New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-06-23
FRESH AIR AT MECHANICsTOWN.
COnvalescent Children Cared for There by
People of Goshen and Middletown.

The first PARTY Of children sent this season by
The Tribune Fresh Air Fund guests OF the people
Of Nddletown ard Goshen. y Y. were received at
MiGdlctown on June l.. There were twenty children.
tho most Of them iust ont of hospital \ few had
been guests at Middletown before. though 10 some
K their first stay In the country. All were
poor. and, with two exceptions were or German
extraction. From one family where the mother was
the sole support. three children were taken. One.
a baby three years old. was taken because the
mother had way OF caring For 1t while her other
children at Middletown. \ child from another
family expressed her delight at going away, but
pleaded 10 have her grandmother 20. too, because
OF the latters illness
Before tho party left here for Mddletown all
the children We're carefully examined by a phy-
sica1 and thoroughly barhed When tn train
was nearing AIiddleJOwn the boys comDtd che an
others hair. adjusted their ties and brushed their
clothes. following closely the instructions OF their
parents given before their departure. All along
the trip the children looked eagerly out or the
windows and every now and then burst forth In
childish glee the green fields that flashed BY
The children are at the home Of Mrs Thomas
SouthweH. At Mechanicstown. n hamlet between
Middletown and Goshen. their board being paid by
a fund raised BY the people OF M!ddletown and
Goshen which Is managed by the following Of
dcors. A B. HurtiH president A. q Wheeler.
vice-presideHt. 4. N PAYNE. secretary. Or. T. q.
Parker. treasurer: G.. /. Hulse. manager, Mrs
Russell and Miss Ferrand, assistant managers
The children We're met their arrival at Mid
taken by trolley TO Mechanicstowu- Minnie
A. Mann. The caretaker. greeted the children and
took them 20 their rooms. After discarcng their
hats and wraps thew ~Campered wildly over tho
fields picked wild flowers. and clustered eNcItsdly
about hen with brood 81 g1slings. SUppe-
ready when the children arrived. and Il was
with considerable difficulty that the caretaker
persuaded them 10 leave the green helds for tie
dining
The house at Nechani,stown will Accommodate
twenty-five children. There are two large rooms
on each side ~ the hall ~ the second foor. with
The raretGker'g room between them. The door OF
the latter room Is always open. Above the second
floor IS spacious attic. us "a IN elnrrgcnc" for
sleeping room and payrOom IN unpleasant
weather About the house are clustered large
shade trees. and shallow brook flows close by
where lass year the children spent much u their
time I'm building a dam.
Among the Middleuown and Goshen guests this
season IS girl no has been Invalid since
birth. bun from The good she derives from her
annual visits 20 MerhaniCgtowr can walk about
Though children are sent for p weeks stay
ar the Mlddetowu and Goshen CoHvaescent
Home. the more dei"aJe oues are often kept
longer Last year six parties - 10 children
in an We're cared for. bur sixteen ~ them we're
cared for four weeks. for six weeks three Cor
eight weeks and one for ten weeks equivalert 70
keeping twenty six extra children TIE people ~
Mddlefown and Goshen are enthus'astic ~ their
efforts for the poor children and look forward with
great interest 20 their arrival