the tan bark area. 12' x 50' x 70'. Photograph ami figures by ('. P. Raitt. 4. Teeter Ladder. Frame, of ->\" galvanized pipe. Braces, I" pipe- Height S'. Width 2'. Rectangle base, '■2' x 12'. Ladder part, hickory. ( <»t complete. $35.00. l.-,s l'l.AVCHOUND TECHNIQUE AND PLAYCRAFT OUTDOOR GYMNASIUM AT ECHO PARK PLAYGROUND Los Angeles TEETER LADDER Los Angeles PART IV THE PHILOSOPHY OF CONSTRUCTIVE PLAY CHAPTER XIX The Place of Constructive Play in the Development of the Individual and the Race as Contrasted with Athletic and Social Play By Arthur Leland, B.P.E. A. Value of Two Types of Play 1. Athletic and Social Play. Athletic and social plays have to do lanjelv with the relation of man to his fellows, and conditions of livgiene. We do not think that their importance has been over-estimated, but we think that the place which constructive play holds has been under-esti- mated. Under the term constructive play we have arbitrarily included the relations of child to nature, and to inanimate objects and animals other than the human kind. 2. Constructive Team Play. We see no reason why constructive play should not contribute as much to the loyalty of the individual to the crowd, to the gang, and to the nation as has been claimed for team games. Team play in construction strikes us as being infinitely more valuable than team play in war; the citizen who saves lives for his country is a greater patriot than the one who destroys. 3. Intelligence Developed Through Weakness. Biologists sav that man's intellect has been created bv his hands, and that the training: of the hand has been due to necessity. It is well stated that necessity is the mother of invention. Ages and ages ago there was an insignificant animal, helpless, unprotected. It had no shell like the turtle or clam; it had no claws like the cat or tiger; it had no horns like the cow; it could not run like the horse; so being made unable to protect itself by any of these means it did just what we would do under similar circumstances, when pursued it took to the trees. After living in trees for awhile it found that by taking a stick it could knock over a few weak things, like rabbits or birds. Some time seeing a cocoanut drop down it imitated the force of Nature, then it learned to throw rocks, finally to use stones for digging the soil. It is doubtful if any of these lessons were ever learned without a life and death struggle. The human race is what it is today on account of weakness. The clam and the turtle got inside their shells and there they are today. The cat could get its living easily and protect itself from enemies with its sharp 160 CONSTRUCTIVE PLAY IN INDIVIDUAL AND RACE DEVELOPMENT 161 'LET THE CHILDREN HELP PUT UP SWINGS' Reward the helpers with first swing claws and it has never advanced. The horse and the cow had an easy time and they are working for us now. Through necessity, experiment, and invention, the human race has advanced. The systems or persons who deny to the child the chance and method of doing for himself what the race has done for itself is robbing him of his birthright. Education at the call of necessity alone, however, is too expensive. Nature shows this to us when she gives us the receptiveness of childhood, but to produce the best results in play education Nature's methods of necessity must in a large measure be followed. Safe ideals may be in- stilled through play, and the child should be supplied with safe opportuni- ties for self education. 4. Stones for Bread. When we give the child ready-made things, ready-made toys, ready-made playground apparatus, ready-made play- grounds, which he could make himself and in so doing receive valuable training we give him stones instead of bread. The instinct to play with 162 PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE AND PLAYCRAFT things was given the child to stimulate him l<> make the things he plays with. When these things are supplied to him without effori his play comes too easy, and becomes a demoralizing influence. .). Children Should Make Their Own Toys. It is probably much cheaper and easier to furnish the child with ready-made playthings, but they do not have the educational value which would obtain if the child were given material for making his playthings with either instruction in the methods, or opportunities whereby he could learn to make his own play materials. Toys have a place we suppose, as they have always been used, but thev should serve as models for imitation and inspiration rather than as "sops" with which to satisfy the play instinct. 6. Constructive Play in Education. With regard to the educa- tional value of constructive play, Mr. Harry Leland, Supervisor of Manual Training at Leominster, Mass., says: "The gigantic strides that normal training and industrial education have made during the past five years, only show the high value that con- structive work and play fills in our national educational system. The idea of creative and constructive play permeates all our elementary and juvenile educational work, and the actual ' doing of things,' is rapidly spreading through our national life. "Athletic and social plays have a definite and recognized value, but if we as a nation wish to compete in the markets of the world we must teach our children to recognize the pleasure and value in honest constructive work and play. It we really enjoy what we are doing and if it has a recognized value for good it matters but little whether we call it work or play. The constructive work and play now being offered to the children (and grown- ups) of this country will in time put this nation at the front for its manufac- tured products; it will develop a higher moral and social character in those brought in contact with it; it will increase the efficiency, earning capacity, social standing, and self-respect of the worker." Nations cannot spend all their time fighting or governing. Neither should children spend all their time playing games which develop only the qualities used in fighting and governing. Not that we would have these qualities under-developed but that we would have the other qualities de- veloped more. "Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall inherit the earth." The aristocratic business of England is politics and ruling subject races. Their system of athletics and games seems to give the best training for this. The brains of America are engaged in business, building rail- roads, inventing machines, etc., advancing the arts of peace. England seems to be losing her place somewhat in the markets of the nations. Germany and America are both crowding English goods out. e a o I* M >. O .8 z 9 1—1 — i s < Z S a > ° < = 2 •j -3 J 9 o a — 1(W 164 PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE AND PLAYCRAFT A system of education therefore for America must be based upon the education of constructive ability. We must have team play in manufactur- ing and the beginnings of this must be made in childhood. Making things for the playground and working together in gangs for the playground with one of the playground children elected as leader will bring about this cooper- ation in work quicker than any other method. The foundation for all mechanical genius is laid in childhood through constructive play. Our greatest men have been interested in nature, horses, animals, and things mechanical as much as in athletics and games. B. Franklin an Example of Play Education Perhaps the man who has had the greatest influence upon American life is Franklin. His name was more familiar to Europeans and in his own country as familiar as Washington's. ^Francis Newton Thorpe says, "He became a wise man by teaching himself. His records of the process of his self-culture remain the maxims of a world experience. . . . His unselfish- ness was of a kind that we see in trees and plants, which fruit in due season with no thought of making the human race their debtors. . . . He tells us that ' he was born and bred in poverty and obscurity, from which he emerged to a state of affluence and some degree of reputation in the world, and that he went through life in a considerable share of felicity.' . . . He was not sent to college, because his father considered a college education too expensive; 'the mean living many so educated were after- wards able to obtain' was a sufficient reason to the elder Franklin that worldly success was not surely to be won after so great an expense. 1. Franklin's Childhood Training. "Franklin, speaking of his father's method of training said that his father at his table liked to have as often as he could, some sensible friend or neighbor to converse with, and always took care to start some ingenious or useful topic for discourse, which might tend to improve the minds of his children. By this means he turned their attention to what was good, just and prudent in the conduct of life. This insight into his childhood shows how earlv in life his mind was impressed with the paramount importance of things ingenious or useful, and to the end, he judged of the value of men's labor by their usefulness to mankind. 'When it was to be decided to what employment he should be put, his father sought a practical solution of the problem by taking him to walk with him 'to see joiners, brick-layers, turners, braziers, etc., at their work, that he might observe my inclination and endeavor to fix it upon some trade or profession that would keep me on land. It has ever since been a pleasure to me to see good workmen handle their tools, and it has often been useful to me to have learnt so much by it, as to be able to do some trifling jobs in ♦Report of Commissioner of Education, 1903, page 91. CONSTRUCTIVE PLAY IN INDIVIDUAL AND RACE DEVELOPMENT 165 the house, when a workman could not readily be got, and to construct little machines for my experiments while the intention of making the experi- ment was still warm in my mind.' 2. Practice Not Theory. "He was himself a close observer, and like all great men who have advanced science, he made his observations with the assistance of simple and inexpensive instruments. . . . He knew nothing of elaborate physical apparatus; Nature was his laboratory, obser- vation and experience his teachers, and he relied upon these as the best means for the education of others. Ambition stimulated him to rain knowl- edge and he reasoned that it would stimulate others. . . . He saw in industry and business the chief oc- cupation of the mass of the people. Schools, he thought, should contribute to the advantage of this industry and this business. He would make tran- sition from school life to the life of business easy and natural." "'It w r as Franklin,' says one of his biographers, ' who chiefly educated the colonists in a knowledge of their rights.' " 3. The Play School. The play school as developed by Dr. Johnson at Andover, the vacation school and play- ground, and the kindergarten have been the most active factors in influencing present educational ideals towards those which Franklin held. The vaca- tion schools and playgrounds in charge of the Massachusetts Civic League used to take the boys around to visit various city industries. carpentry at social center Philadelphia 4. The Aim of the Play- ground. When the work of mankind leaves the home because it can be done more economically in the work- shop, the necessity of special play education and specific instruction is ushered in. Denied the privilege of observing adults at their best, in constructive effort under discipline, the child must base his play upon the object les- 1G() PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE AND PLATCRAFT sons furnished "gratis" by Life's Loafers and Vampires and the doings of adults during their periods of relaxation when restraints are thrown aside. The playground aims to counteract these evil influences already hard at work, and to provide for both child and adult an antidote to the disin- tegrating, diseducational and demoralizing effect of necessary specializa- tion. Hence the need of public moral cleanliness and provisions for moral object lessons actively applied to fill up these "youthful knowledge seek- ers," so that the lessons of the stables, the alley, the gutter, the saloon and brothel will find no place empty waiting to be filled. Play seems the best method of applying some of these precepts. PART V THE TECHNIQUE OF CONSTRUCTIVE PLAY CHAPTER XX Playground Manual Training A. Industrial "Work Recommended by Committee on Normal Course of Play This should include sewing, raffia, crocheting and basketry. The different stitches in sewing and crocheting and the different forms of weav- ing in basketry and raffia should be shown with the materials and practiced and learned by the students. Rope splicing, carpentry, whittling and kite making are sometimes pursued by the boys. 1 . The children should do as much of the practical work as possible. If the boys help to clear the ground and make the ball diamonds and running tracks, and the girls make the baby hammocks, and bases for baseball, covers for tether balls, bean bags and their own aprons and bloomers, the work will be interesting in itself, and will increase their loyalty to the playground. 2. Basket work, raffia and worsteds. Older girls are very fond of these and it always pleases the parents. Whittling, rope splicing and kite flying for boys. (a) The director should not give out material without instruction how to use it. (b) He should not give out material for the children to take home. (c) He should not give out material to be carried around the play- ground. (d) See that the children finish what they begin. (e) Have the children furnish the material for the larger pieces, and allow them to keep it. Note. — The better pieces of work find a ready sale, and in some cities there is a practice of having a fair at the end of the season and disposing of the objects made. The proceeds go either to the children, to the play- ground, or are divided between them. The consensus of opinion at the Conference of Kindergartners at the Second Playground Congress was : " The materials used by the younger chil- dren should be those which lead to the larger activities, such as: standard materials — blocks, light boards, sand, clay, shells; natural materials, mis- cellaneous constructive materials — boxes, spools, twigs, wood, cardboard, heavy paper, and such necessary tools as scissors, hammers, glue, nails, etc.; toys — balls (large and small), pails, shovels, wagons, wheelbarrows, ani- mals, dolls, dishes, ropes, brooms." 168 a =0 s n. 169 17(1 PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE AND PLAYCRAPT B. Constructive V\.w Activities op Children of Different Ages By Harry W. Leland, B.S., Supervisor of Manual Training, Leominster, Mass. Bight to eleven years — Wooden swords, knives, daggers, windmills. water wheels, wind vanes, boats, toy furniture, kites, tepees and wigwams. Eleven to fourteen years — animal houses and cages, stilts, see-saws, skees, toboggans, sleds and guns. Fourteen years or older — gymnastic apparatus, furniture, simple house or camp construction. Construction work suitable for children is given in "American Boy Hand Book," Dan Beard; "Manual Training Magazine;" "School Arts Book;" " Woodworking for Beginners," by C. G. Wheeler. For others see Bibliography and Dr. Johnson's list in " Education by Plays and Games." C. ^Athletics and Manual Training Correlated Physical training and manual training may be correlated through con- structive play. Children skould work for their play. The " Official " bats, balls and other equipment used for school and playground games should be "child made;" the champions, those who make the best goods and play the best game. Playground and school sports can direct the dynamic stream of play into the channels of "playcraft" where its force can be accustomed to industrial uses. If money is spent on materials and instructors to teach the children to make their own play supplies, some temptations would be re- moved from politicians and others who are not in business for their health; and athletic sports would be greatly benefited. Interest in games would lead to interest in constructive play and vice versa. In Louisville, whittling classes led boys to take an interest in athletic games who could not have been reached otherwise. D. The Playcraft League The success of a playground movement depends upon the closeness of its relations with the whole community. Benjamin Franklin used to say that the best way to make a friend was to get him to do something for you. One of the cardinal principles which is taught to Y. M. C. A. work- ers is that they should never do anything themselves which they can get one of their members to do because if the member works for the asso- ciation his interest will be kept. The playground movements which are successful are those which have the most people working for them. No one is so ignorant or so downtrodden but what they can be elevated by doing something for someone else. ♦This subject will be elaborated in Volume L. PLAYGROUND MANUAL TRAINING 171 We would suggest the formation in each playground of a Playcraft League: the object of this league to be to work for the playground, in some constructive way. In olden times there were husking bees, house raisings, quilting bees, ete. By cooperation good fellowship was secured. The (Jerinan turners work together for their turnverein in this way- Perhaps this fact may account in part for strength of the movement. The citizens of the town of Northboro, Mass., have instituted an annual field day. A park was donated to the town sometime ago and being unable to secure sufficient funds from the town to develop the park the annual field day was instituted. When it arrives so do a goodly number of citizens, with their picks and shovels and other implements, and for a day they labor with a will toward the further development of the park, in the center of which is considerable of an elevation that has been dignified by the name of '"Mount Assabet." There has been much good work done by the citizens, and annually there is made considerable improvement. At noon there is always served a field dinner, and the affair has about it some picnic features, which lighten the labors and give some- what of a holiday aspect to the situation. The work is done under the direction of the park commissioners. — Boston (Hal),-. We think this would be an admirable way to make a playground. Let the children make the apparatus and then have the fathers and big brothers come to put it up and the mothers can come and furnish the luncheon. Membership in the Playcraft League could depend upon doing something for the playground. The playgrounds in Omaha were equipped by the trades unions who did all the work. The merchants donated the materials. This could be done anywhere, and it would be a good basis for the beginning of a strong playground movement. Another way in which this league might be valuable could be in direct- ing the interests of the boys towards various trades. Now, if the playground could offer opportunities for the boys to "mon- key" around with tools and if the different trades union people could come in once in awhile and show the boys how r to use these tools it ought to be a liberal education. The courses in manual training given in the schools tend to specialization. Through the play interest of the boy or the girl, the fundamentals of handling tools can be learned so as to give a basis for intelligent specializa- tion later. Whatever mechanical ability the editor possesses was acquired in the following manner: — endowed by nature with very strong play instincts and not endowed with parents who were in the habit of satisfying these play instincts in the ready-made ordinary fashion, by furnishing toys and supplies, it became necessary to make the means for enjoying play. There is probably not a manufacturing institution in our native town which we have not visited for the purpose of gaining information. The foundry was visited, the work in all departments copied. This was for the purpose of making a casting for the head of a camera tripod. A purchased one 172 PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE AND PLAYCRAPT was seen as a model and then a little wooden pattern was whittled out, sand begged from the foundry, miniature molding tools improvised out of pieces of brass and the easting made of lead. Our remembrance is that it didn't work very well, but we learned foundry practice. Now, if money had been available, we should have purchased that tripod. If we wanted to play baseball, we had to make a ball. We wanted a horizontal bar, and cut a stick in the woods, which we nailed up between the woodshed and the hen house. Some such method as this used in the operation and construction of playgrounds, we should think would be valuable as a means of education. Most boys do not often have workshops with all the necessary tools; again, there are "no admittance" signs on all places where interesting industries are carried on. The playground should provide the means of natural education, which were open to the boys who are now men. It should not satisfy all the children's play instincts without effort on their part. Each child should have a trade mark to put on things he makes. The worker and craftsman should receive the reward of accomplishment. A play work shop would serve as a center of constructive play in the neighborhood and furnish the opportunity for artistic workmen to exhibit their skill and offer a chance for children to watch their elders at work. Ideals of industry would thus be cultivated and opportunity would be given for the children to acquire education through imitation. CHAPTER XXI Domestic Science 1. Housekeeping and Cooking. The Dewitt Clinton Park Play- ground in New York has a department which we think is valuable enough to be copied by other cities. There is on this playground a small house with conveniences for housekeeping, and the children are taught elementary domestic science. Los Angeles has demonstrated the value of having the plav director live on the ground, as his house becomes the center of social activity to the neighborhood. If on every playground there could be a play home where the children could learn some of the lessons which they will be called upon to practice when men and women, the influence of the plavground would be greatly increased. There is much ignorance of the most common details of cooking and home management. Such a course should not teach the children to make "peanut cookies," "Charlotte Russe" or "angel food;" but it should teach the elements: how to make bread, how to cook beefsteak without making it into leather, how to operate and manage a fire economically, how to purchase food supplies, and other fundamentals of domestic economy by play methods. 2. Domestic Economy. The average wage of the employees in the various industries of Massachusetts varies from $425 to $450 per year. The problem which most of our playground girls will meet is that of sup- porting a family on this income or less. If any assistance can be given through play we may rest assured that it is badly needed. It might be arranged so that different girls could each be appointed housekeeper for a certain length of time. Certain members of the play- ground of various ages might be selected as the family. We might have "the baby," "little Johnny" and "little Mary" play keeping house. A certain amount of money each week might be apportioned and the girls trained in the best way to get the most out of it. 3. A Workman's Model Home. The World's Work for May describes a safe and sanitary home for $1,000. Such a house as this would not be beyond the means of most playground systems. It could be made an object lesson in the community. It is built on the plan which was awarded the gold medal by the Inter- national Tuberculosis Congress. Preparations are being made in twenty cities for building these houses. The floors of the model house are of soft waterproof material, slightly sloping to one side with a pipe for drainage. There is not a square corner in the house where walls and floors intersect. The connections are rounded and afford no lurking place for dust or germs. 