The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-04-05
IT WAS TOEUROPE FOR THEM.
FOUR LITTLE HUNS SEIZED WITH
THE WANDERLUST.
Eldest Was Five Years Old, and the way
Across the water. to His Mind Was
Plainly over the Williamsburg bridge
Long TrudEe Ended in Police ~ alton.

Eldest Was Five Years Old, and the way
Across the water. TO His Mind, Was
Plainly over the Williamsburg bridge
Long TrudEe Ended In Police station.
Struck with an attack Of atavism, four
small Hungarian children, none Of whom
was over s, caused their parents anguish
and anxiety by undertaking on their own
hook a trip to Europe last Monday. Europe,
in the mind OF the five-yeaT-old leader OF
the party, Alex Vida, lay somewhere be-
yond Williamsburg Bridge. That is why
he girt his loins on Monday, April ;, A. ID.
1905, took with him his twin brother, Bailent;
his fouT-year-old sister. Ana, and his com
rade, Johnny Flo, and set forth on his
pilgrimage.
The Vida and the Flo families dwell in
a queer congested quarter Of old New YORK,
at 1856 Seventh street. Tenements TO tho
right and tenements to the left; to the
children's home, which is in the rear, the
| approach is through a dark arcade. The
! lantern at the inner end never burns, and
altogether it's a pretty dismal spot for a
| fellow TO play in.
! There is Tompkins Square, Of course,
which some call a park because it has a
measly little fountain and some swings,
| but you can't go near the fountain because
| the policeman won't let you; as to the swings,
/ there are about a million bigger boys al
I ways orowdnR them. The Vida and lilo
/ families both hail from the mountainous
! part Of Hungary, and Father Vida always
! had a way Of telling the twins:
/ sAh that's a beautiful country, Europe.
] Great hills and deep dark roads and sun
shine and aroma--Ah II is beautiful over
| homel'
And bow can you 90 there?' the thought
/ full Alex would ask.
ia it as nice as Tompkine Square,
/ Much nicer father would say.
Well, one day Mrs. Vida took all the
children for walk very. very far
great structure Of beams and cables loomed
before them
what Is that?' asked Alex
1T IA the bridge across the water, said
his mother. 1t il williamsburg Bridge
Alex treasured il up in his memory and
decided that when he grew up To- be man
he. too, would disappear into the iron struct-
ure on one of hose vehicles that always
kept fading away in il, and get to Europe
and see the sunshine and hills and woods
Of his fathers story.
Last Monday the wandeTlust seized upon
Alex irresistibly. His plans were carefully
! mat,ired He went out with the othe
children, apPare ntly TO Tompkins Square.
! That was IN the morning. The next time
| the mothers saw their children was yes
terday morning. You see, It taxes some
time 70 get TO Europe.
AleI hasn't had much experience in giving
out interviews TO the newspapers 30 that
| The Sun reporter had to set up the butter
scotch and give Alex red lead pencil before
he would talk The intrepid little Hun 5
story. eked out by remarks Of his fellow
travellers and parents, is about like this;
His party and he started on Avenue q
from Seventh street and walked and walked
and walked. They had gone as far as any
| thing but they just walked on. Al last
the great iron structure Of Williamsburg
Bridge direct conduit TO Europe. came IN
sight, and Alex cried Hey eTutantlyi
| and his tired little comrades feebly echoed
-Hey!"
They began TO ascend the bridge along
the traffic section and il occurred TO Alex
that the magnitude Of his undertaking
justified some recognition, so he appealed
! 10 "A van driver TO give the party roe.
| The driver consented. When Alex saw
the water beneath the bridge all tremors
and doubts faded before him and he craned
his neck eagerly for the woods and NILS
| But a great shock awaited him. When
| the bridge came 10 an end, there on the
| other side was a landscape not 30 very diI
| ferent from that in the vicinity OF lomp-
| Ens Square. Nevertheless they got out
OF the van, which turned back alongside
OF the bridge and took up their journey
again on foot. -.
! II was enough TO make fellow cry, but
| Alex vas ashamed before the Others. Ana
! did cry little, but Alex said they would
| soon be in the woods, and so the hungry
! and weary wayfarers pushed on through
| the maze OF Brooklyn streets.
Ate o'clock that night Policeman Myron
| q. Finch picked them up huddled together
| in a doorway at Bedford avenue and Hslsey
street. He took them to the Gates avenue
station. where they got some rolls and mix
| and forgot Europe a while.
The mothers and the fathers OF the
children in New York we're nearly dead
| with fright by this time. They looked
! all over the neighborhoOd, appealed to
/ every police station and STAYED at Police
! Headquarters until A. NJ. They asked
| that the river be dragged. All their neigh
/ bors passed a wakeful night sympathizing
/ with them. At s O'Clock in the morning
! Yesterday a reporter brought them the
| news that their babes were at the Children q
/ society rooms in Schermerhorn street,
! where they had passed the night.
| Mrs. Vida yesterday bought Ana doll
| and Alex and Bailent some marbles. But
/ Alex didn't play. He had far OF look in
! his eyes, as II meditating new expeditions