Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 January 1917 — Payton’s Civic Playground. [ARTICLE]

Payton’s Civic Playground .

The division i of parks, which has charge of this garden work, cleaned up. graded and prepared for the use of children a dozen additional playgrounds, so that Dayton, 0., a town of 150.000 people, now has 28 playgrounds, whereas the city of Washing- , ton, with a population of 350,000, ha# only 13. - „ When Dayton children start out for a frolic? on Sunday afternoon the - chances gre that they go to Island park, in the Miami river, which flows through the town. For years and | years the principal item of news In the Monday newspapers was a chronicle' ; of the drownlngs at Island park. The division of recreation of the new city government has made Island park air - safe as a river front can be. A ttfe*§ saving station has been established;''' with U fast gasoline launch, thoroughly equipped for saving life, and. by a trained Ufesaver. Lifesaving st^- # tons and lifesaving equipment also have been provided along the river bank and a lifesaving crew has bee* organized in the fire department. :.r||