173 174 PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE W"l) PLAYCRAFT Windows and door frames and picture mouldings will be of metal and set flush with the walls. No paper on the walls; and furniture can be taken out and the inside of the house cleaned with a hose. A substantial sink is built in the kitchen with water tight partitions so that it can be divided into two tubs or left single for a bath tub. A small sheet iron sink for dish washing can be attached. The combination gas gauge, stove and furnace is built in the house. It is protected on the outside by a cement jacket which prevents its overheating the kitchen. Its second purpose is to heat the rest of the house. Between the stove proper and the cement jacket are air chambers from which hot air is sent into other rooms. The ashes from the stove drop automatically into a pan which may be reached by the garbage man from the outside. Gas may be used instead of coal. The ice chest also is built into the house with opening in the back part to put ice in. In winter the outside door is opened and makes it into a cold storage. It may be washed with a hose. The garbage can be kept in a chamber in the wall and may be reached from the outside or inside. There are fireplaces throughout the house. The arrangement is such that the smoke passes up a central pipe which is enclosed in an air chamber. The air in this latter becomes heated from contact with the hot pipe and rises, thus drawing the bad air from the room. The coal for all the fires is hoisted to the roof by a simple chain block and dumped through a coal hole into a large pocket from which it distributes itself automatically, and the housewife feeds the fire by pulling a lever. When the molds are made, all these conveniences can be had for $1,000. The Standard Oil Company is going to use this style of house in its model town, Bavonne, N. J. If a home like this could be made on the playground, it would not be lon KX( IHSIONS AND (AMPS 179 Courtesy of Youth's Companion ENJOYING THE FRUITS OF THEIR LABOR 4. A Vacation on a Raft. Mr. A. S. Atkinson in the Youth's Companion May 20th, 1909, describes a unique method of making a water camp which might be used by the playground boys in one of the city parks. Under proper supervision and with proper sanitary regulations a fleet of these home-made camps could add much to the play life of the city child. We reproduce the cut by permission and refer the reader for de- scription to the original article. ISO PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE AND PLAYCBAFT .">. A Bibliography of Camps.* History <>f Camps. "Vacation Camps and Boys' Republics," by Albert Shaw. Review • of Reviews, May. L896. v_ The Camp [nstinct. "Boys as Savages," by E. M. Robinson. Association Outlook, Springfield, Mass.. July, 1899. "Thinkerettes about Boys and Camps." Ibid, August, 189!). Camp Methods, General. "Camp Fires in the Wilderness," by E. W. Burt. Boston, National Sportsman Company, 1902. ''The Complete Campers' Manual." Buzzacott, Camp Outfitter, Racine Junction, Wis. "Practical Camping." Boyhood, Spring, 1903. "Boys' Book of Sports and Outdoor Life," by Maurice Thompson. New York, 1896. "The Open Air Boy," by G. M. A. Hewlett. ' R. F. Fenno & Co., New York, 1903. Games and Sports. "Fun Making at Camp," by Charles B. Horton. Association Boys, June, 1903. "Eighty Good Times Out-of-Doors," by William M. Heath. 189 pp. Revell, 1903. "One Hundred and Fifty Gymnastic Gaines," by Graduates of the Boston Normal School of Gymnastics. George H. Fllis, Boston, 1902. Handicraft. "The Boys' Workshop," by Henry Randall Waite. New York, 1884. Amateur Work, a magazine. Boston. Nature Study. "Nature Study and Life," by Clifton F. Hodge. 514 pp. Ginn, 1902. "Educational Possibilities at Camp," by F. B. Speare. Association Boys, June, 1903. "Nature Study at Boys' Camps," by H. W. Gibson. Ibid. Periodicals Issued in Camps. The Asquam Record, Holderness, N. H. Reading. "Books for Boys," lists by Caroline M. Hewins, Frances J. Olcott, Elva Sophronia Smith, William B. Forbush, etc. How to Help Boys, Boston, April, 1903. Religious. "Bible Study at Camp," by Raymond P. Kaiglin. Association Boys, June, 1903. Sanitation, Etc. "Sanitary Care of Camp," bv Elias G. Brown, M.D. Association Boys, 3 West 29th Street,' April and June, 1902. "Simple Remedies in Camp," by the same. Ibid, June, 1903. Family Camps. "In An Abandoned Farmhouse," by W r illiam Byron Forbush, in the Boston Transcript, August 31, 1902. "How to Live Outdoors with Children," by the same, in The Conqreqationalist, July 11, 1903. Municipal Camps. "Boston Municipal Camp." Harper's Bazaar, September 30, 1899. Settlement Camps. "Camps for Boys," by Thornton S. Alexander. Social. Work Monographs, No. 2, Lincoln House, Boston. Y. M. C. A. Camps. "Association Boys' Camps," by E. M. Robinson. Association Boys, 3 W. 29th Street, New York City, June, 1902. Report of Association Boys' Camps for 1901. Ibid. *From How to Help Boys, July, 1903. CHAPTER XXIII The Plat Coubse ix Forestry and Gardening A. Extracts From School Gardens. Bulletin No. 160, U. S. Department of Agriculture By S. C. Corbett "Agriculture in its broadest sense is the primary basis of wealth in this country, and it seems essential that efforts should be made in our educational system to bring early to the mind of the child farts which will be of value as emphasizing the importance and necessity of agricultural work. There is no better war to do this than through a well-managed and well-conducted system of school garden training. Aside from the fact that the interest of the child is early awakened in an industry which means much to the future prosperity of this country, there is often a broader application of the work in its moral effect on the child. Then, the work is valuable in broadening lines of thought, enlarging the scope of the child's observation, and improving its physique. It has been well said that: — - " ' In the school garden the fact should always be kept prominent that the pupil is to be the most active factor. We can put things in his way to help him develop properly and keep him from some of the things that fail so to help him, but we cannot do this developing for him, and if he is to have a knowledge of the elementary principles of life, of industry, of man- kind, of beauty and the morality of work he must work out his own salvation. "In the spring of 1902 the Bureau of Plant Industry of the United States Department of Agriculture received a request from Normal School No. 1 of Washington, D. C, for assistance and cooperation in its efforts to introduce gardening; into the course of the school. 'The course prescribed in the school at the present time is sufficiently elementary to be easily adapted to the schools into which the graduates are sent. No text-book is required, books being used simply for reference. "Simple experiments are performed and conclusions drawn from the results. Soils brought from school grounds are treated with different fertilizers, seeds planted in them, and the results carefully noted. The water-holding power of soils, the conservation of water by soil mulching, the essentials for germination, and the proper depths for planting various seeds are learned through experiments. "Before the frost touches geraniums, coleus, scarlet sage, and helio- trope in the park beds, cuttings are made and placed in clean sand to root, thus furnishing material for school-ground decoration later. These slips are potted and shifted into larger pots, as required, during the winter, so 181 182 PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE AND PLAYCRAFT that by spring the greenhouse is filled with material for distribution. In the spring of 1904, 4,000 plants were sent out from this house, which covers an area of only !) by 82 feet. "Besides the herbaceous material mentioned, hard-wood, permanent material is used for cuttings. Eight-inch cuttings of privet and forsythia are kepi during the winter under an open shed in flats filled with sand. In March these are sent to schools, with directions for planting. The grounds of three schools are now surrounded by thriving hedges planted by children. The demand for these cuttings is greater than the school can supply. Ampelopsis veitchii and Clematis paniculata have been raised from PLAY GARDENING IN THE COLUMBUS AVENUE PLAYGROUND Boston seed and distributed to schools and to the homes of the students. Bulbs have been planted in pots for winter forcing. Lists of plants suitable for withstanding the unfavorable conditions of schoolrooms have been prepared for the use of pupils. "Much attention has been given to window-box gardening. The preparation of the soil, the suitability of plants, and their proper arrange- ment have been carefully studied. Special success in these window boxes has been obtained with Boston ferns." " The work is done in Worcester, as in many other places, in the nature- study period. The outdoor work is preceded by simple informal lessons in PLAY COURSE EN FORESTRY AND GARDENING 183 the class room. The children bring tools from home. It has been necessary for the teacher to buy soil every two or three years, as the steep grade of the yard causes the ground to be deeply washed. To most of the children this work is an incentive for home gardens, and the improvement of the surrounding "neighborhood testifies to the value of the work at the school." © © % * * * "A wild garden on one side of the building, a small vegetable garden on the other side, and a creditable lawn in front, bordered by luxuriantly blooming nasturtiums, make this building one of the mosl pleasing results of the efforts of children. A school yard planted by a gardener is good if the work can be done in no other way. hut the one that best serves its edu- cational value is planted by children, no matter how small the ground or how crude the result. It is in such a garden that moral teaching is accom- plished." * * * * "Clematis, climbing roses, English ivy, and the trumpet creeper, as well as moon vines and other annuals, were planted along fences and wood sheds. The planting of 250 forsythias along the walks to the buildings will be of permanent value. These plants were made by the girls from cuttings from shrubs in the grounds of the Department of Agriculture." H< 3fc Hs % " Tree seeds have been collected in the parks of the city in the autumn and kept in sand during the winter. In the spring the ground has been plowed by the students with a hand plow, the seeds being planted in accord- ance with the directions given in Bulletin No. 29 of the Bureau of Forestry of the Department of Agriculture. Weeding occasionally during the sum- mer is all the work that has been required. The nursery now contains about 400 vouno; trees." j © *t^ *j* »j. *ip "The simple principles of landscape gardening are taught — popularly known as the A B C of gardening: (A) Keep open center; (B) plant in masses; and (C) avoid straight lines." * * * * "This plan has been followed successfully for two years. At the beginning of vacation the garden is so attractive that it is little trouble to form volunteer committees of children to report once a week throughout the summer to water and cut the grass and work the flower beds. The attendance has been large. Each student in the normal class comes once a week for three weeks to direct the work." * H= # * "The children do this work with no reward in view other than the beautifying of the grounds. Civic pride is taught and respect for the prop- 184 PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE AND PLATCRAPT erty rights of others is learned. While stealing and vandalism were weekly occurrences the first summer the gardens were in existence, not one case was reported during L904." * * * * "Plantain and dandelions have been troublesome weeds in the lawns. The older children measured the area and calculated how many flower heads, if allowed to seed, a plant must bear to take entire possession of the lawn. This, of course, has been done with the supposition that every seed grows and has a given space. This is practical, in that it teaches the neces- sity of preventing the ripening of the seeds of weeds." * * * * "Philadelphia, Boston, New York, and St. Louis, with their large for- eign quarters, have felt the need of a work that will turn the children toward the country; so in those places the subject has been worked out on large areas, subdivided into many small plats, where children are taught the value of intensive farming on small tracts." " To test the value of gardening as a suitable form of manual training for boys below the seventh grade, a sixth-grade class of boys was selected to work the land assigned the normal school on the grounds of the Depart- ment of Agriculture." * * * * "Study of soils, fertilizers, seed sowing and mulching was made before the outdoor work began. Each boy was assigned a plat 10 by 17 feet, paths two feet wide separating the plats. The measuring was done by the boys and was the most difficult part of the work." * * * * "There is no better object lesson to a lazy or careless boy than the little plants appearing above ground. Such boys at this time will sometimes hoe up their entire plats and replant them, because of the great difference apparent between their gardens and those of the more careful pupils. All things are not suitable for such small plats. Among vegetables, radishes, lettuce, onions, bush beans, and tomatoes, if trained to stakes, are the most satisfactory to children; petunias, nasturtiums, sweet alyssum, and ver- benas flower all summer, so a bunch of flowers may be taken home at every lesson." * * * * " By putting in a crop as soon as one has been exhausted, on a sixteenth of an acre these sixth-grade boys raised 336 bunches of radishes, 110 bunches of onions, 368 heads of lettuce, 89 bunches of beets, 8 bushels of beans, 7 bushels of tomatoes, 7 bunches of carrots, and 1 peck of turnips, besides nasturtiums and petunias, many boxes of which found their way to the hos- pitals of the city." * * * * PLAY COURSE IN FORESTRY AND GARDENING 185 " Al regular market (trices $55 worth of produce has been gathered from this small plat. Experienced farmers sometimes fail to do as well." "There is no question in the minds of those in charge of the value of the work. Proof was given the first season of the influence on the homes of the boys. With little expenditure for tools, fertilizers, and seeds, and in some cases renting land near schools, such opportunities could he given to every sixth-grade bov in the city." The Horticultural Society of Springfield, Mass.. with the cooperation of the City Forester and the Springfield Republican, have for two years encouraged the beautifying of school and home grounds by means of prize contests. Circulars giving cultural directions for trees and ornamental shrubs best adapted for city use are circulated. The newspaper donates the prizes. B. Home Gardening Association, Cleveland, Ohio The Home Gardening Association of Cleveland is the originator of the method of encouraging home gardening by the selling of penny packages of seed. The work is not confined to children. Earnest workers of the Goodrich House Settlement started the association, which aims to reach adults as well as children, and they find the garden the readiest means of entrance to the homes. * * Envelopes containing the following list of seeds and particulars as to their distribution are sent to the schools in February: The Home Gardening Association seeds recommended Price, 1 cent a packet. Mark opposite the variety the number of packets wanted. Separate colors cannot be ordered. Aster, mixed, scarlet, white, blue, and rose, 1.5 inches high Bachelor's. Button, or Corn- flower, blue, pink, and white, 2 feet high Balsam, or Lady Slipper, mixed colors, 2 feet high Calliopsis, or Coreopsis, yellow and brown, 2 feet high..... ♦Cosmos, mixed, white, pink, and red, 5 feet high Four-o'clock, yellow, white and crimson, 2 feet high Marigold, yellow, 1 foot high Moh\i\<;-Glory, a climber, mixed colors, 12 feet high Nasturtium, a climber, yellow, or- ange, and red, 6 feet high Nasturtium, bush, yellow, orange, and red, 1 foot high China Pinks, mixed, pink, scarlet, white, and lilac, 6 inches high Phi. ox, mixed, scarlet, pink, and white, 1 foot high Scarlet Runner, a climber, scarlet, 7 feet high Verbena, mixed, white, scarlet, pur- ple, 6 inches high Zinnia, scarlet, '_' feet high tGLADioLi Bulbs, red, yellow, and pink, 1 cent each *Cosmos is not recomniened for smokiest districts. Blooms in October. fGladioli bulbs should lie planted right side up, in a <;ood, rich soil, in a sunny situa- tion, 6 inches deep and G inches apart. Will send up one stalk of bloom three months after planting. Flower stalk may need support by tying to a stick. Tlie bulbs should be taken up in October and planted next spring. Store where they will not be frozen, make a fine display in school yard. Will 180 PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE AND PLAYCRAFT Return this envelope to the teacher with your money. Do not put money in this envelope. Number of packets, . Amount, cents. Write your name here ■• Address, . Grade, . School, Your seeds will lie delivered to you in this envelope about May first. Prepare your garden in April. Select the sunniest part of your yard, hut avoid a place where the chipping From the root' will tall on the bed. Dig deep — a full foot. Soil with well-rotted manure dug in will give better results than poor soil. Four-o'clock, bachelor's button, marigold, calliopsis, zinnia, morning-glory, and nas- turtium are the easiest to grow successfully. Many window boxes should be planted. Try one. After the seeds desired by each child are indicated, the envelopes are sent by the principals of buildings to the Goodrich House, while the money is forwarded to the treasurer. A slight profit accrues from this work, but it is returned to the schools in the form of prizes or by the donation of bulbs. The seeds are delivered the first of May. Lessons are given in the schoolroom on the ways to plant and the care of the gardens. To supple- ment these lessons, the association distributes cards containing the follow- ing instructions: DIRECTIONS FOR THE CARE OF THE GARDEN Plant seeds in garden or boxes early in May. Fill boxes with 4 or 5 inches of fine, rich soil. Place boxes in sunny place and sprinkle ^very day. Cover boxes at night if very cold. Transplant seedlings to the garden about June 1, on a damp day. Sow seeds of calliopsis, nasturtiums, morning-glories, and four-o'clocks in the garden, as they do not stand transplanting. SUGGESTIONS FOR WINDOW BOXES Make a box 6 or 8 inches deep, 12 to 15 inches wide, and as long as the window is wide. Fill the boxes with fine rich soil and fasten firmly to the sunniest window. Place similar boxes on the porch or fence. Plant morning-glories on the side nearest the house and train up on strings. Plant climbing nasturtiums near outside, to hang down over the box. Plant calliopsis, zinnias, marigolds, asters, or verbenas in middle of box. Boxes need water every day. MAKING OF YOUR FLOWER BEDS Select sunniest part of the yard. Avoid a place where the dripping from the roof will fall on the bed. Best effects are produced by planting all of one variety in one place. PREPARATION OF THE SOIL Dig up the bed, as early as possible, a foot deep. Mix with the soil some rich earth, well-rotted manure, or leaf mold from the woods. Rake the beds and keep the soil fine and free from lumps. PLANTING OF SEEDS See directions on the seed packet. WATERING OF THE GARDEN Sprinkle the beds every day, if necessary, until the plants are 1 inch high. Do not allow the soil to become too dry. Sprinkle thoroughly every few days when the plants are 2 or 3 inches high, instead of lightly every day. Water in the morning and evening. PLAY COURSE IN FORESTRY AND GARDENING 187 THINNING OF PLANTS IN THE GARDEN Avoid having plants too crowded. . Thin the plants when they are 2 or 3 inches high, on a cloudy day, when the soil is moist. Transplant seedlings pulled up to another bed, or give them to some friend. Take up a little soil with each plant. Use a trowel, and old kitchen fork, or small, flat, thin stick. PICKING OF FLOWERS Do not allow flowers to go to seed. Pick them every day and more will bloom. Allow a few of the best flowers to go to seed for next year's garden. Keep beautiful fresh flowers in your house and share them with the sick. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS Dig deep and make the soil fine on the surface. Keep pulling out the weeds all summer. Sprinkle the seeds everv day. Water the bed thoroughly every few days during the whole summer. Pick your flowers every day. Keep your garden neat. Flowers require attention all summer. By attending to these things you will have flowers all summer and for the flower show in the fall. Each school building holds an exhibit in the autumn, and the best in each division is awarded a prize, consisting either of money or bulbs. If the former, it is with the stipu- lation that it shall be devoted to improving school grounds. C. Experimentation The United States Department of Agriculture conducts the biggest correspondence school in the world. Youth is preeminently the time for experimentation. Through the children, the agricultural methods of the country can be entirely remodelled. We have a small brother, who is of an experimental turn of mind, as are most children. We have introduced him to the Department of Farmers' Free Bulletins, a list of which may be secured by addressing your Representative in Congress, and through play he is learning a great many new things about farming methods. The various agricultural colleges of the states will gladly furnish infor- mation regarding new methods upon application. We think that the chil- dren should eel in the habit of using these means of education. D. Creation of New Species Hybridization and the creation of new species offers a wonderful field for attracting the interest of the children to the soil and its possibilities. Tell them the story of Burbank and his wonderful achievements. The process of hybridization is so simple thai any seven-year old child could do it. Simply shake the pollen from the stamens of one species onto the stigma of the variety you wish to hybridize; then collect the seeds, plant them, select the best specimens, hybridize the best ones again and repeat. There are many beautiful flowers which may be obtained, hundreds of varieties of wild grasses that may beat anything we have in our mowings ISS PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE AND PLAYCRAPT now. The Department of Agriculture will he glad to assist. Don't attempt to make the play gardening of children too materialistic or economic. Childhood is the time of experimentation. Appropriate vines and hedge plants are needed for the landscape gar- dening of playgrounds; vines which a baseball will not injure. Perhaps the children can develop these. The Department of Agriculture is trying to introduce the culture of basket willows. Why not have a part in the playground, or space in the big parks where the children can raise willows for their own baskets, for use in making willow huts, etc. Basket willows would make a good screen for separating the different parts of the play- ground. E. A Plan of Reforestation One of the most serious problems which our country has to face is the destruction of the forests. The whole country could be reclothed with trees inside of three years by the proper organization of school children, who would plant the seed and then transplant the seedlings in the place where they are to grow. The Massachusetts Board of Forestry is attempting to introduce the study of trees into the public schools. The danger is, that children will learn about trees and not plant them. Through country playgrounds, we think this work could be extended quicker than any other way, for play directors have the ability to lead and direct the interests of the children. An organization of "Forest Crusaders" might be formed. The little bits of tots could be " dryads " and plant the seeds. The bigger ones could be "elves" and transplant the little trees. The boys and girls seven to eleven could be "rangers" and take care of the small trees. The big bovs could be "foresters" and could range the woods and fields collect- ing seeds. The children in the cities could plant such trees as are adapted for street ornamentation and for shade on playgrounds. They could also raise shrubs for the decoration of home and public grounds. The public schools of Springfield are doing something of this nature, but without any particular organization. The organization could be made the whole thing. Each tree that a child plants might have his name on it or near it, and membership in the "crusaders" to continue while the trees lived. Compe- tition might be