The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-09-29
IN THE CROWDED EAST SIDE.
HOW NEW YORK CARES FOR ITS
TENEMENT CHILDREN.

TENEMENT CHILDREN.
The Pioneer Child-SavtnR society.
Amcriea's Oldest Fre.h-Air work.
boys Farms-Industrtal schools.
Settlement CIubs-BearinE Upon
strikes and other social Inharmo-
MES.
New York. sept 2s.-Fcw people have
and idea OF the enormous amount Of labor.
time and money expended in New York
city IN efforts 10 help slum children. OF
the one million children Tin rough esti-
mattel composing a pan OF Create New
Yorks population. full 60 per cent live
IN tenemtn districts. You have only 90
take a Sunday stroll on Fifth. Park and
Madison avenues. and then Third ave
nue. cable ride to the bridge. looking down
side streets as you 80 along to be per-
fuaded that the proportion Is even great
or. For overwhelming conviction. get out
and make your way through some OF the
Eass Side highways and byways. on the
fashionable thoroughfares. from the mid
die OF May to the first OF October, children
nre few and far between; and even at 9TH
er seasons she dainty little residents are
not in abundant evidence. on Hester.
James Oak. Catherine. Clinton and the
hundrcd-and-ono narrow streets and al
leys that honeycomb the eongested East
side, children In all sorts OF dress and un-
dress throng sidewalks door-steps and
the middle OF the street: they hang over
your head, as u were by their eyebrows
from fre-escapcs. SO thick are che chill
drcn at your side and under your fees that
you have an uncomfortable feeling that.
however wary you may be. you will tread
on child or knock one over IN making
your way 20 the river. Take cross-town
car westward. board some excursion boat
that carries you up the Hudson (of course.
this test applies 10 warm days.. and be-
hold for miles. the waterfront Is alive
with small boys. the majority Of whom are
as Euiltless OF clothing as were our first
parents prior 60 fig-leaf drapery. Children
are swimming. diving. clambcring up out
OF the water on friendly docks; and here
and there. groups OF mothers 81 gossiping
while babies crawl about az their own
sweet will. fully equal. It seems. 10 mind
ing their own business and KEEPING ont OF
the water Now. avail yourself OF the hos
pitallty which. say. the Gospel Settlement
2ii Clinton street. may extend you and
sleep there over night-or cry 80 sleep
Next morning you will be ready 10 testify
20 your sorrow that children Of the slums
stay awake and stay on the streets for
everi You would not blame them for liv-
ing on the strcets. night and day, II you
aaw their homes says Mother Bird
founder OF the Settlement so hot. close
overcrowded and nl-smelling are they.
Children sleep in their clothes. on the
floor. anywhere, in many OF these wretch
"a abodes still you would be surprised
40 find what earnest efforts at neatness
are made in many homes: All the cook
ing, washing. ironing and sleeping OF a
large family may go on N
one or two small roms. but
tho house-mother manages somehow 90
bring a ntsle order out OF chaos. an
ninety-nine cases. however the mother
has no idea Of housewifery and no inteli-
rencc In the matter OF bringing up chill
dreu." la many tenements IN Little
syria" Little Italy" the Russian and
other foreign quarters. children are often
the only jewellers who know English. and
go as interpreters. and frequently in
transaction OF business. they stand BE-
tween their elders and the public.
II II roassuring TO know that 80 much
IS being done for this great multitude Of
chlld-citizens native and foreign born.
VINO must one day elect presidents and
make laws. Much needs 20 be done-if
only for the very safety OF the republic.
1nNfE Nffs NJ ANAtAt N'N 0AAAFAfMt u ~ANA@Hh
charities for children ~ New York city.
These include day and might industrial
schools clubs for social. moral and intel
lectual advancement: homes for friend
less and destitute children. hospitals.
Eymnasiums. baths. Fairgrounds. employ
ment bureaus; ana mulutudinous forms
Of social settlement work. Particularly
interesting y II 90 note at the close %
the summer just onded-one OF the hottest
New York has ever known. and during
which the marble slabs o. the MorEue held
more child bodies than ever before in all
SIS gloomy history-the extent and charac-
ser Of freHh-air work. a phase OF benevo-
lence which originated in New York
which spread from 70 10 other large cities
and which IS taking on IN tho metropolis
and elsewhere newer larger and more e.
fcctiye forms year by year. There are
some 800 different frcsh-air charities in
New York: and every one OF the 600 or
more charities Tor children previously
mentioned, maintains some fresh-air home
Of its own, or secures for children. under
SIS care and observation. respite from
summer heat through some one OF tho chief
organizations which makes this phase OF
work n speciality There Is. the senior OF
these major charities. the Seaside Home
Of the chlldren's Ala Society at Bath
Beach, wher little tots go for a days or
= weeks outing: 81. Johns Floating Hos
pital. which gives daily excursions 90
hundreds Of sick babies and their moth
Crs: the Tribune Fresh Air Fund. which
eends children out TO farmhouses. q
squad Of twenty-five herr and twenty Eve
there: 81. Georges Seaside Home. and
the Holiday House where the Little
Mothers" have good lime: lovely
Woody Crest" Helen Gould's Home for
the cripples. and-the most ideal chill
drenE home IN The wbrid-beautiful
aioni-Tawn. the Christian Heraid's fresh
air home perched on the Rockland hills
overlooking the Hudson. with acres 81 no.
be trees and wonderful deiis fu,l Of wild
flowers all Ground; trained missionary a.
hounemother and a full stan Of workers
gathered from Wellesley, Nassar. smith,
Pratt and from Greater New York's list