New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-07-07
THE WEEK WE'LL BEGUN.
MORE THAN go LITTLE PRISONERS OF THE
sLUMs SENT TO THE COUNTRY YES



TERDAY.
The Tribune Fresh Air Fund sent away to the
country yesterday over $50 little city children This
II an excellent beginning for the week. and. accord
ing to present Indications. the pace VIII not DC
slackened for several days to come. The work or
sending the little sufferers away for their longex-
pected romp In the open afr is now going forward
in earnest and with good results
large party sent away In the morning to
Mount JOY Penn. There 154 OF the little folk.
all counted, and fifteen went with them and
got off at Lancaster for MiIlersville. Penn. The
work which has been done at Mount Joy and MIL
lersvlllc deserves the highest credit Advance prep
arations made early In the spring. and since
then the task OF getting everything In readiness for
the reception OF over $50 children has been pushed
forward with energy. The managing OF the business.
directing OF committees, etc. has been done by the
Rev. NJ J. Bieber. There Is no large house here.
but the children have been poroned of by twos and
threes different houses in the town. In the
words Of OF the letters from Mount JOY the
whole populace has turned out" Each church has
done its share. and the advent OF fresh-air chill
dren has been welcomed In every quarter Of the
town.
Lancaster County. In which Mount Joy and Mil
lersvle are situated. Is one OF Pennsylvania most
beautiful districts. The country is not mountainous
but every part OF It Is rch fertile farming land
The meadows. pastures and grain fields every
where. and these children will get such sample
Of the simple. rustic life OF the country they will
never forget.
Another party went at noon to this same region.
Ephrata Penn. was their destination and about
nifty children went there The work OF arranging
things here has been under the direction of the Rev
J. w. Smith. and the same enthusiasm has been
shown here as in other places. with like splendid
results. Committees were appointed early In the
season. and the children divided up among a num-
Der of different families This party will stay two
weeks. as will the M,llersvie and Mount Joy par
ties Great preparations have been made for their
entertainment and enjoyment. and 1t seems safe
to predict that certain two weeks Of the month Of
July 1896, will long be bright spot In the memory
OF some fifty Of New-Yorks poorest and most
wrctched little children
In the afternoon party OF fifty Brooklyn children
went away TO the Fresh Air retreat at Ashford Hill
~ Y. and later a band Of forty-four boys and girls
took the Stonngton boa: for Westerly, r. l. The ar
rangements and preparations in Westerly have been
under the superintendencs OF Mrs J. r. Farnsworth
and everything has been done TO make the little
guests happy and comfortable. They distributed
among scverai homes. and the people have taken
hold zeaously to give the children warm welcome.
This party will stay two weeks. There great
awe and amazement when the boat was boarded
and the youngster; fairly reveled in the large and
comfortable cabins Such luxury was undreamed Of
Some OF the children In yesterdays parties were
pointed examples OF the great good the Fresh Air
Fund Is doing and OF tho immense amount OF work
IN this direction that there Is still for is
hard TO believe some Of the things that actually
true about the lives OF these little unfortunates
There are families in the German district on the
West Side who have lived all their lives in damp
unhealthy cellars below the level Of the sidewalk
in others the only light is from small. square
window. which looks upward toward the sidewalk
one poor little girl TO the train with her arm
all bandaged up. One of the women In the tenement
where she lived had lost her temper over some little
thing a few days before and deliberately hit the
Iittle arm AT a blow The little invalid spoke of 1t
as an ordinary thing. and did not seem to think that
she had been treated with unusual cruelty. In one
party there three small sisters five, eight and
nine years old-orphans already 10 all purposes
The mother was dead. the father drunkard. and
these three little penniless infants were left 10 fight
their way through the world alone.
ready for the country, they have left all trace OF
their mse-y and sadness behind. They are a pucky
lot nd hari experience the open street has taught
the OF them that 1t Is best 10 look on the bright
side OF things Many urchin on the East SIDE can
take a misfortune moro phlosophcaly and pluck
I'D courage again quicker than the average business
man OF the world group OF them were discussing
the Statue Of liberty on the ferryboat the other day
II tell yer It's woman" one said Cant yer see
Nav, IT'S a mar. an he's maxim signs to de envy
grants-dat's what dad said"
freckie-faced son Of Erin. Didn't I see 1t meseit
from excursion boat? It's hoidn up lamp
via lis righ. ham. Wot ice does de lady cut. any
how? She's not goin' TO de country
This turnei the conversation, and they began To
guess what the country was like