introduced. The plan presents unlimited possibilities. The children of a city playground might raise forest tree seedlings and plant them for farmers in the districts not too far from the city, and more than cover the expense of a camping trip. 1. Bibliography. Forest planting leaflets of Massachusetts Fores- try Department, F. W. Rane, Forester, Boston, Mass. Forest planting leaflets. Department of Forestry, U. S. Department of Agriculture, Gifford Pinchot, Ch., Washington, D. C. play course ix forestry and gardening i s '* 2. Books Recommended by Committee on Normal Course of Play. (See Bibliography for additional references.) For syllabus see Cornell leaflets, etc. Bulletins 1(>0, 195, "20-L Office of Experiment Station, Department of Agriculture. Farmers' Bulletins, Department of Agriculture, by L. C. Corbett. Beautifying Home Grounds, The School Garden. Nature Study and Belated Subjects — Jackman. Beports of Cleveland Home Gardening Association. Cornell Leaflets of Nature Study. Hampton Institute publications. How to Make School Gardens— F. D. Hemenway. Children's Gardens— Louise Klein Miller. Agriculture Through the Labarotary and School Garden — Dougherty and Jackson. Agriculture for Beginners — Burket and Stevens. Agriculture — Soule and Turpin. Nature Study and Life — Hodge. Nature Studv— Holtz. "Some real knowledge of the amount of care, time, patience and money, and of the chance for success or failure in raising a shrub or tree, will do more in getting a boy vol- untarily to respect public parks than all the police which a city can afford to watch over it." CHAPTER XXIV Pets and the Domestication of Animals The domestication of animals has played an important part in the development of the race. The responsibility and care needed for success in raising and using them has created in the normal man a love for these dumb creatures, who look to us for support, and who in return give us of their strength and love unsparingly. The child who does not have a pet to care for can never be a normal man or woman. Every playground should have a cat, a dog, pigeons, rabbits, white mice, guinea pigs, perhaps canary birds, and a fish pond, not necessarily large. Los Angeles has a good style to copy. Wherever there is space a playground cow and horse would be an admirable addition. They might be installed at the playground camp in the big park. The children could take turns in being " allowed" to milk the cow for a week, and take care of the horse. The cow could furnish the milk, cream and butter, for the play house- keeping. The horse could be used to do odd jobs connected with the play- ground system, to take the children on camping excursions and to serve as conveyance when one playground in the city visits another playground. The cities' condemned fire horses can be purchased very cheaply for this purpose or perhaps they might be donated. The horse could plow up the children's gardens and haul cinders in winter. The plan presents many opportunities for development. Toads ought to be secured and kept on the playground. Dr. Hodge's "Studies" have proved conclusively the value of nature study and the love of animals in the education of the youth. In the country, wild animals can be caught and domesticated. Fish could be supplied to the small streams. The fish growing wild in a natural lake were tamed by the assistant editor when a little girl, so that they would follow her up and down along the shore. She would take them out in her hands, keeping them out until they showed signs of distress, putting them in little cans of water and then putting them back in the lake. Immediately after they would return to be played with again. Dr. Hodge has succeeded in taming and domesticating: the native rough grouse of New England. The Boston Globe, June 6. 1909. has a full-page article describing his methods. Dr. Hodge, speaking of the educational value of the study of animals, gives the incident of some boys, who were bothering a spider. He asked them if they knew the spider was a sailor, and he proceeded to show them how'he could sail on the water. When children are cruel to animals, it is usually not from a feeling of vindictiveness, but they are investigating and don't know a better way to do it. The field presents great possibilities in play education. 190 PART VI THE EDUCATIONAL METHOD OF BUILDING PLAYGROUNDS CHAPTER XXV Home Made Equipment A. The Advantages op Home Made Equipment The construction of home made apparatus is exceedingly simple. There is no reason why any mechanic cannot make everything necessary provided the proper specifications are furnished. There are distinct advantages in having apparatus made up at home. They are: — At the prices which the machine companies charge, equipments can be made by local labor at from one-half to two-thirds the prices charged by the machine companies. The money is kept in your own city. Your own trades people receive the benefit therefrom and your own workmen get the work. The manufacture of play equipments offers an aim and object to manual training work, which will not compete with any other established line of business. Furthermore the children will enjoy very much more a playground which they have made for themselves. A school in Minneap- olis has just manufactured the entire equipment for its playground. The playground children of Washington, Indianapolis, Philadelphia and Boston have assisted with the manufacture of their own playground equip- ments. With regard to Philadelphia, Mr. Stetcher says : All grounds also have occupation work both during the morning and afternoon. For this suitable material is supplied, like reed for basketry, split cane for seat-caning, twine for Jiammocks, wood for woodwork, and the well-known paper materials employed in the kinder- garten and lowest primary grades. While formerly the larger children kept everything they made during the occupation hours, efforts have been made, during the last years, to turn this class of constructive work into channels that would directly benefit the playgrounds. It is a pleasure to report that these efforts have been entirely successful. There is no loss of interest, when, as at present, besides making small articles for themselves, the children make play appa- ratus for their own ground as well as for other grounds. We now manufacture hammock stands and hammocks, so that "little mothers" bringing babies to the playgrounds can put the babies into a safe place under the charge of one girl or boy while the rest have a chance to play. A miniature of two styles of these stands is shown in the Philadelphia exhibit. ^Ye further manufacture stilts, stands for high jumping, tether bats, jumping boards, benches, seats for swings, checker-boards, grace hoops, and minor play materials of a like order. All children like this occupation work. We consider that such playgrounds will be much more valuable than the ready made ones, so that if apparatus were more expensive when made by the children, we should still advise that they make it and receive the training it would give. The same principle also applies to the landscape gardening of play- grounds which should be done by the children as much as possible. The playground plans, descriptions and specifications which follow have been designed from the knowledge gained by ten years of very close 192 CO p o M O © — 3 a .a 5 o — — H o H ^ r" a W 3 < M H o M < — CO 193 194 PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE AND PLAYCRAFT connection with playground work. They are also designed especially to conform to the abilities of rather unskilled labor. Our equipments have always been made and erected by common park employees. We think that none of the work is too intricate to be done by a boy 14 or 15 rears old. Note — In case large sized blue prints of any of these plans are desired, they can be secured. Plans for landscape gardening of playgrounds prepared for the use of children can also be secured. HOME MADE GIANT STRIDES Los Angeles B. Common Sense in Playground Equipment There has been an immense amount of money wasted in the past few years on playground equipment. It has been thought necessary to have an elaborate equipment whenever there has been money enough to buy it. As a result we have numerous exhibits of pipe fitting and open plumbing stuck around in the various playgrounds of the country like pillars in the Sahara Desert, mute reminders of the development of styles of playground equipment. Chief among these is the gymnasium, at AVood Island Park. If no apparatus whatever had been put on this playground and if the money invested in equipment could have been spent for adequate supervision it would have been enough to have maintained the playground in its proper condition probably from its origin to the present time. HOME MADE EQUIPMENT 19.5 Most of the playground apparatus used to-day is simply indoor gym- nasium apparatus adapted for outdoor use. It is often put up with an entire disregard for the children's desire and need. Most of the apparatus which is at all valuable is that which the children have themselves developed, for instance the swing. We have no doubt that the first swing was invented by one of our "long-tailed ancestors," and consisted of grapevine hanging from a limb. The children of the race have consequently been rehearsing this stage of development to the present time, so that anything which swings is attractive to them. The same principle holds true with ladders, especially so if they are arranged so that the means of exit will be different from the place of entrance. Joseph Lee, in his admirable article on "A Home Playground," describes this trait of the children;* and in speakinc of playground apparatus, he says — The principle announced by the great English educator, Edward Thring, is a sound one. Whenever you can get a piece of wood or other inanimate objecl to do ;i certain piece of work for you, don't call upon the nerve tissue of your teachers to do that piece of work. Apparatus can largely meet the desire of the boy to show how great he is by the performance of marvelous feats. It has also the two other functions of serving to attract boys who may come to perform on the rings and stay to play a game, and of being a method by which the shy boy who does not happen to belong to any particular gang can find something to do and so get to be one of the playground crowd. Now, apparatus which requires a teacher to get the children to use it and which does not appeal to their inherent interest has no place on the playground. The play director's time can be used to better advantage in teaching games than in keeping the children doing heavy apparatus work. Dr. Arnold's paper on some inexpensive playground apparatus de- livered before the Playground Congress was apropos. Not a great deal of apparatus is necessary although it has its place. Dr. Arnold speaks of the following :f C. Some Inexpensive Playground Apparatus The Jumping Pit. An excavation ten or more feet wide, thirty or more feet long, three or more feet deep at one of the narrow sides, running from this depth diagonally up- ward to the upper edge at the other narrow end. The sides of this pit are made secure by stout planks, properly prepared to withstand moisture. The ground around is well evened up. The bottom of the pit is free of stones, anil covered with at least six inches, if possible more, of good sand. In this pit babes may enjoy the sand play. Deep jumping from the sides at various heights into the sand is enjoyed by smaller children. For broad jumping, standing and running it is excellent. The firs I attempts al pole vaulting may be made IV the edge of this pit. With some assistance tumbling may be dour from the edges into the pit. The sand used in this jumping pit should l>c soft quick sand if the same can be obtained. This is far superior to sharp -and. or building sand. This jumping pit i-, the best city sub- stitute for a sand hank. You all remember going Mayflowering and spending half the time jumping off the sand bank. The jumping pit combined with the horizontal ladder which i- described later gives practically the same effect and is better adapted for use in schoolyards and for very small playgrounds. *, t— Proceedings P. A. A., 190S. 196 PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE AND PLAYCRAFT THE BALANCING Trkk. A large and perfectly straight tree fifty or more feet long; with the bark removed is supported by two or three wooden feet, one at the extreme thick end. the oilier sufficiently Far from the inner end to allow the thin end free play to swing. At the thicker end the tree may be two or more feet in diameter. It tapers to an end four to six inches in diameter, which is free to swing. The tree is so supported that its thicker end and its upper edge would be three to three and a half feet from the ground. The tree is then placed securely on its feet so that its long axis is horizontal. This tree, as its name implies, gives a chance for balancing exercises on a broad and steady and also on a more and more narrow surface, which sways and swings. It may be used for deep jumping and vaults of all kinds. In the more solid parts of the tree holes may he drilled and pommels may be fastened on it; then we have it serve all the purposes of a horse and saddle-boom. Children may ride on it astride, may swing on the movable part, and should in that position find great enjoyment. The Hillock. A small elevation on the playground, two to five feet high, from three to six feet wide at the base, tapering off toward the top, well covered with turf. Deep jump- ing, high jumping and hurling may be done on, and off, and over this. Pole vaulting from it may be taught. This gives opportunity for the much enjoyed frolic, rolling of children. In winter, when it is covered with snow, it gives a fine start for the sled. It invites war games for the possession of the top of it. The Climbing Tree. A straight tree no less than thirty feet high, made smooth, but not necessarily altogether even, is securely implanted. Its top is protected by a platform sufficiently wide not to allow its edges to be grasped by the climber. While this apparatus serves climbing primarily until the ingenuity of the child makes it the center for the other games, it furthers that type of climbing which is the normal ami natural one, and which can be practised only on trees and for which the gymnasium elimbing-pole gives no chance at all. Two of these may be made the end-support of the playground swings, poles, etc. The Jumping Stairs. Wooden stairs of ordinary construction leading with ten or twelve steps to a height of from six to eight feet run either to a platform, or better, to stairs of the same type leading down on the other side of the platform. If the sides of this are enclosed by boards, and a door is cut in, it may be made the receptacle for playground hand apparatus. These stairs are surrounded on all four sides with sand, of at least six inch thickness. Any one who has ever watched the great fondness of children for jumping stairs will know that the installation of this apparatus is only half completed before the children are beginning to make use of it for broad, high, and deep jumping. It may once more be used to start pole-vaulting. Some tumbling may be done from it. On the solid side of it targets may be painted. The sand around it gives a good place for the sand play of small children, but also for a free bout of friendly wrestling of boys. These pieces of apparatus cost but little to install, are well-nigh indestructible, cost therefore little or nothing for repairs, take up little space, lend themselves to a thousand and one uses at the hands of the playground instructor, and, what is still better, suggest as many and more uses to the child himself. In Louisville the play directors were on the grounds six hours a day and during that time the children were allowed to play on the grass, consequently the swings and giant strides were entirely deserted while organized play was going on. After the teacher left the grounds such of the children as desired went into the gymnasiums and used the apparatus. D. What Apparatus To Have The following apparatus we have found the most valuable to the playground : Swings, see-saws, giant strides, horizontal and parallel bars are the safest, most useful and the cheapest articles of playground equipment. The open air gymnasium with ladders, travelling and trick rings, trapeze, climb- ing and sliding poles, give the children opportunity for development of HOME MADE EQUIPMENT 197 arms and trunk and serve the psychological purpose of attracting atten- tion to the playground; the effect is impressive. However, we have found that interest in the gymnasium apparatus wears off. Where onlv a limited amount of money is available, the outdoor gymnasium frame should be dispensed with. A merry-go-round, designed to be used in the playground without danger of accident, would be a most valuable feature. Jumping standards, spring boards and playground slides are also very popular. The teeter ladders and revolving see-saw, or "flying Dutchman," give lots of fun, but are best adapted to large children; and then accidents are apt to happen if not closely watched. The slide for life strikes me as being one of the best pieces of apparatus available. In passing judgment on playground apparatus, the following points should be considered : (a) Is it safe ? Will it run itself, or w T ill some one have to stay by it all the time to keep the children from accidents ? The teeter ladder and "flying Dutchman" are examples of apparatus interesting but somewhat unsafe. (b) Does it appeal to some fundamental instinct so that it will be inter- esting after the novelty wears off ? Climbing poles and ladders, for instance. Any pieces of apparatus w T hich include the act of falling, swinging, or glid- ing, conquering time and space, seem to take the place of foreign travel to the city child, and are intrinsically interesting. The horizontal and parallel bars, other gymnastic apparatus, jumping standards, etc., depend upon competition and teaching for their interest. (c) Simplicity. The less adjustability the better from an administra- tive standpoint. Have different sizes of apparatus for children of different ages. (d) Expense. (e) Durability. In all probability the city would be liable for acci- dents occurring from breakage of apparatus. Playground apparatus which can stand 365 days of hard service each year, during the rains of spring, alternating with blistering sunshine and alkali dust, together with dry heat for the rest of the year, is hard to find. Last year two complete gymnasium equipments of a standard make were purchased for use in the playgrounds of one city. It w y as found necessary this year to replace all the rope and wooden parts with the exception of the ladders which are preserved by varnishing and dressing every few w r eeks. During the first part of my experience as supervisor of playgrounds we didn't have the money to purchase ready-made apparatus, so I had to 1J)S PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE AND PLAYCRAFT make it. After acquiring the habit it goes against the grain to pay money needed for land or teacher, for equipment which is not just what is wanted, when more satisfactory apparatus can be made at two-thirds the cost. See also Joseph Lee, Home Plin/i/romid Proceediui/s. I '.MIS; same, Play and Playgrounds — Our Civic League; same, A System of Playgrounds, Chautauquan, June, 1906. E. Materials Wood and rope should be dispensed with as far as possible in the construction of playground apparatus, and galvanized metal wire cable and galvanized chain should take its place. 1. Rope. If rope is used it should be f" strand, best quality Manilla rope. Baby swings can be made with V three strand Manilla rope. All rope before using should be uncoiled and hung outdoors so that it will be exposed to the rain and to the effect of the sun. It should be stretched until the stretch is all out of it and then it should be tarred with a thin solu- tion of pine tar. 2. Steel Cable and Hemp Rope. There is a variety of rope which we think will last for years if not forever. It is made of small strands of steel wire, closely twisted and then wound with tarred hemp, after which each strand is made up into rope. It is, however, very expensive, but in the long run we think it would be cheaper than Manilla, because it would be unnecessary to make repairs, § " rope would be the smallest size which is practicable to use. This size costs 21 cents to 25 cents per foot wholesale, while f " Manilla rope costs only about three cents a foot or less. 3. Frames. Three inch standard wrought iron pipe is the best material which can be used in making frames. These pipes should be set in con- crete and they may be held together by standard "tees" and "ells," or universal frame clamps may be used. The use of these clamps is described later and they make a great saving in the cost of erection. In a country where timber is cheap wood frames may be advisable. Wooden uprights may be used with pipe tops. The timber can be used and fitted to the Universal Clamps. Red-wood bears contact with the ground well and would be good for uprights. 4. Frictionless Joints. There are no perfect frictionless joints on the market. Ball bearing joints become clogged with dirt and sand so that they wear out. Dr. Curtis maintains that they make the swings run easy and that the children want to swing in them all day and this seems to us quite reasonable. There are children whose only wish in life seems to be swinging and special efforts should be made to get them out of that stage. A little swinging is good — too much is bad for the child. The only value of frictionless joints is to prevent wear and accidents. The rockers to rocking joints wear out unless they are made of hardened steel which is quite expensive. The perfect joint is still to be discovered HOME MADE EQUIPMENT 1!)!> 5. Wood. The kind of wood used will depend to a certain extent upon the piece of apparatus. When considerable strength with extreme lightness is desired. New England spruce is the best. Southern or Long Leaf Pine is about as strong as spruce, perhaps a little stronger but much heavier. White ash is light and very strong. These three woods are all more or less subject to splintering. The Southern Pine perhaps splinters the least of any of them. Washington fir or Washington pine or spruce, as it is some- times called, is very similar to New England spruce and much easier to obtain. It is especially good about warping. White oak is a very tough, close grained wood, which does not splinter and is valuable for anything which receives considerable wear, such as swing boards, climbing poles, etc. It stands the weather well but is very apt to check. Hickory is the strongest of the woods, but does not stand the weather well. Rock maple is a fine, close grained wood, which wears well and is not affected badly by moisture. (It is the wood usually used in making washing machines.) Rock maple is good for use on playground slides, and is one of the cheapest woods. Do not get white maple; it is no good. To secure the best results all wood used in the construction of plav- ground apparatus should be very carefully kiln-dried, after which it should be either soaked in linseed oil or covered with enough coats to nearlv satu- rate it. After it is dried a coat of shellac should be applied, then a coat of the best spar varnish. All parts which go into the ground should be covered with one or two coats of tar. Boiled linseed oil gives the best finish to the wood but it is more ex- pensive than raw linseed oil. There are a number of waterproofing ma- terials for wood on the market and if anv one would care to test any of them we would be glad to furnish the addresses of the houses selling them. This might be an interesting study to some of the playground manual training instructors or students. 6. Conxrete. Directions for making concrete can be secured from any of the wholesale dealers in Portland Cement. We have used both natural and Portland Cement in erecting frames. The concrete made from natural cement was 1 to 3 mixture which means 1 part cement, 1 part sand, and 3 parts crushed rock or clean gravel. The proportions of 1 part cement. 