Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1891-07-21
rEw HAVEN FRESH AM work.

- : Il
what is Being Done In This City
How This Philanthropic Work I'm
This Country Was Inaugurated.
The New Haven City missions first ex-
cursion of the season of '91 takes place to-
day, weather permitting. Others are to
follow. These excursions are given through
the beneyolence of NewHaven citizens who
are contributors to the City missions fresh |
air fund, and much real benefit is received |
each year from these excursions by large |
number of people. During each year a
large number of families come to the
knowledge of those connected with the
mission work, and as the hot season ap-
proaches due notice is given of the ar
rangements for the excursions. Generally
one large excursion of children with their
parents and friends has been first given,
followed later by an excursion for mothers
and their little children. Last season the
boat was SO heavily loaded that this year
the excursion for the children and their
friends has been divided, the first
going to-day, as stated above, the next
during the coming week and to be fol
lowed by third the week after. The first
is to the Thimble Islands, the second to
Pawson park, and the third, for the moth
ers and little ones, will also be to Pawson
park, where a shore dinner will be pro-
vided for them. On the children's ex-
cursion cake and cream are furnished
freely for the children. Games with
prizes are also included to entertain the
children. When funds are sufficient, as
has been the case for several years past,
excursions are provided for the children of
the county house and those also at
the hospital, and the helpless ones
at the hospital, and for the old ladies at
the Home for the Friendless and church
homes; carriages have been provided for
trips to the park, shore and elsewhere. In
addition to these excursions by the Mar
garet liberal season rate has been given
by the agent, Mr.. Martin, so that any time
during the summer families and persons
who do not find it convenient to go on the
excursions can go quietly by themselves
several times during the season for the
improvement of health.
In connection with the above a brief
sketch taken from the Hartford Times of the
Inauguration of the fresh air fund move
ment in the country is interesting:
The great work, however, upon which
New York prides itself as summer char
ity, which does more good in proportion
w OhO oOl4aib opcuG dLy OGuCI We
know of, is the fresh air fund.- to which
for the last ten years the Tribune has
given the help of its columns. The work
began in the columns of the Evening Post
and was taken up by the Tribune when
the former newspaper changed hands in
1880. Once week during the summer
| months one-half or sometimes two
thirds of a column is devoted by
| the Tribune to acknowledging receipts of
- H.
yond which the readers Of that journal
see really nothing of the operation of this
beautiful charity. No other well-organized
| system of relieving the poor children in
| overcrowded cities is conducted so noise
lessly. The work is carried on from year
to year on a self sustaining basis. Last
year was the fourteenth, and the record
shows that 1895 persons gave $24, SO,
| with which money II, 1893 poor children
were made happy. No appeal for offerings
was made. On the contrary, for the last
| five years it has been necessary to an
nounce every summer that no more money
could be used.
The Rev. Willard Parsons, Presby-
terrain clergyman, is the founder of the
fresh air fund, and the man to whom il
owes its wonderful success. In 1877 Mr..
Parsons had a country church in Wayne
county, Penn, spot famous for the
beauty of it's scenery. He was fond of
riding about the country, and knew but
one shadow upon his pleasure, that in the
far off city of New York there were thou.
sands of little children who were literally
| dying of heat, who had never seen green
| field; he had done some mission work in
New York, and the scenes he had beer
familiar with haunted him. By dint Of
bordering over the matter he began
| 70 r1an for ha ralio
of at least a few of these unfor
Inmates. It occurred to him thai
if,he could get some poor children out tt
Wayne county, there would be no diff
Guilty about finding food and lodging fol
them; there were no poor people in Wayne
county, and Mr.. Parsons sermons on char
ity needed practical illustration. He asked
some of his people if they would hous
and feed few children from the slums O.
New York should some one be found tt
pay the railroad expenses. Some dismissed
the scheme as visionary, others said, ''Le
us try it next summer" He set the bal
in motion on the 1st of June, 1877
preaching to his people from the text
'Inasmuch as ye have done it to one O
these, my brethren, ye have done it unit,
me-" After service several of the congre
cation thanked him and offered aid.
An appeal in one of the Brooklyn paper
brought in enough money to begin the ex
pertinent, and DR.. White of Brooklyn
gathered few children and notified Mr.
Parsons that they were ready. There wer
only nine in this first party, all weak from
want or disease, crippled, thin, premature
ly old, both boys and girls. Mr.. Parson
went to New York for them They gathere,
at the Erie ferry on the 10Th of June, 1877
Kind friends had filled Mr.. Parsons ba
with crackers and oranges. The expert
ment was grand success. The result
, proved that there were any number O
kindly persons willing to take sickly chill
dren into their own homes without charge
A second trip was at once organized, AM
seventeen boys and girls of from four t.
fourteen years were got together. On
was dwarf boy ten years old, but smalle
than child of four; he had been obliget
to carry heavy baby until spinal disorde
had come on. The second trip was no les
a success than the first, and the question
become not so much to find places for tn,
children as to find children for the places
During this first summer sixty children
from the slums of New York were kept il
pleasant farm houses for two weeks-som
of them for longer. They were given goo'
food and exercise, and returned to the cit,
different creatures, physicians writing tina
in some cases the onting had saved thei
lives. The total cost of this work wa
$3.50. 62-less than many families spend il
a weeks stay in Saratoga.
Before the summer of 1878 set in tn
Evening Post volunteered to solicit contri
buttons for the work and in answer to it
appeals s., $50 were received and Mr.. Par
SONS having given up pastoral work fo'