New-York tribune., 1901-07-29
OUTINGS FOR CHILDREN.
THE TRIBUNE FRESH AIR FUNDS WORK
WHAT IT ACCOMPLISHES AND
HOW 1T DOES IT

gestion combine to suffering has been
told many times. and told we'll Yet the pen
has not been made which can write down this
picture of distress in all its detail. The thou
sands who have to live in the tenements know
how much they suffer, but they cannot express
it, Those who work in the crowded districts of
the East Side and the West Sde-for both
rivers are bordered by their share of tenement
houses-know only portion of the story. The
people who live in less crowded quarters when
they are in town, and who buy the fresh
air of the country when they feel the need, do
not begin to realize the suffering of the ''other
half the half that is kept busy buying bread
and sometimes meat, and takes the air 1t
comes
II glad l born in small town, and
grew UP with another sort of playground than
a brick covered street, with something else to
breathe than this foul. smoky, germ laden air.
and lived in a house which did not shelter two
hundred other families is the thanksgiving
called forth from many men and women by
single trip through the crowded districts.
No one will ever know just what these suf-
fering tenement children feel, just what emo
tions they have when they receive invitation
through The Tribune Fresh Air Fund to go
into the country for visit No fair 6ebutante
is half so proud of her first cotillon invitation
child in other circumstances would not be SO
joyful over the gift of a whole toy shop. 1t
comes to them suddenly. like offering from
the gods. Sometimes the agents of The Tribune
Fresh Air Fund have trouble making them be-
lieve that the invitation is real. 1t is too good
to be true. 1t is the realization of a hundred
dreams, dreamed when the iron Stats of their
summer beds the fire escapes were cutting
into their little backs. perhaps. They have been
known TO pinch themselves to make sure that
they are not in a sleep which will end in dsap-
pointment
Once convinced. however, they make the most
of the few hours that remain before departure.
OF course, the other boys the block-the less
fortunate ones-have to be told about it.
rs goin' into de country" the child who has
just been invited exclaims.
Yes you is"' comes the doubtful and un-
grammatical reply. Where yous goin' to git
de mon'?"
Don't need none. De Tribune Fresh Air
mans goin' to take me-
SAME STORY AND SAME DOUBTS
The lucky little girls tell the same story and
try to drive away the same doubts with much
the same speech. The others continue to doubt
until at last, there comes a morning when both
boys and girls missing.
Won't they have a whoppn' big lot to tell
when they get back" is the youthful verdict.
Then those left behind begin to wonder why
such wonderful good fortune did not to
them. And why didn't it? A little matter of
money stood in the way for, generous the
liberal public is to The Tribune Fresh Air Fund
thousands of children have to be left behind
where one is taken.
The work of the fund is now at its height.
and no fewer than 1245 children in different
parts of the city have been made supremely
happy in the last few days by receiving invita-
tions which will take them into the country
during this week. This is the largest regiment
Of children for one week The Tribune has sent
out this year.
Thirty-fve parties go this week to as many
different towns-24 in New-York State. in
pennsylvania, in New-Jersey and / each in
Connecticut and Massachusetts. Parties will
leave every day in the week Among the 1.245
children are forty-six who are going to pay re-
turn visits to houses in which they spent two
weeks last summer. Such children have been
especially invited. They will be in charge Of the
escorts that go with the larger parties
The large number of departures scheduled for
this week VIII give some idea Of the extent
of the work done by the fund, and a description
Of the preparatory steps which are necessary
to sending out such crowd and making the
most OF the money contributed will be inter
esting- In the spring and early summer advance
agents Of the fund visit different parts of New
II.
They have little difficulty in finding some one
of influence who is interested in the poor of
the big city. Sometimes ii is a minister some
times lawyer or active man of business; again,
the mayor lends helping hand, and in another
place society Of sympathetic women A local
entertainment committee is selected which Sc
cures invitations from those who are willing to
entertain the children, and decides on time
which will be most convenient for the visit The
invitations forwarded to The Tribune
The problem of selecting the children who
most deserve the outing might be a hard one
to solve when there are many thousands
during the long life of the Tribune fund re-
moves the difficulty. The organizations at
work among the poor asked to send in a
report OF the number of children in their re-
spective fields who most deserving There
are 12o of these organzations and they cover
every section of the city, from Little Italy on
the upper East Side, to the downtown Jewish
settlement
In the mean time money has been coming into
the treasury of the fund in subscriptions rang
ing In amount from five cents to ST 900. There
are the mite saved by the child of slightly bet
ter circumstances, the few dollars raised by
chlloren's fairs and a portion of the purse won
Dy some 1ast racehorse. There personal sub
scrlptlons from men and women in every State
In the Union and many foreign countries This
fund is apportioned among the various socie-
ties and organizations and they informed
from time to time to have many children
under the age of twelve ready to go to the
country on such date.
COST OF THE TRIPS
The average cost of sending a child to the
country and bringing it back to its city home
is So. This is only possible through the cordial
relations existing between the Fresh Air Fund
and the railroads. which give greatly reduced
rates within the 500-nile limit to the children
and their volunteer escorts Large parties are
furnished with special cars. AS the children are
the invited guests of the families which thew
visit, their stay in the country is drain on
the fund