2 or 2.V parts sand, and 3, 5 or 8 parts of gravel or crushed rock, are recom- mended for use with some brands of cement. Where gravel is used not so much sand is needed. When using the Portland Cement we used the 1 to 5 mixture. Most contractors when setting up your equipment of apparatus for you would use a 1 to 8 mixture, especially if you were not looking. And for this reason it is best always to set up your own frames. Concrete should be mixed rather dry so as to tamp in place. CHAPTER XXVI* Playcraft — Home Made Apparatus Plans, Specifications and Directions for the Manufacture of the Same By A. and L. H. Leland Playground Architects Templeton, Mass. No. 1 PLAN OF CONSTRUCTION AND SPECIFICATIONS FOR BASKET BALL GOALS AND SCREENS, AND IRON PIPE JUMP STANDARDS Screens. Screens shall be made of thoroughly well sea- soned lumber or kiln dried lumber. The frame shall be made of No. 1 spruce or South- ern pine, dressed 4 sides, l^" x 3|" net. Size of screen over all shall be 6' x 4'. Face of screen shall be made of No. 1 D. and M. fencing, securely attached to frame work. The face of this screen may be made of No. 14 or No. 11 galvanized wire. ♦This chapter is also issued in the form of Reprints for contractor's use in preparing bids and in the construction of apparatus. 201 202 IM.WtiHOUND TECHNIQUE AND PLAYCRAFT Posts. Posts shall be made of No. 1 spruce or Southern pine, 6" x (i" x 6* x 1G', dressed 4 sides, with 4' on 1 end covered with tar. At other end posts must be fitted so as to hold screen which is to be held in place by two \" x 6£" carriage bolts with washers, which contractor will furnish, boring holes through post and screen to receive the same. Finish. All wood work must be finished either with 2 coats of first class outdoor paint, dark bronze green, except face of the screen which shall be finished with 2 coats of lighter color best outdoor paint; or with 1 coat boiled linseed oil, 1 coat shellac, and 1 coat best spar varnish. VI EW ^'. [Z i! tr ~ I | <- i - . «,'- V 1 \ i j ■ \ «■ \ ,..(.•■..., / 'r : 1 r / \ i & £A L L • 3/V Erection — Posts should be set in a 5 to 1 mixture of concrete, as per plan. PLAYC RAIT 203 Jump Standards. "Wrought iron pipe makes the best jump stand- ards for the money. Take 2 pieces l\" x 16'. Paint the inches on them with white paint, alternating bands of black and white and set in concrete. The little fitting (A, Fig. 1), which holds on the bar can be purchased for 50 cents each. For a jumping stick, use a piece of square steel tubing 20 gauge x 13' painted white. Round tubing with the ends flattened so as not to roll, may be used. /<& /z f>}>»>ti»»" Vtf777FTTJfm* JUMP STANDARD 204 PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE AND PLAYCItAFT o... W'l""? ■■/.. ■-0-. ■•«•. — •.. —9-. ••*■.. : i v: to Mir pjwiw fee 8* nr / J.' No. 2 FRONT VirW i« 6fli-?ir ,1 .J. Z±".~i A. %. Cfti.*''** '// • unrf AfcA/Vtecfs. X =/ HORIZONTAU BAR PLAN OF CONSTRUCTION AND SPECIFICATIONS FOR HORIZONTAL BARS Posts. Posts to be of well seasoned or kiln dried oak, spruce or Southern pine, 6" x 8" x 11^', dressed 4 sides, and bored according to the plan appended. Bar. Bar to be made of a selected, smooth piece of 1" galvanized wrought iron pipe, 7'3" long, with a 1" galvanized cap, threaded upon 1 end, and with a \" hole drilled through the pipe, 3V from the other end, through which the adjustment pin is inserted. All roughness and sharp edges must be removed from the pipe. Horizontal Bar of Steel Shafting, 1j" in diameter may be used in place of the galvanized pipe. This bar should be galvanized to protect it from the weather. PLAYCRAFT 205 Adjustment Pin. Adjustment pin should be made of wrought iron or mild steel, 0000000 gauge, which will just slip into \" hole (if this gauge is not easily obtainable use \" rod and make the holes through the post 1-32" or 1-16" larger than V. Pin should be welded in shape as per plan. Finish. Posts, where put in the ground, should be coated with tar. Other wood work must be finished either with 2 coats first class outdoor paint, dark bronze green, or with 1 coat boiled linseed oil, 1 coat shellac, 1 coat best spar varnish. Note — Posts should be set in a 5 to 1 mixture of concrete, as per plan. Whenever different kinds of materials are mentioned, cross out what you do not wish. Parallel Bars. Parallel bar tops should be made of metal, steel or brass tubing, \\" in diameter and ten feet long, with the ends rounded. The ends may be rounded by tapping a thread on the inside, plugging the ends, and then filling with lead or brass and filing the ends round and smooth. Two inch galvanized pipe uprights, with 2" x 8" flanges on the bottom should be used. Each of these should be set on a bed of concrete 2' x 18", so that the bars would be 15" apart for boys and 18" apart for men. The usefulness of the bars will increase if the pipe uprights are set in at an angle so that the bottoms are 8" farther apart than the tops. Wooden bars may be used for the tops; these should be of white oak or hickory and should be not over 9" long. Both wood and metal bars are attached to uprights by castings which cost about fifty cents apiece. When these castings are used the bars may be taken in at night. On the whole we have not found parallel bars of much use on the play- grounds. 206 PLAY(;U<)INI) TKdlNigi'K \M) 1M.AYCRAFT No. 3 PLAN OF CONSTRUCTION AND SPECIFICATIONS FOR SAND BOX Sides of Box. Sides of boxes shall he made of thoroughly well seasoned lumber, Xo. 1 spruce or Southern pine, dressed 4 sides, 1;" x 12" net. The upper edges of the boxes shall be rounded off as indicated in the appended plan. Kiln dried is best. Stakes. Stakes shall be made of thoroughly well seasoned No. 1 spruce. Southern pine, or cedar, with the ends which go in the ground dipped in tar. Upper end of stake to be finished as indicated in plan. ^/v y a f-aunrf ArcA/ftcts. Finish. All wood work must be finished either with 2 coats of first class outdoor paint, dark bronze green; or with 1 coat boiled linseed oil, 1 coat shellac, 1 coat best spar varnish. Sand Boxes. Sand boxes are the main essential for the play of small children. The kind illustrated is good, but it is sometimes preferable to make them half the width in order to keep the children from getting inside. Some thin boards about 10" wide should be laid across the top of the sand box for the children to use in molding, etc. PLAYCRAFT 207 Raised Sand Boxes. Very often, legs and a bottom are put on a sand box. This makes it impossible for the children to get in and gives a shady place underneath in which to play with blocks. ^® 2>^ <> -^ <• ■ cy a. ..4f~K/'--i PLAN OF FRAME BRACE Frame Braces. In case the frames set up as directed should move, brace them in the manner illustrated. B represents a piece of blk. pipe l\" x 6', thread 2 ends. C is a \\" x 6" cast flange. Pipe B is attached to pipe A by special 45° castings. The end is set in concrete. In case concrete should be very expensive in your city, a smaller amount may be used for pipe A and two braces used. J()S PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE AND PLAYCRAFT No. 4 PLAN OF CONSTRUCTION, SPECIFICATIONS AND CONTRACT FOR FURNISHING "FLYING DUTCHMAN FLYING DUTCHMAN Used in St. Paul six years. Cost $15.00 CONTRACT FOR FURNISHING FLYING DUTCHMAN. Know All Men by These Presents, that this agreement made this dav of - -, A. D. 19 , between and — party of the first part, party of the second part, Witnesseth, that the party of the first part agrees to furnish and de- liver at whichever playground specified, flying dutchmen, made according to the specifications hereinafter recorded, and according to plan appended. PLAYCRAFT 209 Party of the second part shall direct the place of delivery and when work is completed according to specifications, agrees to pay to party of the first part the sum of dollars. SPECIFICATIONS Board. (Fig. 1 G.) To be made of oak, white ash, or Southern pine, thoroughly seasoned or kiln dried, If" x 2" x 14', dressed 4 sides and sanded, with the ends milled as per appended plan and edges rounded as far as the handles. Handles. Handles are made as per plan from a piece of oak, 2" x 3" x 10", thoroughly smoothed and sanded, and are attached to board by means of 2^" x 5" carriage bolts (Fig. 3 I) . u n (WORKING DRAWING OF FLYING DUTCHMAN) Pivot. Board pivots and revolves by means of f* x 11" steel shaft (Fig. 1 B) which is inserted into the sides of a piece of plank of hard wood, 2" x 6" x 3' (Fig. 2 D) . This plank is attached to the under side of the see- saw board by means of 2f" x 8", 2f" x 6" and 9\" x W carriage bolts, which run through it and into the board. Revolving Axis. The revolving motion is secured by taking a 3\" wagon skein {Fig. 2, E & F), sawing off the inner piece (Fig. 2 E) so that the outer portion (Fig. 2 F), when attached to the rod (Fig. 1 B) by means of having a hole drilled through it, will revolve around on E as an axis. On the inside of D, attached to it by screws, is a piece of hard wood (J) 1" thick in the center, tapering at the end to |", 3" wide and 12" long 210 PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE AND PLAYCRAFT (see Fig. 1). This serves to prevent the top board from any lateral move- ment which would otherwise take place as the top of F is narrower than the space between the 2 side pieces D. Post. The post is made from a piece of Washington fir or Southern pine, 8" x 8" x .5'. dressed on 4 sides, with the corners chamfered and fitted at the upper end so as to receive the wagon skein. The lower end of this post is to be coated with tar and set in 5 to 1 mixture concrete, as per plan. Finish. All wood work is to be finished with 3 coats of boiled linseed oil, 1 coat shellac and 1 coat best spar varnish. All work must be done according to the plan and in first class work- manship manner. Witness our hands and seals the day and year first above written. (seal) . — (seal) . Note — Wherever different kinds of materials are mentioned, cross out what you do riot wish. Use same form of contract for all wood work. PLAVCK \I r 211 No. DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING AND ERECTING SWING FRAMES Willi STANDARD FITTINGS WE NEED TO PLAY IN WINTER SPECIFICATIONS All pipe for frame shall be seamless, lap-welded wrought iron pipe. All fittings shall be malleable. Pipe and Fittings Required. (See Fig. 1 Iron Pipe Swings.) A and D are 2 pieces of blk. pipe 3" x 12', threaded on 1 end. B and C are 2 pieces of blk. pipe 3" x 15' threaded on 1 end. R, S and T are 3 pieces wrought iron rod inserted through holes drilled through the bottoms of pipes A, B, C and D, the lowest one of these holes (T) being (>" from the bottom of the pipe, and the other two are at S. being each 1' apart. H is one piece blk. pipe 3" x 11/6", threaded both ends. (', & I are 2 pieces blk. pipe 3" x 10'6", threaded both ends. X is four 3" x 3" blk. malleable ells. J is 2 blk. mall. 3" tees, reamed and shrunk onto .">" pipe and riveted in place with hot \" rivets. (Great care must be observed in 212 PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE AND PLAYCRAFT placing these reamed tees so that bottoms of pipes A and D shall be in a straight line with the bottoms of pipes B and C.) Braces. The frame is braced by 2 braces (Fig. 2 E and F), made of f* round iron, with a , ! " eye at each end, the upper ends to be attached to the frame by means of home made swing fitting, the eye to the. brace fitting in where the swing hook is indicated (detail of this fitting may be seen in Re- print No. 6) ; the lower ends of these brace rods have short pieces of f " round iron inserted through the eye and set in concrete as indicated in Fig. 2. Levelling the Ground. Dig the holes about 4^' deep, drive stakes in the ground on the outside of hole N and hole K. About 6" above the surface of the ground attach a stove pipe wire to the stake at hole N and run this stove pipe wire over to the stake at hole K. Then take a carpenter's or mason's level and hold it midway between the 2 holes, against the under side of the stove pipe wire. Have your assistant raise or lower the loose end of the wire until the wire is very nearly level, then drive stakes outside holes L and M in line with the other 2 stakes so that when the wire rests upon the top of these stakes last driven, it will in all of its parts be level. After this has been accomplished, take 4 sta*kes about 10" or 12" long, and drive them down in the bottom of each hole until the top of each stake is equidistant from the stove pipe wire. The distance from the top of the ground to the top of the stakes should be approximately 4'; if the ground is on a slant an average should be struck. After the stakes are driven prop- erly, fill the holes with concrete up to the top of the stake, and while this is drying put your frame together. mE ^ititc I Ft ft ft® M G rnoNTView or frrjvie rn D Mitw QF fiuwtt IRON PIPE SWINGS— FIGURES 1, 2 AND 3 (H SCALE) Erection of the Frame. The frame must be put together on the ground, the ends slid into the holes, the whole thing raised at once, braced plumb, in line, level and then cemented in. All of which is no small job. The method is as follows : Select the most level side of the holes, attach the 2 elbows (X) to pipe H; by holding the pipe with a 3" pipe wrench and screwing the fitting on PLAYCRAFT 213 with an old bat club or other piece of hard wood, this feat can be accom- plished with 1 wrench. Next take pipes B and C and put their lower ends just by the near edges of the holes and screw the other ends into the elbow X, which is connected to pipe II. Then screw the elbows on the outside ends of pipes G and I, then screw the other ends of these 2 pipes into the tees (J). Next screw pipes A and D into the elbows which are attached to the ends of pipes I and G. Next take a chalk line and get the lower ends of pipes A, B, C and D in a straight line, with their lower ends just resting over the inside edge of the hole. The next process is to get four boys to hold planks on the sides of the holes opposite the ends of the pipe (this is to keep the pipe from digging holes, when it is raised). Place a good husky laborer back of each pipe with a short piece of 2 x 4; station your foreman back of pipe H with a long 2x4 (about 16' long) and have 2 x 4s about 12' long within easy reach back of pipes A, B, C and D. Have your men get underneath and take a lift, holding the frame up, with the short 2 x 4s, while they rest, and so on until the frame is in the bottom of the hole. Line up all the pipes and plumb them, holding them in place by 2 x 4s nailed across each other on each pipe, and bracing the ends of the two outside pipes A and D. As soon as all pipes are in line and plumbed, put in the concrete, which should be a 5 to 1 mixture with Portland cement. Estimates. Pipe 87' 3" at 25c to 30c per foot, $21 . 75 to $26 . 10 Four 3" ells, Two 3" tees, Reaming out and drilling two 3" tees Cutting 8 threads (40c each), Concrete required, about 2^ yards at $5 . 00 to $6.00 per yd. *Labor, foreman 2 to 3 days at $4 . 00 per day Four common laborers, 2 to 3 days at $2 . 00 per day $66.71 $86.56 Caution. Don't be in a hurry about concreting the frame. It does not pay. It is pretty hard work to pick the concrete out if you don't get it in just right. We dug one out and so appreciate this fact. Cover the holes up at night. Have a watchman while the concrete is hardening. (For swings and swing fittings for this frame, see article under swings and rope fittings, Reprint No. 6.) 2.40 2.40 1.86 1.86 1 . 00 to 2.00 3.20 3.20 12.50 to 15.00 8.00 to 12.00 16.00 to 24.00 *Should it rain so as to fill up the holes, the expense will he increased greatly. When we were putting up the St. Paul frames we had to dig the holes out every day for a week, and finally had to set the frame up on Sunday, the only pleasant day we could get. 214 PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE AND PLAYCBAFT DIRECTIONS K)U MAKING AND ERECTING SWING FRAMES WITH UNIVERSAL CLAMP FITTINGS SPECIFICATIONS All pipe for frame shall be seamless, lap welded, wrought iron pipe. All fittings shall he malleable. Pipe Required. (See Equipment No. 1 A.) 5 pieces blk. pipe, 3" x 12', with or without thread. 2 pieces blk. pipe, 3" x 15', with or without thread. Total 90' blk. pipe at 25c to 30c per foot. Fittings Required. 2 Universal Tees, at $3.00 each. 4 Universal Ells, at $'■2.15 each. Braces. The frame may be braced in the same manner as is the frame using standard fittings, or it may be braced by use of a 1^" x 16' blk. iron pipe, threaded 2 ends, attached to the frame by a 45° clamp and with a 1 \" x 6" flange set in concrete. (See Reprint No. 3.) This pipe will cost about 10c per foot, the threads 12c each. The special casting mentioned will cost about $1.00. Levelling the Ground. It is not necessary to level the holes as carefully with this type swing as when using standard fittings. The 2 mid- dle pipes must be placed level. The 2 outside pipes near enough level to look right. The universal bolted fitting which is adjustable on the pipe, makes this possible. The frame can be set up on quite a steep side hill, with- out inconvenience, in terraces, accommodating itself to all kinds of surfaces. Whenever possible however I should level the ground either in the manner before mentioned or with the assistance of an engineer. We would advise following- the method before mentioned with regard to making a founda- tion for the pipe. Erection of the Frame. The universal fitting makes the erection of the frame a very easy matter. After the holes are levelled on the bottom, set up the 2 outside pipes, with the proper fittings loosely attached. Brace these pipes by means of three 2 x 4s nailed together so that their bases form a triangle. Get the pipes plumb, and then concrete them. The 2 center pipes are to be erected in the same way. After the concrete has hardened, take the 2 lower top pipes, lift up into place in the clamps using a step ladder, then bolt into place. Standing on top of these 2 pipes haul up the highest pipe, lay that on top and bolt into place. Care must be taken, of course, to line up the 4 upright pipes. c c v: «* »? V° * t c > * t { K *> << «i 3D 5 °> 11 si E c i I i ^- ^ T L w _- Z /- ** z a o z p— 1 s T z t/2 315 216 playground technique and playcraft Estimates. Pipe, 90' 3" at 25c. to 30c. per foot $22.50 to $27.00 Fittings, Universal 17.00 17.00 Concrete, fy yds. at $5.00 to $6.00 12.50 to 15 .00 *Labor, foreman J day to 1 day at $4.00 2.00 to 4 . 00 Two common laborers \ day to 1 day at $2.00 per day 2.00 to 4.00 $56.00 to $67.00 For swings and swing fittings for this frame see Reprint No. 6. *On account of the short time required in setting up this frame there is little danger of rain or children filling up holes and causing extra expense. PLAYCRAFT 217 No. 6 HOME-MADE SWING FITTINGS DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING HOME-MADE SWING FITTING This fitting can be made by the Manual Training class in forging or by a blacksmith. The detail is shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. B is a wrought iron or mild steel band 5-16" x IV, bent to fit around 3" pipe (which is 3V outside measurement) . Hole is drilled through the bottom ends of this band and a h" x %\" hexagon head and nut machine bolt (C) is inserted through, holding in place hook (A) which is made of Y wrought iron, and upon which the eye to the swing or other apparatus hangs. It is advisable to put these fittings on the pipe before the frame is put together, as it will be diffi- cult to get them to fit the pipe without considerable hammering. HOME-MADE SWING BOARD AND ATTACHMENT HOME MADE SWING BOARD AND ROPE PROTECTIVE ATTACHMENT Fig. 1 is an end view of the swing board and Fig. 2 shows one side. There are various opinions regarding the proper weight for swing boards. The heavier they are, the less danger of their breaking, and the greater danger there is of their breaking the children's heads. We have always preferred to save heads, perhaps at the expense of the boards, and for this 2 IK IM.AYCJUOl'NI) TECHNIQUE AM) PLAYCBAFT reason have always made our swing boards of the following dimensions and materials. Kiln dried oak £" x <>" x IS", with the corners rounded on a quarter circle and the edges smoothed and sanded. These hoards should be given 4 or ."> coals of linseed oil, or better still soaked for a week in the oil. The rope protective attachment is shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. The wire (C) is made of |" stock with a loop up at the top (A) and the bottom ends are threaded and run through the boards and through an iron plate (B) at the bottom of the board near the ends. Then a nut (D) is screwed onto the stirrup. This plate underneath is }" x , ! " x .51", with the ends rounded so as to have no sharp points. It is held in place upon the board by means of a couple of screws. The distance from the end of the board to the center of the hole, through which the stirrup goes, is 1}". The dis- tance from the sides of the board to the center of the hole through which the stirrup runs should be I". The method of attaching rope to this stirrup is as follows: Rope is run down through the loop (A) in under the place where the 2 wires forming the loop cross each other, and then back again through the loop (A) in the opposite direction from which it went through first. Then the end is spliced into the perpendicular piece of rope. Fig. 2 gives a good idea of the way this will look when completed. This crossing of the rope makes a firm hitch and does away with the necessity of using a rope eye at this point, which we consider dangerous as the children are liable to catch their hands in it. F/f.Z SPLICE FOR PLAYGROUND APPARATUS Eye Splice for Use on Playground Apparatus. The home-made swing fitting requires that the rope hanging from it be spliced around a galvanized eye. The method of splicing is as follows : Unravel the three strands of rope and lay them across the main body of the rope in the order A, B, C, as shown in Fig. 1. Push strand C through the rope as shown in Fig. 2, then put strand B over the part through which C has passed and push under the next strand, and last push strand A through on the opposite side. When this is done, repeat 2 or 3 times until the splice assumes the form in Fig. 3. Then cut off the end and if the splice is to be down where the children can reach it, wind and sew with lashing twine. Care should be taken to pull the strands tight over the eye. DIRECTIONS FOR ASSEMBLING SWING USING SPECIAL CASTINGS A picture of this is shown on pages 98 and 221. There are a variety of so called frictionless joints. So far as we know r none of them are friction- IM.AY( KAFT 219 less. Ball bearing jointsget dry and rust and rocker fittings wear out, es- pecially when made of malleable iron. Of course it is very important from the point of safety for all attachments of playground apparatus to be so made that they cannot wear out even when badlv neglected. We have tested the rocker fitting alluded to and find that when all the wearing sin- faces are made out of cast tool steel, the wearing qualities of the fitting are increased many times. Incidentally we mighl state that this tool steel costs about 3 times as much as malleable iron. *v* Z* ROPE ATTACHMENTS The method of attaching rope to the eye of the rocker is as follows: the end of the rope is carefully wound and thrust up through the bottom of the hook (see Fig. 2), about 5" of the rope protruding through the mouth of the hook. Then take the rope and put it in a vise so that the lower edges of the hook rest against the jaws of the vise which is tightened to keep the rope from slipping out (see Fig. 1). The strands of the rope are now all unravelled as far as the hook, opened up, and spread out carefully -■> as to have a hole in the center with the fringe of rope equally distributed all around it. Then a wedge screw, which we will describe later, is inserted into this center of the rope and pounded down with a hammer until it fits inside the hook coming just below the under side of the top of the hook. Then a screw driver is inserted between the top of the wedge screw and the hook; on this screw driver blows from a hammer are applied until the wedge screw is pounded down into the inside of the casting. Great care should be taken to see that the wedge screw goes down straight and that it has rope on all sides of it and that the rope is not pushed down through the hook. If an iron vise is used it would be best to put some soft material like canvas over the jaws to prevent cutting the rope. After the operations are completed cut off the loose strands of the rope being careful to cut at least \" above the top of the wedge screw. 