New-York tribune., 1902-08-18
THEIR LITTLE SLUM WAYS
woMANs ACCOUNT OF TWO WEEKS
SoJoTRN WITH EAST SIDE TOTS

For interest and entertainment. commend me to
the society OF a party OF sluu children on a Vaca-
40, =, said a uhilanthropic worker yesterday
Y have 1rst returned from fortnight spent n
taking care Of soma and, while honesty c0InPe.s
ne 10 confess that they made temporary wreck
Of me, il also compeIs ne TO say wha' very
Very good tine had IN their society
~ fret .zxuerience was with about twenty
children from day nursery on the East sioe-
Four Of the children were accompanies y ~
mothers. There were also fe" EirfS % -
ter 10 thirteen in the party besides ABOUT t"e"ts
s. boys and Young men VINO were unoeF 1H1
Charge Of q theological student with theIh II@ &c
nothing 10 do. The little ones mac Oeen re- - -
l,1rch SO 10 speak by the detection OF the ~ A1s
GARNER who had been employed for the SUNNI
s& = - ,race that I volunteered 10 I'LL for
two weeks. - = n
NV first Impression Of my young charges "aS u
-hasr exceeding helPlessness- Ir2hspia!!i'e1
- .a+s ,,7ev we're out Of their element IN g
z7rId Of cobbIestones and brick PaVe1relllS O
=, - s,5 ,,rshcerts and elevated posts, they
80 81 home masters OF the situation aggressive
and inventive; in place all green neloS 1t1U /"
ing trees river and sky. they were ooIeN 80 -
ae5 daJnted. About all they Wahueo 70 1o ''
p .scr,p' and I put in some good SONG hoU'S
.-,.--gs my numerous family. ! dare say you
don.- know what tscupping' IS. Neither GIG "a
went 10 the home had been scupp-''s
---o weeks before ascertained what may oe o1.-
tba scientific derivation Of the term It seems Ia'
- -,o.s,,ra s-or,rds-those that Work on "oooeH
4-smas with fixed seats. facing each olief' So1
tnovr-ss .sc1lp' To soup is 10 swing n one u
roo6en swings From this original use lle 'o-o-1
has spread until now II embraces every eo--L L,,
in, ~ hammock and swing. Our home was "e4l
,--.z --4-,, 4z-e har7rnocks and one rope SWING
br+ -bev we're all alike soup in the eyes Oh inc
little East Side-s. The first thing atteF We Jet
1hA-1 or1+ II the morning was sorte on 14e SOUP
zz7-r zi47crr-v the breakfast bel wrenched them
Hn G
-,esI had hAen decently disposed Of there was q
wild r7lsh TO the beloved soups. which We're oi'en
-z ,-,1v after 4 series OF assaults, brilliant
and breathless
r-,yRTJ-saTNG sELFIsHNEsS-
-. as amusing to see the unblushing selhshness
OF some Of the youngsters hltle slFl !" "-Ii e =
ba--,b,s face would calmly monopolize soup foF
a, a-.,-a forenoon Gf allowed to)- It was impossl-
bic 70 make her feel ashamed or Inoruieo over He
raeaaness-the only emotion she was caIaoie %
feeling was one Of mingled SURPRISE
and anger when made her give II up Lhree OF
sT,- Foz-s vy,ouId form trust TO speak quite
ea-5v in the morning with the hope OF holdlng a
gwen SOUP at their own disposal for the resi- o.
the day Occasionally they would allow some
humble member OF the public to have soup O~1
7t.s Vas always gaven-and accepted-as trernefl-
dous concession, not 10 be construed into precedent
So easy is II 10 impose on your fellow beings ana
50 natural IS the impulse 70 do" some one!
..-ven+v-fve swings were the ordinary limit Of q
sclp ! found As the scuppeTS dIlc Ii4e oii1o'A---s
public kept vigorous count there was really no
chance +o cheat This IS the only reason there was
no cheating. There was a weird little chant mat
usually was introduced at the end OF the twenty
4ftF swing bv WAY OF giving il the hall marks OF
ro-nnIe,enass so 10 speak The chant sung IN
2 Are5 monotone certain Infections being inter
1ected here and there to lend onomatapetic color.
but the manner Of singing never Var1ed one lota7
whether the vocalist boy or girl Je" or Cen
rsle sopra7o OF cortralto. Il went Ike this tevery
diyison marks a swing OF soup;
The butcher-t1e baker-the canclesttck maker
.Th.y all-tunr,ed over-a rotten peT-tater
a high one'-(at high, voice scars among the
treetops 10 symbolic the height OF the scupj-
And allow one'-((at low voice drops INTO Iie
bowels OF the earth where il groves IN its attempts
"iAnd a~verv high-one for the-Iast (voice soar
Die1' 1veben9ent1y1- Deadr with intense emo
tom OUT with this the occupant OF ne Soup
either struggled TO his feet or else was pIceo out
began)
PITCHED BATTLES
There was a sand garden. which afforded the
little children infinite entertainment until they uFed
Of IT, This was In about week It also afforded
them innumerabIe opportunities for quarreling and
squabbling as there never enough pals and
spades to 20 around and the unique possession Of
even a shingle or pine cone was sufficient 20 pre-
cpitsts pitched battle. II was Teacher, he s
got my cane or Teacher he's throwing sand
Ese Teacher, Minnie knocked me on the head
with her shovel etc, all day long. and Teacher
another duel In progress in another section OF
TIE arena. while yet third set prepared 10 let
.e9se the dogs Of war over perhaps battered
Pail z knuckle bone.
''on the whole these tiny tots showed forth the
sxiaAr phases Of LIE. such 1eslousys seishneas.