New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-08-12
A BENEFIT WEIGHED on SCALES.
TRIBUNE FRESH AIR CHILDREN CREATE
AN EXCITEMENT AT HIGHsPIRE. PENN

TRIBUNE FRESH AIR CHILDREN CREATE
AN EXCITEMENT AT HIGHsPIRE. PENN.
There was an exciting ceremony In Iiighspre. Perm,
a few days ago. 1t was not a sensational wedding
concIave of angry strikers. but an operation
which would appeal to the ordinary mind as monot.
onously humdrum. Yet 1t was matter OF absorb.
ing interest to the participants and spectators
Speculation was rife concerning the outcome.
Many the opinions offered. but few people
had the audacty TO venture any positive
tons 1t a cause Of animated discussion. and
1t would be safe TO say that the excitement ran
apace.
There were many curious features connected
with the incident. but the queerest OF all was that
the interest manifested seemed to be utterly dis
proportionate TO the thereof. This harmless
and unofending cause was party OF forty Trib-
une Fresh Air children, who just at the end
Of two weeks visit to the homes Of Highspire
people 1t all levelied down to that, and how a
party Of Fresh Air kids" could stir up many
people was poser to the oldest nhabitant.
They were all assembled in waiting for the
train which was to carry them back TO
NewYork Two weeks before they had been
together In the same way, waiting 10 go
ter de country"-but that In the city,
and very different. Then 1t was sweerngIy
hot. and 1t close and uncomfortable. II had
been this way and worse for weeks. and in the
tenements i. had beer almost uncomfortable There
II was crowded and dark. and the rooms were small
In addition. there was poverty In every degree.
Every one suffered. and they were alike In this
and In that all took II matter Of course. with
a sort Of grim fatallsm. Those OF tender years
suffered most. and under the terrible strain these
little children had become shadows Of what chl-
dren should be. They pale. thin and anamlc
with no life or go about them. and with faces al
ready marked with the lines OF suffering There
was melancholy absence Of childish fun ard
mischief. This the sort OF child that helped
York station two weeks before the present oc-
currence. Then they had come 10 Highspire In
response to many kind and generous Invitations
from the people there who had invited them for
two weeks Of fresh air In the country. When they
arrived each child weighed and the weight re-
corded. Now. after two glorious weeks OF fun
recreation and returning health. the happy little
troop were going back and each child was being
weighed again mat was the root Of the who.e
trouble. The question Of the hour was. How many
pounds would have been gained by the little pco-
pie during their two weeks In the country? II was
an exciting problem perhaps. because the solution
hung in the balance The scales ready and
one by the children stepped up and were
weighed. Each child was overfowing with happi-
ness and had but look at the rosy cheeks
laughing faces, and hear the whoops and shouts Of
healthy and lively children to realize what the
They found additional cause for happiness in the
results results OF the weghing Almost every child had
lost more than ialf pound Out of forty chill.
dren. thirty-four gained They all immensely
improved. but almost nine tenths of them had this
measure of pounds to go by. one little girl had
large measure. She had gained four and three
quarter pounds. and consequently the heroine
of the hour There were many others who gained
three and four pounds apiece When everything
was summed up it was found that the combined
weight of the party on their arrival had been lSo
pounds and that their departure the total
weight was 2l9D pounds. That left increase OF
sixty pounds or an average gain for eacn child Of
one and half pounds. This the practical test
of what Pennsylvania fresh air had done for the
little folks and il proved successful in partially
pointing out the benert received. This was also
the exciting ceremony which kept Hghspre people
awake nights.