220 PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE AND PLAYC'RAFT Molding Wedge Screws. Fig. 3 shows a pattern which is used in making the wedge screw. This pattern can be turned out or can be whit- tled out as desired. I 'j (Make head i" shorter, -ft" less in diameter than shown in cut.) Make a small box about G" square and 4" deep. Fill this with mould- ing sand, which can be secured at a foundry. Push the little pattern down into the sand, making a number of impressions. Then put into each one of these holes a \" x 2" lag screw end (if a lag screw end is unobtainable, saw the head off a lag screw) . Apply a little hydrocloric acid with a stick to each piece of iron and then pour melted lead into the mold. This will make a finished wedge screw, which can be used in assembling the swing. Swing Board and Rope Protective Casting. The swing board used should be the same as that described under Home Made Swings. For attaching swing board to swing board rope a casting having a cylinder running through the board is used. This casting is screwed to the bottom of the board with \" screws and the rope is held inside it in the same manner as in the hook. The rope should be left 6" to 8" long below the swing board in order to make it possible to pull the rope out and shorten it up in case it stretches. SWING BOARD CASTING Protects ffop« From U/ea.t 7o /MJti-r t, /lnc//Df**f/// ffl Wed^e Seer .•/111, \\ \ Pt-opet ienyth Of /?K/>« /» St*\*rtcl adjustable swing boahd fitting PLAYCRAFT 221 The holes for these swing board castings should he bored in the center of each end. Two inches in from the outside to the center of the hole, commencing' on the bottom side of the board, bore a hole l!, 1 ." in diameter. This hole should be bored to the depth of V'. Remove the bit and bore another hole l/ ( ." through the remaining thickness of the board; with a little fitting the swing board casting will exactly fit. Estimate. The swing boards described, when treated with oil, will probably cost about 75c each. Rough casting of hook will cost about 15c each. Rough swing board seat casting would cost about 25c each. Rough castings for the frictionless joint connection would cost Cast tool steel, about $3.00 per pair; Malleable iron about $2.00 per pair. \" x 2" hex. head and nut machine bolts for attaching clamps to frame cost about 2^c each, f" x If" hex. head and nut machine bolts for attaching eye to upper part of rocker, cost about 2c each. TOOL STEEL FRICTIONLESS JOINT Note — Great care must be used in inserting: rope into rope hook. Another form of hook which is easier to manipulate can be obtained. With tin's the rope is spliced around instead of run through, and no wedge screw is required. 222 PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE AND PLAYCRAFT No. DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING HOME-MADE WAGON SKEIN GIANT STRIDE, AND HOME-MADE GIANTfSTRIDE WITH MACHINED HEAD Fig. 1 Fie 1+ JO-'-* -ScucJ-jf ,/v to |Fr Fig. 3 FIGURES 1, 2, 3 AND 4— GIANT STRIDES WITH MACHINED HEAD DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING GIANT STRIDES USING MACHINED HEADS There are two general styles of giant strides on the market illustrated by Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. Fig. 1 is the style head which has been developed by the machine companies; Fig. 2 illustrates another form of head, the idea of which first came from the Boston playgrounds. It has these advantages over the old style, in that the balls are much larger, giving less friction and the fact that the ball races are much broader than in the old style gives PLAYCRAFT 223 much less leverage. A glance at the cut will illustrate our meaning; the fulcrum of the lever is located at F, on the halls when power is applied at P by a child hanging onto the rope; the power arm of the lever, or the dis- tance between P and F vou will note is much less in Fi FIGURES 1, 2 AND 3— WAGON SKEIN GIANT STRIDE PLAYCRAFT 225 Finish Required. All exposed metal parts should be painted with 1 coat black asphaltum varnish. Time required, 1 man about 3 hours. About 1 qt. black asphaltum varnish. DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING WAGON SKEIN GIANT STRIDE This is the cheapest form of giant stride and was designed by us for use in St. Paul, when we had a very small appropriation. The head is made from an old wagon skein (Fig. 2 A) around which is fitted an iron ring, Y in thickness (Fig. 2 B) . This ring has 6-h" holes drilled in it to admit the loop ring (D). From this ring the hangers (Fig. 1 C) are suspended. These hangers mav be made as shown in Fig. 4, or thev mav be made without any chain at the top. If the hook is to be attached directly into the ring (B), the ring should have a dent (K) made in it so that when the hook is turned it can easily be removed from the ring in order to take the hangers off at night. Materials Required. One 3" wagon skein, with ring as per plan, 6 rope hooks, about 135' of f" Manila rope, 1 post 16' long, 8" x 8", with the corners chamfered so as not to hurt the children. Two pieces 6" x 6" x 10' (Fig. 3 G), 4 pieces 6" x 6" x 5' 9" (Fig. 3 H) fitted as per plan, 1 bolt f " x 19" (Fig. 3 I) and 1 bolt f " x 23" (Fig. 3 J) ; these bolts are used to at- tach the 4 pieces H to post F. Pieces H and F are attached to pieces G by means of spikes. All lumber should be well seasoned southern pine or spruce, dressed 4 sides and finished with 2 coats best outdoor paint, except the part which goes in the ground and that should be coated with tar. It should be possible to make and erect one of these giant strides for $15.00 to $20.00 and it should last several seasons. p C/3 C/2 Q C3 O Eh Q o 226 PLAYCRAFT 227 No. 8 directions for making and erecting four and five board teeter frames with standard fittings and with universal clamp fittings specifications Pipe and Fittings Required for Four Board Teeter Frame. 1 piece blk. wrought iron pipe, 3" x 15'4", thread 2 ends. 3 pieces blk. wrought iron pipe, 3" x 4', thread 1 end (see note). 2 3" malleable elbows. 1 special clamp tee is needed for the middle of this frame. It will cost about $1.25. /^ fi..-V *«*> ** ■ ••*. T"^ ^^r *6~- fcrffeS- I n t*i& t r — r m i B "»-a - Pipe and Fittings Required for Five Board Teeter Frame. 1 piece blk. wrought iron pipe, 3" x 19'2" or 20', thread both ends. 3 pieces blk. wrought iron pipe, 3" x 4', thread 1 end. 228 PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE AND PLAYCRAFT 2 S" malleable ells. 1 special clamp tee is needed for the middle of this frame. It will cost about $1.25. 5 teeter boards complete. This frame is designed for the use of small children and for 12' boards, as specified below. If it is desired to use 14' boards, or to have the frame used by larger children, (see note). Note — The above specifications are for teeter frames using 12' boards. 14' boards, however, are more desirable, the angle of the board being less than with the short board making accidents less numerous. If 14' boards are desired, the pipe specifications so noted should be 3" longer, allowing the frame to be placed 3" higher from the ground. This style frame, using standard fittings, as specified, is the cheapest and best method of construction, and we recommend it in preference to the frame illustrated in cut. If, however, the frame assembled with universal fittings is desired, it will be necessarv onlv to substitute universal ells for the standard ells and add two 3" caps for each teeter frame. DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING TEETER BOARDS Boards. Boards should be made of oak. Washington spruce, or Southern pine, preferably the first, 1|" x 10" x 1 L 2', or 14', dressed 4 sides, milled as per plan appended with the ends cut on a half circle and with all edges rounded slightly and shaded. Boards should be finished by applying 4 or 5 coats of boiled or raw linseed oil (the first gives the better finish), 1 coat shellac, and 1 coat best spar varnish. Attaching Boards to Frames. There are two methods of attaching boards to frames; the adjustable method is shown in Fig. 3 and requires 2 special castings, and spring steel adjuster, which goes below the pipe. These castings and adjustments will cost about $3.00 per board. Another method, and we think a cheaper and better one, is shown under Figs. 5 and 6. It consists of a small casting (D), which rests on the pipe. This casting rests upon 2 pieces of hard wood (B), which are cut from pieces 2" wide by 2" thick and 18" long; the radius of the circle on which the inner ends of these pieces (B) are cut to fit the casting (D) is 24/'. The 4 pieces (B) are attached to the under side of the board, so that the outside edges of the small pieces are \" inside the outside edge of the board. This places the casting in under the board, so that there is no danger of the children pinching their fingers or catching their clothes. The pieces (B) should be smoothed, sanded and finished, as per directions for finishing board. They are attached to board by means of \" x 4V' carriage bolts (E) , which go through the top of the board, down through the castings, where they are bolted. As illustrated in the drawing F is a f" x 4" carriage bolt. G represents 2 \" screws, which complete the attachment. PLAYCRAFT 229 Fi*. 6. o a g Owi / n c H KEft»(* DETAIL OF TEETER BOARD FRAME ATTACHMENT We have never had any difficulty with this attachment and it has been in use in St. Paul for 5 or 6 years. These castings will cost about 50c each, or you can have them made by the forging class out of a piece of §" x 2" mild steel. In order to lock up the teeter boards at night, we bored \\" holes through the boards in the center about 8" in from the ends and run a chain through all the boards, which we laid on top of each other beside the frame, and securely padlocked the chain to the frame. This kept them from work- ing overtime. Estimates. The four board teeter frame has cost us, made up by contract, $25.00 to $30.00. The five board teeter frame we have never made up, but think it would cost $3.00 or $4.00 more than the other one. (These estimates include the boards.) Estimate of Erecting Frame. Concrete required, about 1-5 yd. 5 to 1 mixture with Portland . cement at $5.00 to $6.00 per yard. Labor required, 2 men \ day to 1 day with good luck. Holes should be levelled and frame assembled as shown by di- rections for erecting swings. «5 «* »-* o = o - fi -*3 H a o O J3 til H-i V — i H £ l-N a o HH ■*^> (■/) 03 D o Ph 230 PLAYCRAFT 231 No. 9 DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING AND ERECTING BACK YARD EQUIPMENT FOR SMALL CHILDREN SPECIFICATIONS This equipment is designed for very small city back yards. It consists of swing frame containing 8 leather seat baby swings, 3 small wood seat swings. At each end of the frame is a small playground slide. Beyond this at one end is a sand box. Awning covering the whole equipment in case there is no shade. At the other side of the swings a four board teeter frame is placed. This leaves not quite half of the ground free for games. Rapidly growing vines should be placed around the fence. MATERIALS FOR FRAMES 2 pieces wrought iron pipe 3" x 18', thread two ends. 4 pieces wrought iron pipe 3" x 10', thread 1 end. 1 3" blk. mall. ell. 2 pattern XTl castings. 1 universal ell. 4 pieces channel iron 2" x 3-16" x 18". Frame for attaching awning. 3 timbers, 3" x 4" x 12'H". 2 pieces blk. pipe l\" x 3'8V', thread 1 end. 2 special clamps for 1^" pipe. Erecting the Frames. Level the holes as directed in Reprint No. 5. Set up the four upright pipes, tamping dirt around the two outside ones and placing the two center pipes with a little bed of con- crete, 18" x 18" x 6", set in around the channel irons which are attached to this frame, by means of U shaped loops bolted through the channel iron and around the pipe. This makes it very easy to remove the frames from the ground to set up somewhere else, as it is only necessary to break off the concrete and dig out the pipes. When the 4 uprights are set, take the 2 top pieces and connect them on the ground with the coupling. Then raise them up into the castings on top of the pipe, i. e. 2 tees and a universal ell. Then thread the end of the pipe into the standard ell at the left hand end. Then clamp the other 3 fittings on. Frame for Awning. The frame work of this consists of 3 pieces of 3" x 4", 12V long, with holes bored near the top to receive a V rope on which this awning is hung. These posts are set in the ground to a depth of 2'. The awning over the center of the swings is held up by 2 pieces of blk. pipe \\ x 3 ' 8 j"' enc l threaded with holes bored at the top to receive Y rope. The awning is then stretched over this and attached to supports at the sides. 232 PLAYGROUND TE< UNIQUE AND PLAYCRAFT ATTACHING Slides to Frames. Slides are attached to frames on one side and to the upright posts on the other. Hammock Swings. Hammock swings may be suspended from a joist connecting the two right hand awning supports over one end of the sand box. The other end of the hammocks can be attached to the fence or to a frame work. DIRECTIONS FOR CONSTRUCTING SLIDES TO BE ATTACHED TO BACK YARD PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT Procure from a dealer in sheet steel a piece of 16 gauge x 24" x 120" galvanized sheet steel. At the ends cut out four corners l£" square. Bend down the sides to form a channel, so that the width of the steel shall be 21", which is the width of inside of the slide. F in the different figures represents this steel. Secure two pieces of wood \\" x 3f" x 10' IV. These form the side pieces (K) to the slide. FIGURES 5, 6, 7, 8 AND 9 SIDE ELEVATION OF SLIDE FOR BACK YARD PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT Two pieces ty" x H" x 9' 9" hard wood (H) with the upper ends cut off at an angle of 30° are then inserted inside the channels of this steel (I) as shown in Fig. 3 with the side pieces (K) on the outside. Then a hole is drilled through K and F and I as shown in Fig. 3 and a 3-16" x 3\" carriage bolt inserted. Then these bolts are placed every 10" throughout the length of the steel. A §" x 24" carriage bolt (Fig. 5 R) is then run through the side (K) directly in under the steel, which is then hammered over it and around it. At the lower end of the slide, the steel is hammered down into a groove I'I.AY< KAIT 233 cut in the face of M (Fig. 8) and then screwed into place by No. 8 x 1" round head wood screws. M is attached to the stakes (D) by 4>\" x 4" carriage bolts (see Fig. 8 N) . If desired, the bottom of the sheet may be pounded around a \" x 24" steel rod, threaded on each end and with two nuts on each end, which are placed, one inside of side K and the other outside of side K. This bolt will serve to keep the steel in place and will also keep the slide from sagging in the middle, but perhaps the simplest way is to use the first method. FIGURES 1, 2. 3 AND 4 DETAIL OF SLIDES FOR BACKYARD EQUIPMENT Slide Steps. Procure two pieces of wood 1;" x 3;" x 8' 3". Cut the bottom piece off on an angle of 60°, and 7" up from the bottom, on the front side make a mark for the bottom of the first step. 8" above this, on the same side, marks the bottom of the second step and so on up. 284 PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE AND PLAYCRAFT The steps are -J" x 3\" x 23f" and fit into mortises cut in the sides f" deep (see Fig. 1 and Fig. 2). They are all cut at an angle of 60°. Great care should be taken to thoroughly sand and smooth them so that the children will not hurt themselves. The top step is shown in Fig. 2. It fits directly over the steel where wound around rod (R). The connection between the slide and the ladder is shown in Fig. 4. A V' x 8" carriage bolt extends through the sides of the two and through the upright post, which supports the awning, previously spoken about under Back Yard Equipment. The other side, which is next to the iron pipe post of the swing, is connected by a special casting, through which a Y x 5" bolt end is driven and headed while hot into a hole countersunk in the inside of the casting (E) . This casting with the bolt may be secured for about $1.25, or the casting may be purchased and the bolt fixed up by the manual training class or a fitting may be forged. The bottom of the slide is secured by a stake (Q) which is driven in the ground to a depth of 2". This stake is If* x 3f" x 2' 6", and the steps are fastened to it by |* x 4" carriage bolts (C) . Hand Rails. The hand rails (L) are made of f* round iron about 9' long. At the top of the slide (S) it is bent so as to fit around the slide as shown in Fig. 9, the bend of the metal (V) being on the inside of the slide. A 5-16" bolt (T) which has the end (W) bent around the guard rail (L) is put through the side (C) at (S), as illustrated in Fig. 9. The lower end of the guard rail rests upon the third step from the bottom on the inside of the frame, and is held in place by two bolts, such as hold the upper end. Finish. Wood used should be oak, Southern pine or maple, finished with one coat oil, one coat shellac, one coat spar varnish. Estimates. This slide used to cost us $12.00 to $15.00 made up in quantities under contract. The necessary materials ought not to cost more than $5.00 or $6.00. The slide when attached to the frame acts as a first class brace, making it absolutely immovable. A higher slide can be constructed in the same manner. Note— For details of Teeters and Sand Boxes see under Reprints Nos. 3 and 8. PLAYCRAFT 235 No. 10 DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING COMBINATION STEEL LADDER AND CHEST BARS WITH JUMPING PIT, STEEL INCLINE LADDER, AND SLIDING POLES This combination is an ideal one for school-yard playgrounds or for anv place where the play space is very limited. We all of us, when we were children, dearly loved to jump off a sand hank and this equipment brings the sand bank home to the city child with the added pleasure and exercise to be irained from use of the horizontal ladder and chest bars. ! y f-T ' ! } '5 ■5 * -•. :; . '•-. ••. T) SB 1 '■ '■■■ ' ' -■ " "■ ' ^ IP ; . . -".- ;: "" , , £ & COMBINATION LADDER AND CHEST BARS WITH JUMPING PIT specifications Ladder and Chest Bars. 2 pieces galvanized wrought iron pipe, U" x 16', threaded both ends. 2 pieces galvanized wrought iron pipe, l\" x 16', no threads. 18 pieces galvanized wrought iron pipe, 1 " x 20" (rungs). 1 pieces galvanized wrought iron pipe, 2 " x !)' 6", thread 2_ends (uprights) . 4 black flanges 2" x 5". 4 gal. mall, reducing elbows 21" x 1\". 286 PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE AND PJLAYCRAFT 4 special plugs, threaded into lj"pipe, tapped for f" machine screws. 4 s" x 3" machine screws, C. H. 86 B. II. rivets |* x 3f", or 36 |" x 3f" R. H. stove bolts. Jumping Pit. 4 pieces Washington fir or Southern pine dressed 3 sides, 2" x 12* xl7'. 4 pieces "Washington fir or Southern pine dressed 3 sides, 2" x 12" x W5». 2 pieces Washington fir or Southern pine dressed 3 sides, 2" x 12" x4'. 2 pieces Washington fir or Southern pine dressed 3 sides, 2" x 12" x 4' 7". 12 pieces Washington fir or Southern pine dressed 4 sides, 3" x 3" x 2'6". Nails. Concrete Required. Two 1' 4" x 2' 9" x 2' 9" piers of 5 to 1 mixture of Portland cement. Construction. This ladder is made similar to the incline ladder except that the only special casting required is a very small one, which holds the lower pipe to the 2" upright. This plug is screwed into the end of the 14/ pipe and is tapped to hold a f" x 3" countersunk head machine screw, which goes through the 2" pipe upright and into the center of the plug, holding the ladder firm. The spacing of the rungs is the same as in the other ladder, except that the two end rungs are placed 12" in from the ends. The top pipes of the ladder are threaded into \" x 2" reducing ells. Erection. Level the holes as directed for swing frames. Assemble the ladder, and place in the holes. Brace in a manner similar to that used in bracing the swing frames, and then set in concrete. Estimate. Materials and labor for making up these ladders will cost $1.25 to $1.50 per foot including special castings, but not including the price of the special tool necessary. This special tool will cost $6.00 to $8.00 to have made, but will last indefinitely. Different tools are required for the riveted ladder and for the bolted ladder. Special Fittings. The special fittings required for attaching ladders to frames will cost about $3.00 per set. The special castings used for attach- ing horizontal and chest bar ladder to uprights will cost about $1.00 per set. These steel ladders are without question the strongest ladders which have ever been made, and much superior in strength and durability to the pressed steel ladders on the market. It looks to us absolutely impossible to break or wear them out. PLAYCRAFT 237 Fy». STEEL INCLINE LADDER AND SLIDING POLES SPECIFICATIONS All pipe and fittings galvanized unless otherwise specified. All fittings to be malleable unless otherwise specified. Ladder. 2 pieces pipe \\" x 16', one end threaded. 2 pieces pipe If" x 16', one end threaded. 15 pieces pipe 1" x 20". 4 El castings. 4 E castings. Arch Handles. 2 pieces pipe f " x 49", thread 1 end. 2 1" x f " reducing elbows. 4 hex. head and nut bolts, \" x If*. 4 hex. head and nut bolts, \" x 2f". 34 B. H. rivets, f" x 3f ", or 34 f" x Sf " R. H. stove bolts. 2 cast flanges, black, If" x 3V. 2 cast black flanges, H" x 4£". Construction. The construction of this ladder is shown in Fig. 1 ; a hole is drilled through the H" pipe (A), through the 1" pipe (C). f" in from the end, and through the If" pipe (D). The first holes are com- menced 8" down from the top end of the ladder, and from there on the holes are placed 10" apart, center to center. After the holes are all drilled, they are all reamed out so as to enable a f" x 3|" stove bolt (E) to go through and screw into the nut (B) which is placed in the inside of the If pipe (A) by means of a special tool. Another method of attaching the rungs, is to use f" x 3|" B. II. rivets and head them into the inside of the pipe while hot. This, however, is very difficult, as the rivet has a tendency to buckle 238 PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE AND PLAYCRAFT when hot. This can be obviated, however, by wrapping the upper end of the rivet in asbestos to keep it from heating. The ladder rungs are 20" long, and the ends must be ground otf perfectly smooth. The f" holes in the ends of the rung: are 19V" from center to center. Special Castings. Special castings, which fit into the ends of the two pipes are required to attach ladder to frame (Fig. 2 A, page 237). These cast- ings are held in place by two $" x f " round head ma- chine screws, which are tapped through the pipe and through the casting on the inner side in such a manner as not to be in danger of catching the children s clothes. The arch handle illustrated is unnecessary when this ladder is used with the combination swing and gymnasium frame, for which it is designed. SLIDING POLES No wooden sliding pole should ever be used. We know of a great many accidents caused by slivers. In many places, where wooden poles are used, it is necessary to keep a man all the time dressing them down. Sliding poles should always be placed opposite some means of gaining access to them. We cannot see any use in sliding poles which end at the top of frame. Construction. H" selected, smooth, galvanized pipe is the best material for sliding poles which we know of. Fig. 2 illustrates a pair of sliding poles made this way. They should be set in a small amount of con- crete at the bottom and should have flanges at the end. Attachment to Frame. Sliding poles are attached to the frame in the following manner. Take two 3" x 3" x H" galvanized tees, have them reamed out and in one side of the 3" run drill a \" hole. These fittings must be slid onto the pipe of the frame and then the sliding poles threaded into them. They should be placed inside of the fittings which hold the ladder. After the concrete at the bottom is set, take a drill, any size up to V, and drill a hole part way into the 3" pipe of the frame. Then fill this with hot lead, and smooth off. The lead will keep the fittings from slipping. This fitting, however, has one defect in that the lip holding the 1\" pipe is not long enough; it also is quite expensive machining the fitting out. We plan to design a fitting which will overcome these difficulties, and cheapen the cost of construction. specifications 2 pieces pipe H" x 18', thread 2 ends. 1 piece pipe 1" x 21f", thread both ends (2nd rung from top). 