New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-08-30
DESERTED TENEMENTS. E
AN EXODUS OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN
FROM THE EAST SIDE.
THOUSANDS ENJOY a DAYS PLEASURE AND
rrBsH AIR Up TIE RIVER

II was plain 10 be econ that something un"s"" was
afoot IN south-s.. tn, Other morning me "'" s'.''
whi,h has become famous FOR lie quaint a'"oSp"'i'
OF oldtime life on tho wore an un"""''" a''
~ activity IN the reghhorhood NJ MarNe'' l''
hov,snrs NJ hries and schooners from distant ports
with their ancient hgureheads looking oo"" -" W.
nassine draws stu extended over the street anu
almost touched, the roofs Of the lttle JUN '"oi.
on the other side hlled with pulleys' o"" ''''
stray bits Of rigging the same groups "
shoremen and sailors sat smoking INV" '''H
pipes on tho barrels and crates clustered on inc
wharves. and there the same e'"e'"'
Of tar and harnaolcs everywhere eNc'p At 'i"l-
ket-st Here II was different constant s"'an
OF humanity moving across the S'I"''
the end Of the Market-st pier. ana " Wa '.''
Side humanity. with tenement house wiz"
across n I'm unmistakable signs and without III"
fartost suggestion % the rolling main II con9'','u
Of several hundred mothers. children ana oao'eS
Of the tenemen;s poor and needy even 10 inc ""'"
serving eve but huhhling over With happiness anu
eager expectation They trooped across III '""'
and threos and tens. family by family 'utS'"s ".D
pulling al tagging youngsters. lodging '"'
trucks and draws falling over themselves III wv"
haste hut pushing dotermlnedly on to the" oeS''"
alton ,
For an hour or more did this busting migration
worry and disturb the dignity NJ south-s' : ma"
time sumher Then there was great ""N'''"S
and footing AZ the end Of the pier: ~" "''"'e"
ccamuornd and scrambled hfl'SH Wv
ard down m, pier leaving a trail Of dropped pun
die. and milk pals I'm their wake. the strains OF
a hand noatod inland and putting tug swung
heavily laden excursion barge ont into the stream
and started down the river
THOUSANDS ENTERTAINED
Meanwhile the twenty fourth day eN'"rS''" ~.
The Tribune Fresh Air Fund for the summer %,
10a was beginning IN deal out with laws" nan"
the fun and happiness It had in store for us East
II
which ono man has now for ten years mace 10 '',
poor who live In the tenement house districts Oh
New-York and brooklyn. The one condition AZ
tached 10 the gift IL that the name OF '"' "''''
shall not be disclosed Thus II happens every year
that twenty-six thousand persons or moro are o'''
flowing with gratitude toward one "ho mas u""e
them such A rare kindness although they have not
the faintest idea as to the Identity Of their benz
factor The excursions are managed by Inc Irl'-
une Fresh Air Fund and n any ono wishes 10 Hnu
out how much good they do he should talK WIZ"
some Of The mothers and children who have o'en
on thcm They will not be sparng OF their al
,ectiyes IN their endoavor 10 enlighen him
The excursion above referred 70 followed IN" c"T
tonary programme The barge. with It's happy
human cargo was towod around the battery anu
then up the North River past the ferry SIPS gram
elevators and steamship piers, past 'ast' fo'"'
and on toward Grants tomb, historic fo'' ~"
and Spuyten Duyvl. and then under the lee Ut wv
Palisades along the west bdnk OF lNt V''AN .'' '
until Excelsior Grove. which is nearly "pposH"
yorkers was reached The sail up. with the
hreezos blowing straight aft through me p'rEe
and the magnificent scenery at every manu- WIN
he a treat In itself Every person received pan
~ milk on the way. and then when the eAr"'S'""-
ists had swarmed ashore from the barge ana uP
into the Grove each family sat down on tho grass
and had IT'S lunch under the uees while the nah'
u1aved IN the pavilion overlooking the river.
After this the boys went In swimming ana the
girls danced their little hand organ Sidewalk dances
in the pavilion while the mothers with their oao'eS'
who needed the rest more than anything else, s"'
down and looked on. But. all good things nave
been found TO he limited IN extent TINS came 10
an end when the sun began TO sink behind the
Palisades The whistle Of tho tug made dealeh-
ing clamor for several minutes, and as u palhy
said Hurry up and come aboard, or you" se'
left" there a scurrying and scramonhs on
shore a. the passengers FASTENED down to the pier
filed up the gangplank and, laden with flowers ana
green things of all sorts, made themselves com
Portable FOR the sail home More milk was as
tributed on the way down, and few hours iater'
when tho spars and masts Of the ships along th7
south-st. wharves were throwing their deAca'e
shadows far across the East River the barge was wa,
TTeht once more disturbed the serenity Of street
MAJ Is afty Years behind the times as 1t filtered
through the labyrinth Of East Side streets on us
way to its tenement homes.
THE SAME FOR TEN YEARS
That Is in the main tho history OF ali the excuT-
sions Of this sort that havo taken place In the last
ten years There Is nothing exciting about them
They are meant simply to give day ~ pleasure
ana fresh air 10 poor people who necd II hiu c@ Az
not obtain n themselves, and that IS "hat ,hcy 40.
Their usefulness Is well known, ana one oo,l" tg
Worka among the tenements of this city mas f,lI
that the remarkable health record when inc
crowded districts Of New-york show in tho sum
ncr months IS due to such excursions as tnese me-
Than 10 anything else. There are to-day thou7"nqa
Of mothers who can tell Of the visible ana fpeeqy
Improvement which there excursions nave mace J"
their sick children and babies ,,.
4 policeman a ife-saver and a doctor are AWAY
sent on each excursion, but the only time thAt any
was a week or 50 ago. when small boy g"l mo mo
trouble because OF his perseverance. Nncn tnr
ticket for the excursion was given 10 MN ne suW
that pair Of shoes was All ne needed 10 u' lrritg
for the holiday He had a shirt ana pant "hlJn
would pass muster and he knew where ne Could
borrow pair of stockings but the luxury or saoes.
which ne had never known. he did not see how 10
obtain. His mother had said that he must wear
shoes or he could not 20. and there ne Wa, IN
less effort he finally found boy who would l'nd
him the necessary fOOtgear and then came NC
crucial moment for trying them on. lie ana tlls
when nobody looking. and the shoes We're
three sizes too small So the rest OF the day ne
spent walking around the practising wear
ing shoas-and his feet were squeezed that the
more he .practised' the more did his feet hurt him.
And when ne wore his shoes to bed the more ala
they hurt And when he arose next morning me
excursion barge his feet were as two glowing. red
hot irons for he had been practising" some more.
He was the excursion and he was wearing
shoes so his faithful rehearsing had won the day.
But the doctor had TO tie his little wounded Feet
UP in bandages. and all day he lay across two
chairs wondering why people wore shoes.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Miss Allen Woodside Manse Troy n. Y........ $40
Miss Agnes G. g Allen. woodside Manse. Troy oo
y. Y............: ~