New-York tribune., 1903-07-06
NOW IN FULL SWING.
Tribune Fresh dir Fund Will Send
Out 297 Children This Week.

The work OF The Tribune Fresh Air Fund Is at
lest under full headway Parties for the country
have been rapidly forming. and every day in July
and August will large numbers Of tenement
children starting out for their two weeks visit
with generous country people or at the homes con-
trolled by the fund.
Previous TO July there were sent out by this
fund twenty-eight parties. besides numerous indi-
Viauais who returned by special invitation to their
hosts Of the year before. These numbered in all
Lass children thus far sent this season by The
Tribune Fresh Air Fund Most OF these are in the
country at the present tirae.
And yet the work of the summer is only fairly
begun. Thus far large share OF the time has
been occupied in getting the homes in order. ar
ranging with private hosts and getting parties
ready to start Many towns which will entertain
children this summer have not yet received their
first parties. Thus far there are scheduled for
this week s27 children to go to forty different COM
munites. The number that will finally be
during the week will greatly exceed that
To send out between 5000 and 1000 children In
the course of a season is no small task The vari-
Gus homes have to be managed from the central
office, including cleaning furnishing arranging for
caretakers and servants, purchasing supplies and
occasionally inspecting each place in the course of
the season. Then lists of the children wanted by
private families in various communities are re-
ceived arranged and fled and copies sent to the
various missionaries to be filled Train times and
connections must be to- tickets obtained. cars
ordered and each party seen off. Besides this are
But perhaps no branch of charity shows so clear
ly the direct benefits of It's labor. To those who
live in healthful surroundings it is difficult to make
clear the benefit to health received by these little
tenement children. Frequently the caretakers weigh
the children at the beginning of visit. The in
crease In weight in two weeks is marvellous. One
little girl at Tenaly. n. j.. gained nine pounds
Nor is this improvement merely temporary One
chlld IN the Middletown party is in a particularly
feeble condition from heart disease Two years
when fha,a ha
sent to the country. and received benefits that
were apparent till This spring he began to
run down again, and is now In the country re-
cuperating once more. Heart disease is a common
ailment among the tenement children. There were
four suffering from the disease in the NIddletown
party alone
Then the broadening Of the mental vision is an
other conspicuous benefit of the escape from mar
row. brick bound streets to open country where
things grow" Great was the astonishment Of
one little fresh air girl at seeing potatoes dug
from the ground and milk taken from a cow It
time before she could be persuaded to
touch either article of food at the next meal
Gee! Is that where yours come from7" said a
small boy as he watched the farmer shaking har-
vest apples from tree "Our apples in New-York
all grow in barrels"
There is = touch Of pathos in the remark of a
little girl who was getting ready to go to the
country for the first time "Coody!" she exclaimed,
nothing to do for two weeks but dress and play!
The child is thirteen years old. and is taking the
place OF insane mother as cook and general
housekeeper for a large family Another small
Feveller, when urged to send a letter back to her
mother dictated as follows:
We have meat to eat every day here. Goodby.
They seem also to know nothing OF their own
city. outside Of their immediate neighborhood. A
party for Ardsley the other day went to the One
hundred and ffty-hfth-st. station the elevated
road by way Of the Battery. One boy Of nine had
never seen New-York Harbor before Many of
them took their first ride on the elevated road
that day. When the train rounded the end Of
Central Park there were cries Of Here's the coun-
One little girl wished to invest a penny in gum
at a slot machine She accordingly put the coin
in the pocket used at the station for time cards.
and wept because no gum was delivered.
Most Of these children have a great deal of
pride, In spite Of their surroundings. Few of
them even those from vicious homes. will admit
that their parents misuse them or that their
fathers drink. This same pride prompts them to
brag Of their possessions Hence 1t is that letters
are often received from country hosts expressing
the suspicion that they are being imposed on by
well to do children One child declared that her
father owned a store. Investigation showed that
the store was a pushcart. Another small boaster
pompously declared that she had piano at home.
A letter to the missionary received this answer;
She has piano. I bought it for her myself. and
paid for it 81 80"
Such is the light and shadow of work among
the New-York tenement children. Those engaged
in the work are filled with sympathy for those
whom they are helping, and well repaid for
the labor in the satisfaction of seeing ten thousand
made better and happier every year