2 3" x 3" x H" reducing tees, to be reamed out to slide over 3" pipe. Estimates. The pipe for these sliding poles will cost 14c to 15c per foot. The fittings about $1.15 each and machine work 75c or $1.00. PI.AYCRAFT 239 No. 11 DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING AND ERECTING COMBINATION SWING AND GYM- NASIUM FRAME, AND FOR MAKIXG TEETER LADDER This play equipment has a frame made of 3" steel pipe held together with Universal Frame Connections, making the strongest frame which can be made. The ladders and sliding poles serve as braces giving abso- lute rigidity. If at any time it is desired to enlarge this frame, it can easily be made into a square gymnasium by duplicating for the other end and connecting the two ends with steel pipes. The climbing pole will be removed and a set of traveling rings inserted. The upright pipe at the top of the ladder and sliding poles acts as a handle for the children to grasp when going from the ladder to the poles. Upon this frame are attached the following pieces of apparatus : 6 11' swings, 1 all steel incline ladder, 1 pr. trick rings, 2 pr. all steel incline poles, 1 steel and cable trapeze, 1 steel climbing pole, 1 rope ladder made of steel cable with steel rungs. From the pipe above the incline ladder attachment can be secured for the Slide for Life, which is designed to extend from this place to an attachment upon some other piece of apparatus. Pipe Required for Frame. The following pipe is required for frame : 2 pieces blk. pipe 3" x 15'. with or without threads. (A & D.) 2 pieces blk. pipe 3" x 15', thread 1 end. (E & G.) 1 piece blk. pipe 3" x 3' 6", thread 1 end. (Short end of F.) 1 piece blk. pipe 3" x 20', thread 1 end. (F.) 2 pieces blk. pipe 3" x 19', with or without threads. 2 pieces galvanized pipe \\" x 3' C-V", thread 2 ends. Fittings Required. 4 universal tees. (H, I, J & K.) 2 universal ells. (L & H.) 4 3" x \\" special bolted frame clamps, attachment for securing ladders and apparatus to frame listed under directions for making the same. directions for erecting the frame Level the holes as under directions for erecting swing frames (Reprint No. 5). Place fittings (H), (K), (J) & (L) as indicated in plan, page 139. 240 PLAYCRAFT 241 Set in concrete as previously directed, then place pipe ((') with the right hand end resting in the hollow of casting (K). Attach to the other end on the ground steel ladder and steel sliding poles with fitting (I) attached to the pipe- just outside them. Then raise the ladder and the sliding poles up into the position where they should go (or follow the same method as pre- viously indicated in Reprint No. 5), and afterwards attach the ladders and sliding poles. Pipe F is in 2 pieces, the 2 pieces being joined in the cen- ter of fitting K. The wide clamp and the teeth in the center, with the toothed arms at the side make this possible. Fig. L 2 shows a ground plan of this frame set up. Your attention is called to the manner of placing the concrete for the 2 upside uprights of the frame. This gives the frame a very large base and when the ladders and sliding poles are set in concrete, it is absolutely immovable. Special attention is called to the method of securing the bottoms of the climbing poles in order to keep them from swinging around and hitting other pieces of apparatus. They are set in little frames of concrete (or wood may be used). This should be large enough to give a little play both ways but not enough to allow the poles to leave the box. Apparatus. The construction of swings, steel incline ladders and sliding poles are all included in articles under those headings. The Steel and Wire Cable Ladder is made as follows : Pieces of galvanized pipe 1" x "20" are cut and smoothed. W holes are drilled I" in from the end. Then fill the ends of the pipe with paper and run through the holes pieces of \" steel cable, which form the sides. Space about VI" apart, open the strands of the wire with an awl inside the ends of the 1" pipe and insert therein a wire nail or a screw. Then saturate the inside of the pipe, wire and screw with soldering acid and fill up the hole with a mixture of 1 part solder and 1 part lead. This makes the most durable, flexible ladder that I have ever seen. Special fittings for attaching to the ground and to the frame are required. Trapeze. The best home made trapeze is made as follows: Secure a very smooth piece of 1" galvanized pipe, 28" long, thread at both ends and screw on galvanized street ells. File off the threads on the outside, put a \" flexible steel cable through the fittings and through the pipe, leaving the ends long enough to give sufficient length for fastening above. Fill the pipe with melted lead and solder combined, after having saturated the inside and the cable with soldering acid. This trapeze should be at- tached to the frame by means of frictionless joints such as were used in the swings/ Crosby wire rope clips should be used to hold the ends of the cable secure. Climbing Poles. The climbing poles are made of selected smooth pieces of \\" galvanized pipe, threaded at the top and attached to the frame 242 PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE AND PLAYC RAFT by a special casting. These climbing poles will last as long as any in the market. Trick Rings. Trick rings should be made of malleable, galvanized iron, which can be purchased. Leather and rubber covering are unneces- sary. The best material for attaching these to the frames is a combination hemp and steel tarred flexible cable, which, however, is very, very expensive, costing 4 or 5 times as much as f* Manila rope. If this steel cable is used, it is necessary to splice a loop at the bottom and to attach at the top to the special frame fittings by means of splices or by the use of a wire rope clip. At the bottom, in order to make the rings adjustable as to heighth, a leather straj) about \" x \\" x 6' with a heavy harness buckle should be used for each ring. These straps should be thoroughly waterproofed by soaking in a solution of gasoline and rubber and other materials, which patented waterproofing fluid is on the market. In case you cannot afford the expen- sive indestructible rope, use f" Manila rope tarred, which should be at- tached at the upper end by means of rope hook, in the manner specified under swing construction; at the lower end another hook is attached and the opening pounded together; below this the strap spoken of before is attached connecting with the ring. -nici'ixu w -*■ 7i, ( *»tn /*■/■« /* -*ri CTj^: /S On e. fcaT /Z' •>r 33 i\ & 2*r* j AJ* /J" 18- Flj.Z. /g" - /5* ■tv TEETER LADDER iff t '5' vr> DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING TEETER LADDER Fig. 1 shows plan of the ladder. Fig. 2 shows side elevation. Fig. 3 shows detail of the ladder rung. These dimensions are suitable for a ladder with sides made up of white oak or white ash, and rungs of oak, ash or hickory. New England spruce with white ash rungs make a very light, strong ladder and if this wood for the sides is used, the sides should be slightly thicker. Southern pine may also be used. All materials should be kiln dried, rounded and smoothed on the edges and finished with 3 coats of oil, 1 coat of shellac, 1 coat spar varnish. The detail of attachment to the frame is shown in Reprint No. 13. PLAYCRAFT 243 No. 12 DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING AND ERECTING SCHOOL YARD MERRY-GO-ROUND AND GIANT STRIDE COMBINED, WITH FLIPPING BOARD ATTACHMENT rig. 6. SCHOOL YARD MERRY-GO-ROUND AND GIANT STRIDE COMBINED The merrv-go-round gives a maximum development of pleasure to the greatest number of children per square foot of space occupied of any piece of apparatus which has ever been made. The cost, however, of these has made them almost prohibitive for general use. All of the machines of which we know have the projecting arms, which serve as application for motive power, not high enough above the ground to prevent them from striking the children, if they get in the way. The style indicated here over- comes both of these objections, as it can be made by the advanced manual training class at a cost of $40.00 to $60.00 for materials. The motive power is applied by means of ropes, suspended from arms, which extend out from the supporting rods. Method of Construction. Fig. 1 shows elevation. Fig. 4 shows ground plan. Fig. 2 shows method of welding f* iron arm to vertical and incline rods, which support the frame work. Fig. 5 shows method of attach- ment of 1 T " steel tubing, which must be used for the arms when they are to be used for giant stride purposes. These arms are held by a piece welded to the incline rods and are attached by nuts placed on the arm on both sides of the vertical rods. The basis of construction consists of a tool steel giant stride head on top of the pipe and a thrust bearing, using ■/' balls towards the lower end of the pipe. ^(See Fig. 1.) The wooden frame work is suspended from r/f. * ScAoo/-vort/ /ferry Go-/?ow> MiJx Z4~ $1* /i-Jeees */<*eV /r»n roof f~* *£'■*" ... anaf of roo*s +e A**i* '■**** »«ey» *■"<£ tAraae/mt/ W/fA U. S- S. 'A r e a 0' '3 7" $1* p-ecet •/-■«'/ //»n raj S\ /$'-*" 0t»« *»,,/ t-AreeJet/ (/ S.a. *Ar*o2f /*' f /■•■*> a-naU */ 7«! O/Aer • ■*>*/ r'/rsema/oj'S *o J B fro-m e-not US. S /Area J, 7We/Sc Spec/o/ ccf.^jj for otev\ Gs*T>t&trSc/e' A*i. &3J — § ?* 8=R /<8)i t -8 — ft 3.0'i" =?=? v- ^%^ 5'- •> A t L./-T L */ an . The upright (F) in Fig. 1 requires a piece of kiln dried spruce or South- ern pine 2" \ 4" x 4' 2". The bottom piece (II requires a piece of kiln dried spruce or Southern pine 2" x 4" \ 8'. The bottom piece (J) is made of a piece of oak or rock maple 3" x (>" x 0'. Sides F and J are braced l>v means A// 5 easons P / ay a ro u~n c( 5/t d'e- r . f ' A. V LHL */«i «r f/ay a round A rcAif%cfx. Fig. 1 of \" iron rods (M) which are welded into eye bolts, which screw into the respective timbers. Sides H and J are braced in the same manner. Care must be taken to put the eyes into the timbers so that when bolts (C) and bolt (I) are removed, pieces H and F can be made to change places so that the slide will assume the position shown in Fig. -2. which is for winter use. It is necessary to put boards over the top of the steps with cleats on top and with cleats on the bottom, which engage the steps and when 2 or 3 bolts are run through into a piece loosely placed on the under side, tin- slide is in shape for winter use. 250 PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE AND PLAYCRAFT The frame shown in Fig. 1 (S), which holds the slide up from the ground should have pieces connecting the bottoms of the incline pieces which form the sides to keep it from spreading apart. (These are not shown in the drawing.) We have never made up one of these but think that it offers good opportunity for some manual training boy to test his ingenuity. A// Seasons r°/ayo re tin '^ ,'/nW W" 1 i. • "J? Combination Gymnasium and Swings. Combination Teeter Ladder and Slides SLIDE FOR LIFE The children climb the Incline Ladder, take hold of this ring, and "slide for life." This piece of apparatus is very popular. In Denver, we used this only one hour per day and the children would assemble at the grounds for an hour before the time for the slide to be opened and stand in line waiting for their turn. We used this piece of apparatus ,) so PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE AND PLAYCRAFT during the latter part of our stay in Denver, I think, for a period of about two months, without a single accident. During the latter part of the run, the cable is so near the ground thai the children can drop off at any time without injury to themselves. SL/DE FOR L/FE A .% L. H. L. e/a n d P/ayqroxind SLIDE FOR LIFE— TWO STYLES, FIGURES 1, 2, 3 AND 4 Directions for Making. Figs. 1 and L 2 show method of making up the traveling carriage using a ready made ball bearing wheel, and special castings. These parts can all be purchased. Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate method of making a smaller wheel using entirely home-made materials with the exception of the ball bearing, which will cost about 25c, this includes bolt and nut. Get a solid, perfectly round rope eye about 2J" in diameter for |" rope (B). Make a little box about 4" deep and put in moulding sand, which can be obtained from any foundry. Then lay the eye (B) in this sand and set the bearing (A) down in the center of it, so that it will be ex- PLAYCRAFT 253 actly in the center of the eye; then whittle out a piece of wood to cover up the balls shown in Fig. 4 and after covering the inside of everything will) soldering acid pour melted lead in until the bearing and I lie eye are firmly soldered together. Then fake a piece of \" x 1" wrought iron or mild steel (H), bore holes for the bolts (D) and (I), and then bend in the shape shown in Fig. 3. Take a piece of round iron , ! " in diameter (J) and bend it into a circle, welding the ends together. The circle should be about .>" or 6" in diameter. Then weld an eye around this ring and boll up into the inside of and through H. Then insert the bolt (D) with all the attachments which come with it. attach the Slide to the cable and take a ride. The Cable. We have always used \" galvanized steel cable such as is used on hay carriers and for smoke stack guys. The upper end of llii> cable runs over fitting (K) shown in Fig. 1 Combination Swings and Gym- nasium (Reprint Xo. 11). From this point it runs down, after being wound around the pipe two or three times to fitting (I) where it is wound around again and attached to itself by means of several wire rope clips. The attachment at the other end is shown and described in Reprint No. 13. -2.U PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE AND PLAYCRAFT Aft. Fig i Fie. 2. =0= a u Fig. 3 PLANS FOR THREE STORY PLAYGROUND Scale tY' to 1' PLAYCRAFT 255 No. 15 DIRECTIONS FOE MAKING AND ERECTING THREE STORY PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT Space in the air is cheaper than space on the ground. We have designed an equipment, which permits of three sets of children playing above each <»lher without going to the expense of building gigantic glass buildings. Fig. 1 illustrates the method. Six 8' swings and two playground slides occupy the lower story. Above this is a board platform (P) with a guard rail (GR). The children climb up the ladder to the slide, run across the platform, and either ascend the vertical ladder (VL) to the third story. or take a ride on "The Slide for Life" (SFL) as shown in Fig. L 2. Another set of larger children can climb up the incline ladder and run across the platform on the third story and slide down the sliding poles. Underneath this platform on the third story, is placed a steel horizontal ladder IIL. which is reached from the second story. This equipment enables about ninety children to exercise on space very little larger than that occupied by an ordinary set of 6 swings. We have never made one of these, but cannot see why the idea is not entirely practicable. If any purchaser of this book wishes to make up one of these and test it. we will be glad to take the matter up with them and furnish specifications, etc. The materials for the construction of this frame would cost between $100.00 and $200.00. '2.50 PLAYGROUND TKC'HNIQUE AND PLAYCRAFT No. 16 directions for making and erecting combination swing and baby swing frame and baby swing specifications Pipe and Fittings Required. 2 pieces blk. pipe 3" x 12', with or without threads. 2 pieces blk. pipe 3" x 12', thread 1 end. 1 piece blk. pipe 3" x 12', thread 2 ends. 2 pieces blk. pipe 3" x 10', with or without threads. 2 Universal Tees. 4 Universal Ells. 4 3" caps. c* T v « n to «■« 2 S*= FIGURES 1, 2, 3 AND 4— COMBINATION SWING AND BABY SWING FRAME Erection of the Frame. See Reprint No. 5 for Directions for Erect- ing Frames. Concrete and time required, the same. It is not necessary to brace this frame. PLAYCKAFT 257 SAFE SWINGS FOR THE BABIES DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING BABY SWING We designed a soft bottom swing in order to keep the small children away from the swings of the big boys and girls, where they were continually getting their heads cut open. F,j3. 2±" r.jM. .*?. '■ Ffa.S ■«*' 5" BABy 5 \f///VG A. %, L. H. L c fa r, d *f*f u y 9 r o u r> ^ A r C A / ( e C f } ayf. F;j.6. 258 l'l.AYCUoiM) TKCHNIQUB AND PLAYCRAPT r rhe materials required for each swing arc: — 1 piece first quality oak tanned leather 3" x L 2.3V', which forms the hack of the swing. (Fig. 4. Fig. (>.) 1 piece first quality oak tanned leather 5" x 21. j", which forms the seat of the swing. ( Fig. 3, Fig. (>. I 4 pieces hlk. or russet harness leather 2" x S',". which forms the straps, through which the rope runs. (Fig. .), Fig. 6.) 2 pieces \" three strand Manila rope, run through the loops and spliced as shown in Fig. (i. (Directions for splicing arc shown under Reprint Xo. 6.) (Figs. 1, 2 and 3.) Exact 5/ze FIGURE 7— PATTERN FOB WEDGE SCREW Upper ends of rope are run into \" *rope hooks, which cost about 15c apiece; rope is secured in them by means of wedge screws of the shape and size shown in Fig. 7, which is a pattern to be used in making the wedge screw as per directions under Reprint No. 6. (Figs. 1 and 2.) \" x \\" lag screws are used for making up wedge screw for \" rope. The leather should be thoroughly waterproofed and cut according to drawings. The bottom and back of the swings are held in place by No. 7 x \" copper rivets and burrs. The straps are attached to the back and bottom by Xo. 7 x f" copper rivets and burrs. The straps are attached to the back alone by Xo. 7 x \" copper rivets. See Reprint Xo. for center swings. This swing has been in use in St. Paul for six years. DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING INCLINE LADDER OF WOOD Wooden ladders are very much cheaper than steel and it may some- times be advisable to use them. Fig. 1 shows side view of the ladder; Fig. 2, general plan; Fig. 3, section of the side and section of the rung; while Fig. 4 shows the method of attachment to the frame. Materials. Spruce or Southern pine have usually been used for this purpose. It should be kiln dried. The rungs should be made *Great care is required in using this style of rope hook. Another style which permits the rope to he spliced around it is often used. l'LAYCUAl T 259 of white oak or hickory. Gal. iron pipe is sometimes also used for lln- rungs. The sides of the ladder are attached to the frame by menus of |" iron. which is bent around the pipe and screwed into the sides of I he ladders as shown in Fijj. 4. Iron extends in from end of ladder S". n 'J ' 10 ^.. -II FlQ 2. PLAN OF WOOD LADDER A WORKING BIBLIOGRAPHY* In the Philosophy and Technique of Play and Playgrounds CONTENTS PART ONE Studies in Growth— Plav and Its Meaning— The Place of Play in Education— Hygienic and Social Value of Playgrounds— Nature Study Constructive Play— Horticulture and Landscape Art Applicable to Playground and School Beautification, (Horticultural Methods), (Landscape Garden- in-' and Playground Construction), (Playground Equipment)— Housekeeping and Home Economics, i Nutrition and Diet), (Hygiene of the Home), (Accidents and Sickness)— Hygienic Organizations and Publications Devoting Special Attention to the Subjects of Civics and Health— farmers Bulletins, (Landscape Gardening, Forestry and School Gardening), (Housekeeping). {Continued in Vol. II) STUDIES IN GROWTH BEYER, H. G. The Influence of Exercise on Growth. Am. Ph. Ed. Rev., Vol. 1, Nos.' 1-2, pp. 76-87 (1896). Also The Journal of Experimental Medicine, Vol. 1, No. 3 (1896) (reprinted). BEYER, H. G. The Value to Physiology of Anthropometric Tests and Measur- ments in the Form of Statistics, and Their Importance to Education. Am. Ph. Ed. Rev., Vol. VI, No. 2, pp. 181-894 (1901). Also Journal of the Boston Society of Medical Sciences, May, 1901 (reprinted). BIRNEY, MRS. T. W. Childhood. 12 mo. cloth. F. A. Stokes Co., N. Y. BOWDITCH, H. P. The Growth of Children. Report of State Board of Health (1891), Boston, Mass. (reprinted). BOWDITCH, HENRY P. The Growth of Children. Reprinted from the American Statistical Association (1894). Excellent. Contains Bowditch's Law. BRYAN E B Nascent Stages and Their Pedagogical Significance. Pedagogical Seminary (Oct., 1900), VII, 357-396. BURK, FREDERIC. From Fundamental to Accessory in the Development of The Nervous System and of Movements. Pedagogical Seminary (Oct., 1898), VI, 5-64 (reprinted). BURKE FREDERIC. Growth of Children in Height and Weight. American Journal of Psychology, Vol. LX, No. 3, April, 1898. Best general survey of subject of growth in height and weight. BURNHAM, W. H. Education from the Genetic Point of View. Proceedings of the National Education Association (1905), pp. 727-732. BURNHAM, W. H. Hygiene of the Kindergarten Child. Proceedings of the National Education Association (1904), pp. 416-422. BURNHAM, W. H. Suggestions from the Psychology of Adolescence. School Review (1897), V, 652-665. CHAMBERLAIN, A. F. The Child. W. Scott, London (1903), 498 pages. (See Chapter IV, especially). CHRISTOPHER, W. S. Three Crises in Child Life. Child Study Monthly (1897), III, 324-335. *Revised and elaborated from "The Organization of a System of Public Playgrounds and Bib- lioeranhvof the Playground Movement," Arthur Leland, Association Seminar, 1903. (We acknowl- edge the assistance "of "Bibliography of Physical Education" by Dr. Hastings and Miss Stedman, and "Bibliography in Education by Plays and Games" by Dr. Johnson.) 260 BIBLIOGRAPHY 261 CHRISTOPHER, W. S. Measurements of Chicago School Children. Journal the American Medical Association (Sept. 8 and 15, 1900). Excellent, especial of specially along the line of psycho-physical measurements. CLOUSTON, T. S. The Neuroses of Development. Simpkins, London (1891), 138 pages. ENGELMANN, G. J. The American Girl of To-day. Am. Ph. Ed. Rev., Vol. VI, No. 1, pp. 28-65, with bibliography. FITZ, GEO. Play as a Factor in Development. American Physical Education Review (June, 1897). GUILLET, CEPHAS. Recapitulation and Education. Pedagogical Seminary (Oct., 1900), VII, 397-445. GULICK, L. H. Some Psychical Aspects of Muscular Exercise. Popular Science Monthly (1898), LIII, 793-805. HALL,G. S. Adolescence. D. Appleton & Co., N. Y. (1904), 2 Vols. HUTCHINSON, WOODS. The Growth of the Child Mind. Educational Times (1899), LII, 219-220. HAWKINS, CECIL. The Physical Examination and Development of Public School Boys. A paper read before the Association on April 4, 1899. With Chart. HARTWELL, E. M. Physical Training. Its Function and Place in Education- American Physical Education Review (1897), II, 133-151. HASTINGS, WM. W., Ph.D. Health and Growth of School Children. Proceed- ings of the Department of Child Study in Annual Convention, Boston, Mass. (July, 1903). Reprinted from Boston Volume of Proceedings of N. E. A. A hygienic rather than developmental paper, but suggestive. HASTINGS, WM. W., Ph.D. A Manual for Physical Measurements, Boys and Girls, with Anthropometric Tables for each height of each age, from five to twenty years. New York, Macmillan Co. Emphasizes vital measurements. Provides suitable types for ages five to twenty in public schools. KING, IRVING. The -Psychology of Child Development. University Press, Chicago (1903), 265 pages. LANCASTER, E. G. The Psychology and Pedagogy of Adolescence. Pedagogical Seminary (July, 1897), V, 61-128. McDONALD, A. Bibliography of Child Study. Report of Comm. of Education (1897-98), Vol. 11. MAXTON, W. P. The Development of the Young Child with Reference to Exercise. Am. Ph. Ed. Rev., Vol. II, No. 3 (1897). Also Education (Nov., 1896). PORTER, W. T. The Physical Basis of Precocity and Dullness. Am. Ph. Ed. Rev., Vol. II, No. 3, 155-173 (1897). PORTER, W. T. Growth in Height and Weight of School Children. Tr. St. Louis Academy of Sciences, Vol. VL, No. 7, and Vol. VI, No. 12. PORTER, WM. T. The Relation Between the Growth of Children and their Devia- tion from the Physical Type of their Sex and Age. Transactions of the Academy of Science, St. Louis, Vol. VI, No. 10, (Nov. 14, 1893). ROWE, STUART H. The Physical Nature of the Child and How to Study It. New York, The Macmillan Co. SIMM, E. J. Some Criminal Tendencies of Boyhood, A Study of Adolescence. Pedagogical Seminary, (March, 1901). 262 BIBLIOGRAPHY SMEDLEY. Child Study Report No. 2. Chicago Board of Education Report I L899 90 . reprint, pp. 4(5-64. SPENCER, II HERBERT. Education. (Fourth Chapter on Physical Education.) SWIFT, J. E Heredity and Environment: a Study in Adolescence. Am. Ph. Ed. Rev., V<-1. 