Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-21
BREEZES FOR BABES.
The Lady Managers of the Pittsburg
Fresh Air Relief Fund
BEGIN THE WORK OF THE SEASON,
Torty-Five Little Ones Sent to the Country
Yesterday.
CHILDREN'S SUMNER HOME AT oAKMONT

''Those happy people who are preparing
TO spend July and August in the country,
or at the seashore," said Mrs. S E. Lippin-
cott Yesterday, should not forget the many
hundreds of little children who, without
substantial help to the Pittsburg Fresh Air
Relief Fund, must suffer untold misery DUR
ing the hot months. A little aid will help
us along wonderfully, and then there will
be the consciousness of having given pleas
ure to so many innocent children" Mrs
Lippineott is Secretary and Superintendent
of the Pittsburg Association for the I'M
provement of the Poor, and with the Assist
ant Superintendent, Miss A. L. Wilmarth,
takes especial interest in the fresh air work.
The temporary home for children has
been closed for the summer, and Yesterday
the first installmenI of youngsters WAS sent
to Oakmont They numbered As and were
as Jolly set Of youngsters, considering the
fact that most of them were in bad health,
as ever entered the Union station. They
were in charge of Mrs Field, one of the
visitors for the Society, and ranged in age
from IA months to 13 years
Turned Loose in a New World
When they reached the home at Oakmont
there was plain but substantial meal for
them, suitable to their various ages. Then
they were turned loose on the spacious We
Tandas and grounds, under the care Of COM
petent attendants They will remain for
two weeks, when their places will be taken
by another batch Of children. Mrs Rhoda
lawther is in charge of the home, and she
hos har 1rio nd
1t has been only FIVE years since the As
Enciation for the Improvement of the Poor
discontinued sending the children to farm
near Shousetown. Then it was that Mr.. j.
j. ID. Needs, of the Dollar Savings Bank,
gave the society the ground upon which the
present home is located 1t embraces about
four acres and at the time the gift was made
there was upon it a house containing only
four or five rooms. The Association made
one addition and then Mr. Needs enlarged
the edifce to its present capacity of %
rooms. Practically everything at the Oak
mont place is the gift of Mr.. Needs.
Good Treatment Is Guaranteed.
''You must remember" said Miss Will
marth, "that we also send TO Oakmont
mothers with children in arms, but
they are the only adults admitted. A better
place for q home of this kind could hardly
tant from the river and while we at present
lack shade. it is only about two minutes
walk to fine grove of trees There are
plenty of people there to take care of the
children, so that there is every guarantee
that they Will be nicely treated Children
at Oakmont are under the direct super
vision of the Society, and in this way
we know just exactly how they are
being treated. Then they are given good,
wholesome food with plenty of pure milk,
and ii would be strange indeed did they not
return home at the end OF the two weeks
outing in excellent health. But then there |
ere some children, who, even under the |
influence of pure country air, require more |
than two weeks TO put them in proper |
condition, and in such cases upon the |
physicians certificate they are allowed to |
remain for two weeks more |
When asked how these candidates for |
two weeks outing were selected, she re-
piled that the visitors of the Society recon-
mended them. For instance" said she,
''people frequently come in here and say |
that such and such family has child |
whose life could be saved by few weeks in |
the country. One of our visitors is at once |
sent to the house, and if the statement is |
true the child's name is registered for the |
next two weeks excursion. We. also send |
OuiluIeh " OdhmOut upOu buS CcIIluCdtc VI Il
a physician.
Child Contributors to the Fund. |
"We want the people to see the place so |
that they may appreciate what is being |
done for the poor little folks. No doubt |
after the Fourth of July the full capacity |
for IS children will be filled, with many |
turned away Last summer $50 persons |
enjoved the comforts of the home, 76 of |
whom were mothers. In speaking of the |
need of the fresh air work for more help I |
cannot help but tell how the well-to-do |
little children have helped us with their
fairs and entertainments. Only a few days |
ago We received S25 from a little girl who
had held fair, the proceeds to be devoted |
10 sending other little children into the |
Last summer a gentleman gave a certain |
sum of money to start a working women's
vacation iund, and under its provisions 35
persons were sent BY the Association to pri-
vate boarding houses in the country. This
summer a fund for this special purpose will
be raised. The Association, according to
its report. has during half of the present
month through its visitors obtained situa-
tions for II persons, got days work for 81,
distributed nearly 1000 loaves of bread,
together with other edibles, besides showing
a large amount cf food specially prepared
for the sick. Among the orders given out
were those for $50 bushels of coal, 29S gro
cerv orders, 196 garment orders and for IL
pairs of partly-worn shoes.