New-York tribune., 1885-07-08
FUN IN THE WOODS OF ARDEN
THE FIRST FREsH-AIR FUND EXCURSION.

AN ARMY or FOUR HUNDRED YOUNGSTERS INVADE
STATEN IsLAND-Ms. wIMAN's KINDNESS.
Three hundred and fifty little urchins of all shapes
and Sizes clothed in their Sunday best and carrying
sandwiches, baseball clubs and other useful and
mental articles In their hands massed about the
Staten Island Ferry slip yesterday morning. 1t was
the first excursion of tho under the auspices OF
The TRIBUNE Fresh Air Fund, and Erastus wiman,
who had kindly offered transportation to Staten
Island and the use of tho Woods of Arden, new
pleasure ground which he has recently opened in the
centre of the Island, was on hand to that the
youngsters safely forwarded. Fourteen mission
schools and about ten times that many types OF the
irrepressible small boy were represented. Five hum
dred was the number that had been calculated upon
but one division of 100 found 1t impossible to come at
the last moment. Each school was accompanied by q
teacher, and after much bustlng about and
shang of forces and the successful extrcation of
portion of Miss Smiths contingent. which had become
sadly mixed up with the followers OF Miss Browns
standard the children filed through the ferry house and
boarded the ferryboat Westfed.
At O'Clock the boat, loaded with juvenile humanity
lott the slip, and party of fifty who it was thought
didn't realize the fact that the o'clock boat started at
sixty minutes past ), left behind. just the
plank hauled in Mr.. Wiman threw board
large box which he said contained footballs for the
r T
reveled in anticipation OF the fun that would result
when they got at those footballs strong breeze was
blowing and the sail down the bay punctuated by
the usual number OF hat-losipg Incidents.
"Oh there's hat in the water !" was the grand
chorus that would drown the Boo-hoo p Of the un-
happy owner after each catastrophe.
Then q deckhand with q big bunch Of bananas
stepped out of the cabin and everybody rushed tor him
under the evident impression that banana was given
"1nee for fve," softly said tho deckhand in the
yenders mellow accents, and every boys heart went
plump down into the bottom Of his shoes
/" Be that three cents for five bananasp ~ asked a
bright y0ungster with speculation In his eye and an OLD
pair of his mothers -heeled boots hs feet but
the banana man vOuchsafed no explanation.
That's the pedestal" remarked knowing youth
the boat passed Bedows Island and his less Know
ing peighbors gazed at him with unconcealed admira-
At Tompkiusve there was a rush for the shore, and
again at Stapet9n but by that eternal vigilance which
the price OF successful excursion, all the boys were
kept on the boat until Clifton reached, where o
special train of half dozen waiting to receive
them Here they again rallied under the leader
ship of the Misses Smith, Brown etc., and marched to
the wharf The street Arabs OF that portion Of Staten
Island gazcd In and wonder at the pageant, and
anxious in their lot with the strangers
that it required all the moral suasion welded BY two
policemen TO prevent the union
" Say Johnny, where yer goin' - asked gaping
little native.
" Coin ter Europe" was the contemptuous reply Of
the NewYorker the procession charged for the
From the ent when the train started the woes OF
the teachers began In earnest. No three
little cnaps bOWcu away i'll seat imam tney al OONe
for the window which wasn't any too large and stuck
their heads out The effect must have been grotesque
from the ouside 1t certainly was agonizng from the
inside.
Johnny. you mustn't lean out Of the window was
the burden of tie teachers song. one youIgster
after another pulled inside, but 1t was loves labor
lost in every case The heads popped )ut gain and
only through that SPECIAL providence which is said to
watch over children were they saved from coming
back like the ghost OF Sleepy Holowwith their heads
in their hands instead OF their shoulders. The
astonlshed inhabitants loudly cheered the train
rolled along. The meditatiye in the pastures
greeted with shouts of Moo Moo y and the plodding
horses dragging the plough the field startled
by choruses OF " Geedapv After run OF about eight
miles from Clifton the train stopped at the nearest
The ears and,leapng ience, they landed in neigh
boring moving lot in no time, and began picking
daisies The promrt interference of the authorities
preserved the farmers prospective hay crop from being
rampled out OF sight and the procession trudged up
the road. Taking short cut 1t plunged into the woods
went singing and shouting under the leafy canopy
like second chlrens crusade Soon the " Woods OF
Arden were entered. and though they contained no
exiled Duke bardhearted shepherdess or loutish
wit was exercised they quite beautiful enough to
figure in romance One hundred and twenty eight
acres of woodland have been fenced In and fitted up
with the usual picnic appliances without njurng their
primitive beauty.
Mr. Wiman's box of footballs was produced, and on
being opened with much IomD and circumstance, was
found 10 contain waste paper basket gotten up In
INIT a ion of old hat and directed 10 unfortunate
resident of the Island. II evident that there had
had for the basket 1t was carefully put back
again. but they had many other things TO claim |
their attention that the loss of the footballs not
felt The swings we're besieged constantly but the |
most popular amusement tho gathering of flowers.
Huge punches of daisies and bucrcups In every
hand Dandeons In every buttonhoe, and so
many ornamcnted their hats with waving ferns and
spTigs OF foliage that might have imagined a lot OF
Indian braves TO be celebrating st. Patricks Day.
One party climbed the bill and stumbled on
to a little lake containing two feet of water
and four feet OF mud. The older boys instantly
visited themselves out of their clothing and
plunged n but after their companions had pulled them
out of the mud they concluded that there more
fun ia padding about in the boats which hoated this
little inland sea, using fence rails for oars
A few wandered down on to the half-me of sea shore
which is included in the grounds, where the muddy
water Of Princes Bay churns up the red soil of the
Island and forms beach on which the stones are so
red that they look like pieces OF brick. luncheon of
sanC wches aud milk was served at upon the
arrival of the fifty who were lett behind They had
been delayed by oicous elevated railway employees at
Fonrecnih-st and not by "A wrong idea about the time
ghen the o'clock boat started. After afternoon OF
pleasure hundred Tired boys started Tor home with
wild flowers in their hands, bugs down their backs and
gratitude 10 Mr.. Wiman ia their hearts.
SUBSCRIPTIONS.
acknow wedged ................ S6240 90
Harlem Presbyterian Ssbbath-school. per
Erskine III. Meade treasurer. 122 81
Marie Rogers 100 90
Z. G. kisgsland. zoo 90
Aaran