3. X<>. 3 ( lN'tsi. TANNER, A E. The Child, His Thinking, Feeding and Doing. Rand. McNally & Co., Chicago (1904), 430 pages. TRUSLOW, W. Exercise During Adolescence. Am. Ph. Ed. Rev., Vol. 3, No. 2 (1898), pp. 111-121, with bibliography. TYLER, J. M. Growth and Education. Houghton, Mifflin & Co. PLAY AND ITS MEANING BALDWIN', J. M. Organic Selection. American Naturalist (June. July, 1895). BOWEN, W. P. The Meaning of Work and Play. Hygiene and Physical Edu- cation. July and August, 1909. BR< IWNE, T. |. The Clan or Gang Instinct in Boys. Association Outlook (June, July, August, 1900). BLUNT, H. M. The Sphere of the Playground. Journal of Pedagogy (June, 1900). CHAMBERLAIN. A. P. The Child. W. Scott, London (1903), 498 pages. See especially Chapter II. COLOZZA, G. A. Psychologie und Padagogik des Kinderspiels. O. Bonde, Alten- burg (1900), 272 pages. GROSS, KARL. The Play of Animals. U. Appleton & Co., New York, (1898). GROSS, KARL. The Play of Man. I). Appleton & Co., New York (1901). GULICK, L. H. Psychological, Pedagogical and Religious Aspects of Group Games, Pedagogical Seminary (March, 1899), VI, 135-151. GULICK, L. H. Psychology of Play. Association Outlook (1898), No. 9. GULICK, L. H. Free Play in Physical Education. Popular Science Monthly, Vol. XLII, (1893). GUTS MUTHS, J. C. F. Spiele zur Uebung und Erholung des Kbrpers und Geistes, fur die Jugend. Erziehungsanstalt, Schnepfenthal (1796), 492 pages. HALL, G. S. Adolescence. D. Appleton & Co., New York (1904), 2 Vols. See especially II. 202-236. HARRISON. ELIZABETH. A Study of Child-nature from the Kindergarten Standpoint. The Chicago Kindergarten College (1903). JOHNSON, G. E. Education by Plays and Games. Ginn & Co. LEE, JOSEPH. Crime or Sport. How to Help Boys (April, 1902). LKE. JOSEPH. Constructive and Preventive Philanthropy. Macmillan & Co., New York (1902). LEE, JOSEPH. Play and Playgrounds. American Civic Association. LOWELL, A. L. Competition in College. Atlantic Monthly (June. 1909). McGHEE, Z. Play of South Carolina Children. Pedagogical Seminary (Dec, 1900) BIBLIOGRAPHY 268 MONROE, W. B. Play Instincts of Children. American Physical Educational Review. [V, 358. MOSSO, ANGELO. Mechanism of the Emotions. Clark University Decennial Celebration Publication (1899), pp. 396-407. MOSSO, ANGELO. Psychic Processes and Muscular Exercise, (lark University Decennial Celebration Publication ( 1899). pp :;v; :;'.)."> NAGLEY, P. A. A Study in the Psychology of Play. The Playground Vol III IV. V. NEWELL, W. W. Songs and Games of American Children. Harper & Bn STANLEY, II M. Professor Gross and Theories of Play. Psychological Review (1899,. VI, S6-92. STRACHAN, JOHN. What is Play? Edinburgh (1877 TSANOFF, S. V. Educational Value of Children's Playgrounds. Published Privately. TSANOFF, S. V. Children's Playgrounds. Municipal Affairs. Vol. II, p. 293 WARD, MRS. HUMPHREY. Play. Chanties, Vol. XX, p. 79. THE PLACE OF PLAY IN EDUCATION BALDWIN. J. M Medical Development. BALDWIN'. W . A . Industrial-Social Education. BLOW, S. E. Symbolic Education. D. Appleton & Co., New York (1895), 251 pages. BURK. F. L. and C. F. A Study of the Kindergarten Problem in the Public Kinder- gartens of Santa Barbara, California. Whitaker, San Franci 1899 123 pages. BRADLEY. J. E. Educational Value of Play. Review of Reviews. 27. 62 ( [am, 1902). BRADLEY. J. E. Play in Relation to Character. Education (Mar., 1899). CARL'S, p. Instruction by Play. Open Court . 1 1 1 . 507. CARL'S. P. Children's Interest in Games. Educational Report (1897-98), Vol. II. DAWSOX, G. E. The Muscular Activities Rendered Necessary by Man's Early Environment. Am. Physical Education Review, Vol. VII, No. 2. pp. 80 86. DOPP, K. E. The Place of Industries in Elementary Education. University Press. Chicago (1903), 208 pages. DRAGEHJELM, HAXS. "Das Spielen der Kinder in Sande." II Tillge, Citygade 19, Copenhagen. EBY, FREDERICK. Reconstruction of the Kindergarten. Pedagogical Seminary (July, 1900), VII, 229-286. Education Extension in the U. S. Report of the U. S. Commissioner of Education, (1899, 1900), Vol. I. 326. FROEBKL. F. W. A. Education of Man. D. Applet* n 7 RIIS. | A The Lesson Taught us by the Gang. Pratt Institute Monthly, (Nov. is'.) 7 RIIS I A A Ten Year War. Houghton, Mifflin & Co., Boston and New York, I '.Kill RIIS. J. A. Letting in the Light — the iniluence of the playground as a moral agency in the city. Atlantic Monthly, (October, 1898). SCUDDER M T. Organized Play in the Country. Proceedings, P. A. A., (1907). STEWART, S. T. Recreation Centers in the City of New York. Proceedings P. A. A.. | 1907 SMITH. B. H. Health and Recreation for City Children. The Craftsman, Svra- cuse, X. Y.. ( Sept. 1905). TO L MAX. W. H. Social Engineering. X. Y. (19()!i VEILLER, L. Social Value of Playgrounds in Crowded Districts. Charities Vol. XVIII, p. 507. WAR R IXC. GEO. !•: .. |R Warring Market Playgrounds. Vol. XXXIX p 1237. (1895.) WHARTON, G. W. The City for the Children. Outlook, Vol. LXXII, p. 30, (1902 ) WHARTON, G. W. Municipal Playgrounds. Gardens and Forest. (Dec. 16, 1896.) New York. WHARTON, G. W. Playgrounds for City Schools. Harpers, Vol. LXVIII. WHARTOX. (i. W. Playgrounds of Rural and Suburban Schools. Popular Science Monthly. (Dec. 1898.) WHARTOX. G. W. Playgrounds. Harper's Weekly. (Sept. 11 and Dec. 25, 1897). For Further References see Reprint No. 63. List of Publications of the Playground Association of America. New York. Bibliography of Committee on Normal Course of Play of the Playground Association of America, 1909. pp. L58 160. Bibliography of Social Settlements. Mrs. Prank H. Montgomery, 5548 Wbodlawn Ave., Chicago, 111. ALSO PUBLICATIONS OF: The American Civic Association, Philadelphia, Pa. The League for Social Service, New York, N. Y. The Massachusetts Civic League, Boston, Mass. The Chautauquan. Hygiene anil Physical Education, Springfield, Mass. American Journal of Sociology, Chicago. American Physical Ldiicatii.n Association. U. S. Government, Sociology Price List No. 26. Superintendent of Public Docu- ments. REPORTS: South Park Commissioners; Special Park Commissioners, in Chicago: Louisville, Recreation League; Los Angeles. Playground Commission: Boston, Park Board! Mass. Civic League -School Hoard; Rochester, Playground Association; Pittsburg, Joint Committee Playgrounds; Washington, Playground Association; Philadelphia! School Board; Buffalo. Hoard of Health: St. Paul. Playground Committee. Park Hoard; St. Louis, Civic League, Park Commissioner. BIBLIOGRAPHY 267 NATURE STUDY EASTMAN, DR. CHAS. A. (Ohiyesa). Indian Boyhood. McClure Phillips Co. HODGE, C. F. Nature Study and Life. Ginn & Co., Boston. (19020 514 pp. JOHNSON, GEO E. The Country Boy. Mass. Civic League. Boston. *KNOWLTON, FANNIE SNOW. Nature Songs for Children. 108 pages. *HOLBROOK. FLORENCE. The Book of Nature Myths. HAMILTON" MABIE, MARY E. BURT and Others. The Every Child Should Know Series of Books. Doubleday, Page & Co., X. Y. *PETER RABBIT BOOKS: Benjamin Bunny. Jeremy Fisher, Squirrel Xutkin, The Tailor of Gloucester, Two Bad Mire. Mrs Tingy-Winkle, Tom Kitten new), Beatrix Potter. Boards. *NORA A. SMITH and KATE DOUGLASS WIGGIN. The Posey Ring. (Poems.) *CHASE. AXXA. Stories of Birdland. Vols. I, II. Boards. *DUNCAN, FRAXCES. Mary's Garden and How it Grew. 'KINGSLEY, GEO. Water Babies. CADWALLDER, STARR. Cleveland Home Gardening Association. Chautau- quan, Vol. XLIII. (June 1906.) CORXELL UXIYERSITY. Nature Study Leaflets. Nature Study articles. The Chautauquan. Illustrated: Children and Outdoor Life; Children and the Outdoor World; Pro- gress in Chautauqua Junior Naturalist Clubs; What to Look for Out-of -Doors ; Chil- dren and the Outdoor World; Early Birds and Plant Colonies; Aquatic Life; What the Children are Doing. By Alice G. McCloskey. Vols. XXXVI-VII. * * * Illustrated: The Ripened Corn; The Ways of the Ant; The Sugar Maple; The Red Squirrel; The Chickadee— The Snow Storm; The Nuthatch — Our Use of Food Stor< in Seeds; The Maple in February — The Brown Creeper; The Skunk Cabbage— The Morning Cloak; The Trilliums — The Chipping Sparrow; Ants and Their Herds — The Onion; The Clovers — The Bumble-bee. By Anna B. Comstock. Vols. XXXVIII- IX * * * Illustrated: Leaves; Seed Distribution; The Evergreens, I: The Evergreens. II; Tree Study in Winter; The Cow; Beginning Bird Study ; Bird Study. By Anna B. Comstock. Vols. XL-I. JEWELL. fAS RALPH. Agricultural Education, Including Nature Study and School" Gardens. Bureau of Education Bulletin No. 2. L907 Supl oi Public Documents, Washington. I). C. 1 attains very valuable bibliography eovering the entire subject I KERN, C. J. Among Country Schools. Ginn & Co. HALL, L, STANLEY-. Adolescence. Ginn & Co. JOYXER. J. H. State Supt. of Public Instruction. Pres. N. E. A. Report of School Farms, Holly Springs High School, Wake County, North Carolina. Bulletins 160, 195, 204, ' >fBce of Exp. Station. Department of Agriculture; I am • Bulletins. Department of Agriculture, listed Imp-': Beautifying Home Grounds, The School Garden; Nature Study and Belated Subjects Jackman; Reports oi Cleveland Home Gardening Association ; Cornell Leaflets of Nature Study; Hamp ton Institute publications, Hampton. Va.; How p. Make School Gardens — F. I 1 . Hemenway; children's Gardens Louise Klein Miller: Agriculture Through the Laboratory and School Garden Dougherty and .lack-on; Agriculture for Be- ginner- Burket and Stevens; Agriculture Soule and Turpin; Nature Study and Life Hodge; Nature Study Holtz; Reports of Horticultural Society, Springfield, Mass., and Files Springfield Republican ; Reports of American Nature Studj American Ns - idy Review - etary-treasurer. Prof. M. A. Bigelow, reachers College. Columbia University, New York City; Reports of School Farm 1 eague, Mrs. Henry M. Parsons, N. V. *From Book List of Milton Bradley Co. 268 BIBLIOGRAPHY CONSTRUCTIVE PLAY ADAMS, J. H. Harper's Outdoor Book for Boys. Harper's, N. Y. (1908.) ADAMS. J. H. Harper's Electricity Book for Boys. Harper's, N. Y. (1908.) ADAMS, J. H. Harper's Indoor Book for Boys. Harper's, N. Y. (1908.) BATES, FRANK A. Camping and Camp Cooking. The Ball Pub. Co. ♦BALDWIN, W. A. Industrial-Social Education. 147 pages. BEARD, D. C. American Boy's Handybook. Chas. Scribner's Sons. (1901.) 441 pages. BEARD, D. C. The Outdoor Handybook. Chas. Scribner's Sons. (1900.) 496 pages. BEARD, D. C. The Jack of All Trades. Chas. Scribner's Sons. (1900.) 291 pages. BEARD, LINA and A. B. The American Girl's Handybook. Chas. Scribner's Sons. (1898.) ♦BECK WITH, M. H. Story Telling With the Scissors. BOND. A. RUSSELL. The Scientific American Boy. Munn & Co., N. Y. (1906). 317 pages. CASSEL. Book of Sports and Pastimes. Cassel, N. Y. (1881.) CHAMPLIN, J. D. and BOSTWICK, A. E. Young Folks' Cyclopedia of Games and Sports. H. Holt & Co., N. Y. (1899.) ♦CRAWSHAW, F. D. Problems in Furniture Making. DOPP, K. E. The Place of Industries in Elementary Education. University Press, Chicago. (1903.) 208 pages. ♦HINCKLEY, F. A. Woodwork in the Common School. 124 pages. HOPKINS, G. M. Experimental Science. Munn & Co., N. Y. HOPKINS, G. M. Amateur Mechanics. 370 pages. 320 Illustrations. *HOXIE, J. L. Hand Work for Kindergartens and Primary Schools. 156 pages. ♦JAMES, GEO. WHARTON. Indian Basketry, and How to make Baskets. (1903.) *KILBON, G. B. Knife Work in the School Room. 192 pages. *KNAPP, E. S. Raphia and Reed Weaving. 132 pages. LEATH, A. B. Work and Play. Playground, Vol. Ill, No. 3. (June 1909.) ♦MORAN, M. L. Manual Art with the Scissors. POULSSON, A. E. Finger Plays. Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Co., Boston. (1893.) THOMPSON, E. S. The Birch Bark Roll. Doubleday, Page & Co., N. Y. (1906). 66 pages. ♦TRYBOM, J. H. Cardboard Construction. 69 pages. ♦WEAVER, E. A. Paper and Scissors in the School Room. 78 pages. WHEELER, C. G. Woodworking for Beginners. Milton Bradley Co. ♦From Book List of Milton Bradley Co. BIBLIOGRAPHY ^1. XXXIX. No. 4. The Trees. Special Civics, Number 3. Chautauquan, Vol. XLI. No. 4. AMERICAN CIVIC ASSOCIATION. "Suggestions for Beautifying Home, Village ami Roadway," Warren II. Manning; "Trees." .1. Horace McFarland; "Some Features of Pennsylvania Forestry, "Joseph T. Ftothxock. Park it Cemetery for February; 1906, containing the following addresses: "The Second Step in Municipal Park Development," ('•. A. Parker: "Outdoor Art." Warren H. Manning; "Extension of Connecticut State Capitol Grounds " Frederick I.. Ford: "Improvement of Washington," Charles Moore; "The Work of Civic Improvement," .1. M. Good. ( American League for Civic Improvement.) A sketch of actual achieve- ment in villages, towns, ami cities. "The How of Improvement Work," J. M. Good. (American League for Civic Im- provement.) Illustrates methods by relating actual experiences and accomplish- ments. ROBINSON, CHAS. MULFORD. Modern Civic Art. Putnams. ROBINSON, CHAS. MULFORD. The Improvement of Towns and Cities. Putnams. ROBINSON, CHAS MULFORD. Landscape Gardening for Playgrounds. Pro- ceedings P. A. A. (1908.) ROBINSON. WM. Wild Gardening. Files of the Garden Magazine, and Country Life in America. (March, April, May, June and Julv, 1909.) LELAND, ARTHUR. Organization and Construction of Playgrounds. American Gymnasia. (April, May, June, August, 1907.) LELAND, LORNA H. Playground Construction. An ideal Development for a Playground live to six acres in extent. Hygiene and Physical Education. (Mar. 1908.) Reprint No. 69. P. A. A. WHIGHAM, H. J. The Ideal Golf Links. Scribner's Magazine. (Mav, 1909.) Vol. XLV, No. 5. TRAVIS, WALTER J. Practical Golf. Harper & Bros., N. Y. TOMPKINS, FREDERICK CHAS Court Tennis with Notes on Squash Racquets. J. B. Lippincott Co. LELAND, ARTHUR. Playground Construction. The North Denver Playground. Hygiene and Physical Education. (April 1908.) LELAND, ARTHUR and LELAND, LORNA HIGBEE. Playground Construc- tion. The Evolution of the St. Paul Playgrounds. Hvgiene and Physical Edu- cation, (May. June, July, 1909.) ■Selected from Hook List of Peter Henderson, Philadelphia. BIBLIOGRAPHY '"' 1 Natatorium Number of Hygiene and Physical Education. (July 1909.) Vol. I. Xo. 5. ALLEN, JOHX K. Editor "Domestic Engineering." Swimming Pools. A Prac- tical Guide to Their Construction. 64 pages. Illustrated. Cloth. See Farmers' Bulletins and Publications of the Department of Forestry, Gifford Pinchot, Forester. Superintendent of Public Documents has price lists. SEE FILES OF: „ , w . XT v „ , , . Park and Cemetery, Chicago. R. J. Haight; Garden Magazine, N. Y. Doubleday, Page & Co. ; Country Life in America, N. Y. Doubleday, Page & Co. ; Country Homes and Gardens, N. Y., Munn & Co.; Municipal Journal and Engineer, New York; Mu- nicipal Affairs, New York; Municipal Engineering, Indianapolis; Public Improve- ments, New York; Chautauquan, New York; Suburban Life; The American City, New York; City Government; Engineering News, New York. Playground Equipment LEE, TOSEPH. Play and Playgrounds. Reprint, American Civic Association. LEE, JOSEPH. A System of Public Playgrounds. Chautauquan. Vol. XLIII. No. 34. RAFTER, ELIZABETH J. Playground Equipment. P. A. A. Playground Xo. 18. LEE, JOSEPH. A Home Playground. Proceedings P. A. A. (1908.) ARXOLD, DR. E. H. Some Inexpensive Playground Apparatus. Proceedings P. A. A. (1908.) CHASE, JOHX H. Should a Playground Always be Fenced? Playground, Xo. 20-21. HARDY, WALTER E. Shade for Playgrounds. Playground. (April, 1909.) HAMXER, LEE F. First Steps in Organizing Playgrounds. Reprint, No. 56. Report of Committee on Equipment, Playground Association of Amenca, Proceedings. (1909.) HOUSEKEEPING AND HOME ECONOMICS Nutrition and Diet CHITTEXDEX, RUSSELL H. The Nutrition of Man. New York. Frederick A. Stokes Co. (1907.) COXX. H. W. Ph.D. Eacteria in Milk and its Products. Philadelphia. P. Blakiston's Son & Co. Excellent. COXX. H. W., Ph.D. Clean Milk. Xew York. The Hardy Publishing Co. Should be in every library. FLETCHER, HORACE. The A, B, to Z of our Nutrition. Xew York. F. A. Stokes Co. Explaining the value of "Fletcherism." RICHARDS, MRS. ELLEX H. The Cost of Food, a study in Dietetics. Xew York. John Wiley & Sons. RORER, MRS. Vegetable Cookery and Meat Substitutes. 328 pages. Auld & Co. (1909.) WILEY, HARVEY W., M.D. Foods and their Adulteration. Philadelphia. P. Blakiston's Son & Co. Exceedingly valuable for those interested in pure food legislation. See Farmers' Bulletins. Hygiene of the Home ALLEX, WILLIAM H., M.D. Civics and Health. Boston, Ginn & Co. (1909.) Valuable, intensely practical, and up-to-date. 272 BIBLIOGRAPHY BIRXKY. MRS. T. W., Childhood. F. A. Stokes Co., New York. "A 1 >< >< >k which will be an inspiration to every father and mother to whom a true home is an ideal, and to those to whom true home making is a study and a goal, its pages will shed a veritable radiance upon their way." CURTIS, EDW. Nature and Health. A Popular Treatise on the Hygiene of the Person and i lie Home. New Y< irk, Henry Holt & Co. One of the best and most popular books on health. Well written. FRANKLAXD, PERCY F. Our Secret Friends and Foes. A classic little book. Popular presentation of the role of bacteria in nature. GERHARD. WM. PAUL. The Disposal of Household Wastes. D. Van Nos- trand & Co. Practical and useful. GERHARD, WM. PAUL. Modern Baths and Bath Houses. New York, John Wiley & Sons. Excellent. GULICK, LUTHER H. The Efficient Life. New York, Doubleday, Page & Co. Inspirational and suggestive. GULICK. LUTHER and OTHERS. Gulick Hygiene Series, Ginn. HALL, G. STANLEY. Youth, Its Education, Regimen, and Hygiene. New York, D. Appleton & Co. Every teacher should read it. HALL, WINFIELD S., M.D. Sexual Hygiene. Chicago, Wynnewood Pub- lishing Co. A safe, scientific presentation. HOLT, L. EMMET. The Care and Feeding of Children. 4th Edition. Illustrated. HUGGARD, W. R. A Handbook of Climatic Treatment and Balneology. Mac- millan & Co., New Y r ork. The best discussion of the Hygienic aspects of climate. HUTCHINSON, ROBERT, M.D. Food and Dietetics. Wm. Wood & Co., New York. A complete survey of the subject with diet prescriptions for disease. PARKES. Manual of Hygiene. Third Edition. The latest edition is well written. Presents all phases of the subject acceptably. PRUDDEN, T. MITCHELL. Water and Ice. Reliable. REED, C. SANFORD. M.D. Fads and Feeding. London, Macmillan & Co. RICHARDS, MRS. ELLEN H. Sanitation in Daily Life. Boston, Whitcomb & Barrows. An excellent little book popular in treatment, cultivating obser- vation. RIDEAL, SAMUEL. Water and its Purification. Philadelphia. J. B. Lippin- cott Co. Standard reference book. See Farmers' Bulletins; Hygiene and Physical Education; Good Health; Good Housekeeping; Ladies' Home Journal; World's Work; McClure's. Accidents and Sickness DULLES, CHARLES M. Accidents and Emergencies. Philadelphia, P. Blakis ton's Son & Co. Not prepared for the medical profession but excellent for others. GRIFFITH, J. QUINTIN. Helps and Hints in Nursing (Homeopathic Family Guide). Boerick & Tafel. HUGGARD, W. R. A Handbook of Climatic Treatment and Balneology. New York, The Macmillan Co. The best discussion of the hygienic aspects of climate. BIBLIOGRAPHY 273 KELLOGG, J. H.. M.D. Rational Hydrotherapy. Battle Cr« Modern Medicine I'vili. Go. An excellent treatment of the ovater in health disease. LAURIE, JOSEPH, M.D. and McCLATCHEY, R J.. M.D. Homeopathic Do- mestic Medicine. Boerick and Tafel, Philadelphia. 1034 pages. 4th Edition. The best family medical adviser of the Homeopathic School HOLT. L. EMMET, M.D. Diseases of Infancy and Childhood. Fourth Edition. Illustrated. LEWIS. S. VIRGINIA. Nursing. LYNCH, MAJOR CHARLES. American National Red Cross Text-book on First Aid and Relief Columns. Philadelphia. P. Blakiston's Son & Co. Clearly stated, practical, well illustrated. HYGIENIC ORGANIZATIONS AND PUBLICATIONS DEVOTING SPECIAL ATTENTION TO THE SUBJECT OF CIVICS AND HEALTH. Publications of The Health-Education League. Boston, Mass. Publications of the American Society of Sanitary and Moral Prophylaxis. Publications of Chicago Society of Social Hygiene. Publication American School Hygiene Association. Publications of American Physical Education Association. Publication American Red Cross. 500 5th. Ave., X. Y. Publications New York Committee on Physical Welfare of School Children. Publications of the American Health League of the Committee of One Hundred on National Health. Publications of Dental Hygiene Council of Mass. Reports of the American Home Economics Association, Department of Child Study, Department of Physical Education of the National Education Associa- tion. Irwin Shepard, Secy., Winona, Wis. Publications of the Russel Sage Foundation. Publications of the U. S. Government. Apply to Supt. of Public Documents, Washington, Price List, No. 11, Food and Diet, No. 12, Water Pollution, No. 14 Medical Research. Publications of U. S. Department of Agriculture, a monthly list of which will be sent to those who apply for it. Jos. A. Arnold. Files of Hygiene and Physical Education. Springfield, Mass. Files of Ladies' Home Journal, Phila. Files of Good Housekeeping, Springfield, Mass. Files of American Kitchen Magazine, Boston. Files of Boston Cooking School Magazine, Boston. Files of The Federation Bulletin, Huston. Files of The Chautaucjuan, \. Y. Files of Good Health, Battle Creek, ami Health, Lansing, Mich. Files of The Christian Citizen, Boston. Files of Outlook, and The Nation, New Y >rk. Files of The Independent, New York. Files of The Survey. New Y'>rk. Files of American Physical Education Review, Sprii Files of The World's Work, and McClure's Magazine.' 274 BIBLIOGRAPHY FARMERS' BULLETINS Forestry, Landscape Gardening and School Gardening 228. Forest Planting and Farm ment. Pp. 22. 134. Tree Planting in Rural School Grounds Pp. 32. 173. Primer of Forestry. Pp. 48. 358. A Primer of Forestry. Part II. cal Forestry. Propagation of Plants. Pp. 24 185. Beautifying the Home Grounds. 195. Annual Flowering Plants. Pp. 248. The Lawn. Pp. 20. 99. Insect Enemies of Shade Trees. 181. Pruning. Pp. 39. 255. The Home Vegetable Garden. 218. The School Garden. Pp. 40. 270. Modern Conveniences for the Farm Home. Pp. 48. 182. Poultry as Food. Pp. 40. 183. Meat on the Farm ; Butchering, Curing, and Keeping. Pp. 37. 34. Meats; Composition and Cooking. Pp. 31. 332. Nuts and Their Uses as Food. Pp. 28. 42. Facts About Milk. Pp. 32. 74. Milk as Food. Pp. 39. 348. Bacteria in Milk. Pp. 24. 128. Eggs and Their Uses as Food. Pp. 40. 85. Fish as Food. Pp. 32. 121. Beans, Peas, and Other Legumes as Food. Pp. 38. 93. Sugar as Food. Pp.31. 291. Evaporation of Apples. Pp. 38. 293. Use of Fruit as Food. Pp. 38. 295. Potatoes and Other Root Crops as Food. Pp. 45. klanage- 341. ! rounds. 86. 187. 263. Practi- 44. Pp. 24. 48. 77. 266. Pp. 30. 245. 257. Pp. 47. 126. Housekeeping 256. 298. 359. 112. 175. 131. 155. 127. 297. 345. The Basket Willow. Pp. 43. Thirty Poisonous Plants. Pp. 32. Drainage of Farm Lands. Pp. 38. Practical Information for Beginners^in Irrigation. Pp. 40. Commercial Fertilizers. Pp. 38. The Liming of Soils. Pp. 24. Management of Soils to Conserve Moisture. Pp. 30. Renovation of Worn-out Soils. Pp. 16. Soil Fertility. Pp. 39. Practical Suggestions for Farm Build- ings. Pp. 48. Preparation of Vegetables for the Table. Pp. 48. Food Value of Corn and Corn Products. Pp. 40. Canning Vegetables in the Home. Bread and Bread Making. Pp. 40. Home Manufacture and Use of Unfer- mented Grape Juice. Pp. 16. Household Tests for Detection of Oleomargarine and Renovated Butter. Pp. 10. How Insects Affect Health in Rural Dis- tricts. Pp. 19. Important Insecticides. Pp. 46. Methods of Destroying Rats. Pp. 8. Some Common Disinfectants. Pp. 12. Bulletins in this list will be sent free to any address in the United States on application to your Senator or Representative in Congress, or to the Secretary of Agriculture. For the convenience of those purchasing this book we have arranged to forward all requests for bulletins to the proper authorities. Write numbers and titles to bulletins you wish and mail to us or to one of the officers mentioned above, and bulletins will be sent to you direct. Address inquiries to The F. A. Bassette Co. Springfield, Mass. APPENDIX THE PROPER RELATION OF ORGANIZED SPORTS ON PUB- LIC PLAYGROUNDS AND IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS* By Mrs. Lorna Highee Leland Secretary, Department of Physical Education, N. E. A., Denver Convent inn, 1909 Sports for public schools and public playgrounds will be influenced by the fundamental principles underlying the work of the two institutions. Each has a specific mission. THE PLAYGROUND STANDS FOR NATURAL EDUCATION, RACIAL EDUCATION, SELF EDUCATION The playground furnishes practically the only place in the city where the child is not obliged to do things which are foreign or distasteful to its nature. It furnishes the opportunity for the development of the individual along racial and primitive lines, which must serve as a foundation for the finishing touches of civilization. It enforces the authority of tradition as translated by the social consciousness of the children themselves. Play is nature's short cut to experience; it teaches the lessons which were beneficial to the race in past ages. The consciousness of the normal child at various stages of its growth is the best guide as to the content and the manner of applying these lessons. The play director is the interpreter of race traditions, and has become necessary by the conditions of civilization, which have prevented the child from observing the activities of adults under favorable conditions and with opportunity for imitation. The group consciousness of children runs the playground. The play instructor secures his influence from the fact that he knows more things which will interest the children than any one of their natural street leaders. Knowing these points of contact, he leads the child from one stage of primitive thought and action to another and higher stage. The child, however, is always the supreme judge of the efficiency of the leadership. PLAYGROUND ACTIVITIES MUST BE RECREATIVE AND INTERESTING Playground activities must first of all be interesting: otherwise the child will play on the streets or the vacant lot. A system of educational *A paper read at Denver Convention of National Bducation Association, July, 1909. 275 •,!7<; PLAYGROUND rECHNIQUE WD l'LAYCRAFT play for the playground musl be prescribed with absolute freedom for the child to choose just \vh;il he will play and \vh;il he will nol play. The chil- dren's interest, however, cannol always he trusted implicitly. Our system of play must be submitted for trial; if accepted, we may be assured it has some of the elements required, then its effeel upon the children musl he observed in order to see if the progression is along ethical, educational and hygienic lines. Whatever the educational, hygienic and sociological ends which the public playground has to serve, they musl be achieved through the recrea- tive application of play. THK SCHOOL STANDS FOB THE ACQUIRED EDUCATION <»I CIVILIZATION The school stands for the education of the present day civilization, and the adaptation of the child to this civilization. The school system has been developed by adults to meet these requirements as they see them from their standpoint. It represents to them the ideals towards which the race is consciously working. To the child, it represents external authority, along with the teaching of parents, of the church and society in general. School is the personifica- tion of the "'eternal musts." It is the place to learn to work at disagreeable duties. School and work have a distinctive value in the education of the child. Everything in life cannot be done in the spirit of play. Groos says, "Among primitive races, where the life work is for the most part guided by nature, at least in the cav of males, boys may gel sufficient preparation from play for their later life" .... "But with civilized people, usage to earnest, persistent effort, that is not dependent upon caprice or impulse, is an indispensable condition for success in the struggle for life, and for this reason school life should promote a high sense of duty as opposed to mere inclination." Therefore the teacher is essentially a disciplinarian and often a task mas- ter personifying work, necessity and duty. I HE SCHOOL MIST MEET THK NEEDS OF THE AVERAGE PUPIL Since the public school was founded for the purpose of general educa- tion, it must meet I he needs of the greatest number of pupils. Hence, of necessity, the brightest must be kept back in order not to outstrip the dull- ards. Necessarily the passing mark is such that every student with proper study can reach it. Such methods raise average intelligence, but tend to limit individual initiative, which is one of the chief concomitants of civiliza- tion. THE DISCIPLINE <>I SCHOOLS AND PLAYGROUNDS is ANTITHETICAL The difference between school and playground methods is clearly seen in the manner of discipline. At school, if the child does not observe the rules, we keep him in longer as punishment. In the playground, if he does not observe the rules, which arc largely of his own making, we put him off the grounds, trusting to he able to make the play so interesting that such discipline will be real punishment. APPENDIX 277 SCHOOL SPORTS SHOULD DEVELOP ALL THE ( HILDREN The lessons of the playground and the school arc both accessary; whatever use either institution makes of play, it seems besl thai each should follow its own traditions. Therefore, a system of sports for public schools should fulfill the following conditions: — First. They should be educational, embodying the principles which adults 6nd best for the children toacquire. They should be fully coordinated with the educational plan. Second. They should be adapted to minister to the hygienic, social and educational conditions, which obtain with the majority of the pupils. (The \aluc of exercise as a means of physical development is directly related to hygiene and nutrition. Many of our city chil- dren are underfed; they sutler from insufficient sleep, unsanitary conditions of living; and should they engage in vigorous exercise, not having the necessary food or conditions for creat- ing the required energy, the effect would be distinctly harmful and unhygienic. The stimulus of intense competition might lead the ambitious, nervous child to greatly exceed the safe limitations of his strength.) Third. They should be compulsory, in order thai every child may receive the benefits, otherwise the timid child will not participate. They should he a regular part of school work: and the standards should he within the reach of the average child. Specialization and the for- mation of permanent teams, therefore, is inadvisable. Folrth. They must he adapted to such material conditions of equipment and space as obtain in our schools without extensive immediate changes. Lastly. While conforming to all these conditions, they must not lose their identity as sports. COMPETITION IX SCHOOL SPORTS SHOULD BE SUFFK I KM" ONLY TO HOLD THE INTEREST OF THE CHILDREN" The games and sports of the school should be in a measure preparatory to the freer competitive sports of the playground. The fundamentals of the games should be part of the systematic physical education of the sehools. Informal intra-school contests should be sufficient to hold interest. The organization of clubs within the school is apparently the best method. In St. Paul, I organized three athletic clubs in one of the schools. Each club had a team in each of the branches of sport, basketball, baseball, hockey, etc. The total results of the series of games, in which teams of the different clubs played each other was made the basis of competition. Perhaps a better method would be to have all the games as class work, choosing sides each time. Active participation by every pupil and equal development of all players should be the ideal of school sports. THE PLAYGROUND SHOULD DEVELOP LEAD] RS The development of leaders, however, is a most important part of education. Competition is the best method for developing individual effi- ciency. The traditions of the playground are such that it furnishes un- equalled-opportunities for the development of leadership. 1 waders can only be developed in an atmosphere of liberty. The church, the school and the home, since they arc enforcing external rules are obliged to temper their judgment with mildness accordingly. They shield the child from the consequences of his own misdoings. Mater- 278 PLAYGROUND TECHNIQUE AND PLATCRAFT nalism develops one side of life; when overdone, it creates dependence. Critics of the present school system claim that things are made too easy for the pupils, that knowledge is fed out to them in homeopathic sugar coated doses, and that school life unfits them for the burly burly of life. There is no question but that the playground training is necessary. It represents real life standards. In order "to make the team," it is neces- sary to "deliver the goods." If little .Johnnie "muffs a pop up." his peers sit in judgment and the jury of equals do not listen to the plea that "he did his best." The verdict is "go play with the kids!" "Give him the sack off the team ! " There is no 65% passing mark on the playground. One of the hardest tasks the adult has, is to understand and influence childhood. Through the natural street leaders of the children, who can be influenced through the sports of the playground, the great body of the chil- dren can be reached. INTER-SCHOOL COMPETITION CAN BE CARRIED ON BEST THROUGH THE CO- OPERATION OF THE PUBLIC PLAYGROUNDS Competition between schools can best be carried on with the coopera- tion of the public playgrounds, under the joint control of that organization, of the public schools, of the private and parochial schools. These play- ground school sports should furnish the opportunity for the development of the individual through competition, which the limitations of the school prohibit. The organized sports of the school should furnish training for the playground sports, and only those who measure up to certain standards both physical and mental should be allowed to enter the inter-school games. For example, suppose thirty-two pupils pass in playground ball and in their studies. These pupils would be the playground ball squad to represent their school in competition. First, second and third teams would be chosen, who would compete with the first, second and third teams of another play- ground. The total playground ball score would be the combined scores of all the teams. Other sports should be conducted in a similar manner. Those schools located near a playground would use it as a place for playing off district games. The championship meet should be a great occasion, possibly a Fourth of July Festival participated in by the whole city. The prizes should be inexpensive, such as ribbons and banners and should go to the team, school and playground rather than to individuals. PHYSICAL TRAINING AND MANUAL TRAINING SHOULD BE CORRELATED THROUGH CONSTRUCTIVE PLAY The child's instinct for play should not be satisfied with ready made toys. Children should work for their play, to derive educational benefit. The official "bats, balls" and other equipment used for school and play- ground games should be "child made;" the champions those who make the best goods and play the best game. Playground and school sports can APPENDIX .'?<) direct the dynamic stream of play into the channels of " playcrqft," where Us force can become accustomed to industrial uses. If money is spent on materi- als and instructors to teach the children to make their own play supplies, some temptations would be removed from politicians and others who are not in business for their health. Such con-elation through play of physical and educational forces would be of mutual uplift and would remedy many of the evils toward which un- corrected athletics inevitably lead. THE DANCERS OF COMPETITION Competition unless carefully regulated tends to specialization. Special- ization creates conditions favorable for commercialism. Commercialism is at the bottom of corruption in athletics. When a sport becomes so interesting that the public prefers to sit on the benches and watch rather than to play, it ceases to be a sport and be- comes an art, consequently it can have little influence as a means of general physical education. Sports in England are developed by the amateur and for the amateur. Consequently every one plays; fathers play with their sons. Sports in America are developed by the professional for the profes- sional, for the purpose of making money, consequently if any one keeps up with the rapid specialization of the games, it is almost impossible to have any other business in life. When the innocent little game of town ball was taken and developed as a spectacular art, great harm was done to the sport of our countrv. College, High School and Athletic Club sports are professional in methods and ideals, because they are intended mainly to interest the spectator and not for the benefit of the player. The American trait of specialization is partly responsible for this and it has been helped along wonderfully by commercial interests, which have taken advantage of American opportunities in a characteristic American way. Professional athletics, if they have a place, should not set the stand- ards for amateur athletics, nor for the sports of schools and playgrounds. The playing rules for professionals and amateurs should be upon an en- tirelv different basis. The educators of our countrv can absolutely change the tendency of our national games by concerted action. The remedy lies with the rules and with the rules committee, which determine whether the game shall tend towards specialization or not. Rules committees have generally been made up of professional coaches and others, who judging from results have been interested largely in the money side of the game. Naturally such rules committees have emphasized the possibilities of the games as money makers. Nominal clean sport campaigns may be all right among professionals, but for amateurs, reform should strike at the roots of evil by modifying the conditions which cause corruption, rather than by treating symptoms with the antidotes of registration of teams, who must use "official balls."' -,'NO PLAYGROl M> lit UNIQUE AND PLAYCRAFT etc., the proceeds from the sale of which pays the expense of white- washing. Children, who have ao1 been subjected to corrupting influences, natur- ally love fair play. They play the game for the game's sake. Most unsports- manlike tricks are learned from coaches and others. EDUCATORS SHOULD PREPARE AND PUBLISH MODIFIED RULES TO DEVELOP CHILDREN'S SPORTS WITH AMATEUR IDEALS The control of rules committees, modifications and publication of rules, governing the sports of schools and playgrounds should be in the hands of educators, physical educators, hygienists and others, who are not dependent upon commercial interests in securing and holding their positions. Such a rules committee should modify our traditional games to adopt them to city, school and playground conditions and should publish these modified rules and keep control of the situation rather than permit the publication and control to be taken up by the same interests which have done so much to specialize American games. "When the children's sanies of our country follow in the commercial and professional footsteps of the games for adults, as now played, then amateur sport in America will indeed be dead. INDEX Acknowledgments Advisory ( lommittee . ^Esthetic theory of play Apparatus; Los Angeles some Inexpensive specifications of homemade . what to have Appointment of South Park Board Appendix ... Architecture, playground, Tart II Arlington Mills Playground Armour Square, plan of Arnold, Dr. E. II Athletic; and social play Athletics; for girls, need of and manual training correlated Atkinson, A. S. .... Auditorium, South Park PAGE . 5, 6 . 103 27 156, 157 195, 196 201-259 194 198 70 275 58-77 106 77 195 160 35 170 179 76 256-258 . 112 230 234 . 196 . 84 96 100, 101 201 Baby swing Back slop, baseball Hack yard equipment Balancing tree . . . . Baseball; diamond, construction game, benefit leagues, school .... Basketball; court, surface girls goals Beauty and utility .... Bibliography; of camps gardening playgrounds Biological; theory of life theory of play .... Hoys'; club gymnasium playground 112 Boone Hark 60 Breckenridge, Madeline McDowell 78 Buildings, Chicago 73-77 Los Angeles, specifications . 135-157 St. Paul 91-97 Burns, .Mien T., 42 Burke, Hon. James F 51 Canandaigua, X. Y 69 Camps; bibliography 180 family . . 178 raft ' 179 playground 176-177 Central Park. Louisville . . . 63-66 Celebrations, Los Angeles . . 129-133 Charter, amendment, St. Paul . 96-99 85 128 202 70 180 181 260 19 26 129 65 PAGl Chesl bars 235 Chicago; playgrounds 67 recreation parks 70 71 ( Ihildhood; meaning of .... 19 Franklin's, training 164 Children, secure voles 99 Christmas 129 Circus dav 129 City bov 34 Clay, kinds of 86 Climbing; pole 241-242 . . 196 . . 129 . . 127 . . 149 . . 113 . . 76 . 93-96 56-57 137-150 tree Club; boys' girls' house. 127; specification neighborhood rooms, Chicago .... Como Avenue Playground Comprehensive plan Concrete; specifications of . 213, 216 Contract; form of .... 208-210 for supervisor . . ... 108 Construction; Playground, Part III 82-170 Apparatus, Chapter XXVI . 201-259 Constructive Play Philosophy of,' Hart II . . 159 166 Technique of, Hart V . . 167-190 place of 160 team play 160 in education 162 activities by ages 170 Creation of new species .... 187 Curtis, Dr. Henry S 70-77 Dancing, surface for 86 De Groot, E. H 23 Delinquency, public playground and 38 relation of playground to ... 13 Denver, North, Playground . . 89 90 Description, South Harks ... 70-77 Development, playground landscape ^-.w- dening and architecture 58-69 of ideal playground . . . in.) -114 Dickinson. John, Playground ... 66 Diamond. Baseball 84, 87 Domestic science- 1 • 3 Domestication of animals .... 190 Drainage 82 Eastman, Dr. ('has. A. ... 29 33 Educational; Method of Building Play- grounds; Part VI . . . 191 259 value of play 20 -J SI 282 I'l.WCKOl'Mi TK< UNIQUE AND PLAYCRAFT PAGE Education, Franklin . . . 164-165 Energy, surplus, theory .... 26 Equipment; advantage <>f home made 193-194 common sense in ... 194-195 inexpensive apparatus . . 195-196 what to have 196-197 philosophy of 194-198 Excursions 176 Experimentation 187 Family camps 178 Fence; posts, artistic 120 and hedges 120-122 Fencing; reasons for 120 kinds of 121 specifications of 121 Field house, Chicago 76 Los Angeles 123 Louisville 64 Fighting street railway .... 105 First: wading pool 61 work, construction 82 Flipping board 243-246 Flying Dutchman .... 208-210 Fourth of July Festival; St. Paul 101 Los Angeles 131 Franklin, Benjamin 164 Frames, material for 198 backyard 230 swing 211, 216 teeter 227 Frame 1 traces; plan of 207 swings 212, 214 Frame fittings, kinds of .... 198 Frictionless joints 198 Games, surface for 86 Gardens, school .... 181-185 Gardening, play course in . . 181-189 Home — Association . . 185-188 Gates, specifications of . . .121 General remarks, construction . 113 Giant stride; construction . . 222-225 home made 222 surface under . 85 Girls; need of athletics .... 35 club 127 Goals, basketball 201 Good Health and Good Government 51 Grades; and drainage .... 82-84 ideal 109 Grand jury, and playgrounds ... 43 Groos '...'.... 22, 23, 26 Gymnasium; combination . 239-242 construction 192-259 Echo Park 157 equipment 107 indoor, for men 75 outdoor, for men 72 surface under 85 vacation school 157 PAGE Hardin Square 72 Hardv, Walter F 117, 118 Hastings, Dr. W. \V 50 Health, good 51 Hedges .... Ill, 120, 181-185 Hemp rope 198 Hillock, The 196 Home Gardening Association . 185-188 Home Made Equipment . . 192-259 advantages of .... 192-194 giant stride 194, 222 merry-go-round 90 Home .Made Tent 177 Horizontal; bar .... 204-205 ladder . 235-236 Housekeeping and cooking . . 173 Hygiene, playgrounds a factor in . 46 'play . . . . . . . . .174 Hygienic; value of swimming pools . 50 notes 50 Importance of comprehensive plan 56-57 Improvements projected .... 90 Incline ladder 237 Indian: boy's training .... 29-33 contribution of North American to playground 28 Individual, place of constructive play in development of 160 Indoor gymnasium for men ... 75 Industrial work, recommended . . 168 Inexpensive playground apparatus . 195 Instinct and tradition 19 Intelligence developed through play 160 Johnson, Dr. Geo. E 46 Jump standards 203 Jumping; pit 195, 235 stairs 196 Kellogg, Dr. J. H 50 Kinds of Fencing 121 Labor, unskilled and recreation . . 24 Ladders; steel horizontal . . 235-236 steel inclined 237-238 steel and wire cable 241 wood 259 Landscape gardening; development of 58-69 methods of .... Ill, 115-119 need of 54—55 play course in .... 181-189 St. Paul 94 Leland, Arthur 19-25, 54-57, 89-108, 160-166 Leland, Harry W 162, 170 Leland, Lor ha Higbee 54-57, 91-115, 275 Library 75, 127 Life; biological theory of ... . 19 playground and ...... 23 Lindsev, Judge Ben. B. . . . 38-43 INDEX 283 PAGE Los Angeles playgrounds and buildings 123-156 home made apparatus . . 156-158 Louisville, Central Park .... 62 first wading pool 61 model playground 61 recreation park 59 supervised system 63 Maintenance, South Parks . . 76 Manual training, playground . 168-172 and athletics' . 170 Materials, for construction . . 84-87 for apparatus 198-199 Meaning of play 19 Methods of construction . . . 82-88 Merry -go-Round construction . 243-246 Need of athletics for girls .... 35 Need of beautifying playgrounds . 54-55 Need of playgrounds in country . 44-45 New York, playgrounds .... 66 North American Indian .... 28 North Denver Playground . . 89-90 Nurses' headquarters 127 Opening day 96 of field house 131 Organized sports on public playgrounds and in public schools .... 275 Outdoor, gymnasium, genesis of . . 58 for men 72 Los Angeles 156 Parallel bars . 205 Pedagogical, standpoint .... 27 value of play 26 Pets 190 Politics . 103 Philadelphia, home made supplies . 192 John Dickinson Playground . . 66 Plan of reforestation 188 Plans, see list 10-12 Play: philosophy of. Part I . . 17-25 constructive activities .... 170 constructive and other contrasted 160-166 hygiene 174 meaning of 19 school 165 theories of 26-27 value of two types 160 Playcraft League 170 Playground; architecture . . 58-69 beautiful 54-57 Canandaigua 69 construction 81 -159 Chicago 70-77 down in the Blue Grass 78-79 grand jury and 43 and juvenile delinquency . . 38—43 night 103 place of 22-25 PAGE Playground — Continued and public hygiene .... 46-52 and social reform .... 34, 35 and school hygiene .... 46-50 rural districts 44-45 Recreation; center . . . 133, 135-149 park, Louisville 59-61 parks of Chicago .... 70-77 theory of play 26 and unskilled labor 24 why provide at public expense . 25 Reforestation, a plan of .... 188 Rochester 69 Rope 198 Running track 84 Scudder, Myron T 44-45 School; athletic league . . . .105 Domestic Science 175 gardens 181-185 hygiene and playgrounds . . 46-52 and Playground 23 play 165 wading pool . . . . • 117 St. Paul Playgrounds, evolution of 91-108 Sandbox 206-207 Securing land 1 91 See-saws; construction . . 227-230 surface under 85 Self-government 104 Shade H8 Shower baths 104 Shrubs H6 Slide for life; adjustment .... 248 cable 253 construction 251-252 value of 197, 251 Sliding poles 238 Slides, all seasons .... 248-250 backyard 232-234 Slope, retaining a 84 Small children's playground . . 72, 113 Sociological value of play .... 27 Sources of St. Paul's success . . 102 Specifications; apparatus . . 156-157 materials for .... 198-200 construction and erection of 201-259 brick meter box 83 buildings, Los Angeles, . . . 133-156 St. Paul 94 construction methods . . . 82-88 fence 120-122 Special features, Los Angeles . 131 Sport field 58 Sports, playground and school . 275 State law, Minnesota 108 Stecher, Wm. A 192 Story hour 127 Street railway 105 Superintendent of Parks .... 105 Supervised playgrounds .... 63 Supervision 76. 93 JM PLAYGROUND fECHNIQUE Wi» PLAYCRAFT PAG1 Surfaces, playing s I s ~ Swimming pools 50 construction 87 outdoor ":! Swings; Construction . . 198,217-221 Universal clamp fittings .... 214 Los Angeles loo ,-,.,, , , , , L - nt PAGE Track meet 131 Trapeze 241 Trick lilies 242 origin of 1 '.»:» Unskilled labor and recreation I'tilitv and beauty Teeters, construction . . . 227-230 Teeter ladders, attachments . 247 248 construction 243 I. os Angeles . 158 Tennis courts; artistic 87 construction 86 Tent, bome made 177 Three story playground . 254-255 Theories of play 26-27 Toys, children should make . . . 162 Track-: and walks 109 construction 84 Votes, children secure 24 70 99 \\ ading pool 61 school yard 117 Walks ' 109 Water: system 83 use of 116 Work; and play 22 first . . ' 82 industrial 168 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY BERKELEY Return to desk from which borrowed. This book is DUE on the last date stamped below. 0ct7'^0l. LD 21-100m-9,'47(A5702sl6)476 VC 27383 309736 THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY