New-York tribune., 1905-08-28
FRESH AIR SEASON ENDS
Last Tribune Party Visits Sheppard
Knapp Home.

G0NNA4PoillCu representative,
the Grand Central Station at 9:O2 a m satur-
day The trip was Uneventful until the small
party reached Bantam. the railroad station for
Milton. There the boys had a game of "one-old-
cat while they waited for the carriage to take
thcm TO the home. Finally the conveyance ap-
peareo on the scene, and the six boys and their
escort piled into twO-seated rig. It was a
'lsill squeeze but everybody out for good
tiae' and the close quarters added TO the fun.
FOR nearly an hour the party rode up and
oo"n nil, through deep valleys ard over high
mis- Every other moment one of the boys
would spy something of interest-a horse a cow
or an apple tree-and one Of the Youngsters saw
blackberry bush with red berries which he
thought were STRAWBERRIES. When the driver
nnally drew up before large frame house, it
was unnecessary for him to tell the boys that
1t was the fresh air home, for the new party
was royalty welcomed by a crowd Of nearly one
hundred children
Inc SIX boys marched up to a window and
were told to hand in their baggage 1t was
carefully inspected and then returned. The
po1es and bags that they brought their clothes
III were placed in the barn adjoining the grounds
ana the boys We're escorted to the boys dor
Ilitory' where beds were assigned them. Bags
10 hold their clothes were given them. These
bags were hung to the beds and in this way
there was no litter Of boxes and valises on the
moor At the same time that the children handed
IN their baggage for inspection they gave in
lhelr pennies and other valuables for safe keep
ing while they were at the home.
Last year Mrs. Sheppard Knapp renodelIed
the mouse and presented it to the Tribune Fresh
AIR Fund as memorial to her husband Hence
the name Sheppard Knapp Home. The main
structure was formerly old country farm
mouse but last year large addition was built
i fG ~
higher hills. There is a large piece of ground
attached to the place. with plenty of room for
the baseball diamond, the basketball court a
tennis court, swings, see-saws and other forms
OF amusement On the first floor of the house is
lhe large dining room, which accommodates
about one hundred children the staff dining
room' the kitchen. the reception room and the
| superintendent's room. The girls dornitory.
which holds fifty. and a room of the same size
! Tor the boys occupy the most of the second
| floor.
Everything is done by schedule at this home
and a kind Of military discipline Is observed
| although it is not severe enough to make it
! obnoxious to the children. At 6:15 o'clock every
morning except Sunday. when 1T is an hour
| later horn is blown and the children scramble
! out Of bed. They are divided into four COM
| panies Of twenty-five each, and child must
| always be in his company except when the order
| to break ranks is given. AS soon as the chill
| dren are dressed they hurry downstairs and
! get into their company When all are ready the
| boys march to their washhouse and the girls to
| theirs, where each child has a separate towel
! and a separate hook to hang it After they
are washed up the line Of march is toward
the dining room. The same order is observed
on entering the ROOM and thus the helter-ske-
/ ter. hustle hustle that would be expected when
seating a crowd of children of this size is elm
/ mated. Every child knows just where his place
! is at the table and there is no confusion Before
I q morsel of food is touched every head is bowed
and eyes are closed while blessing is asked.
It is a very simple but affective ceremony.
! After breakfast Is over the children are al
! lowed to amuse themselves as they please. The
! system of going to meals is the same at dinner
and supper as at breakfast. At night the chill
dren march to their dormitories, where they
! sleep two in a bed. The first order is to fold
| spreads" Each child and his partner take hold
| of their bedspread, carefully fold II and then
! place it on a chair. Then comes a hurried race
| 10 undress and in two shakes of lambs tail
| every is in bed In incredibly short
| time the children are asleep. and it rarely hap
! pens that the attendants have any trouble with
| them in the night. The sleeping rooms big
| and airy, and it has been so cool at night that
| blankets have been used all through the sum-
! mer
! The ways of amusing the children at Milton
! are varied. phonograph, shadow pictures.
/ Indians circus, berry parties. baseball
| games, cat games and basketball games
a few of the many ways in which the children
! find enjoyment. On rainy days the children ad-
| journ the barn, where blind mans buff
| 'puss in the corner and other games that de-
| light the children's hearts are played One of
! the friends of the home loaned piano early in
/ the season and this has been great source of
! entertainment for the boys and girls. The peo-
! pie in Milton and the neighboring town Iitch-
field, have taken deep interest in the home, ana
great deal OF the success is due TO their efforts
Ice cream, the favorite dish of all children, has
! been given TO every party this season by some
kind friends Another thing that never fails TO
please the children is the entertainments given
| by each party in the little hall at Milton. They
are we'll attended by the people of the village,
! which further proves the personal interest they
| have in the work.
| Five hundred and four children have been
tertained in the Sheppard Knapp Home this
| summer and in all this big number there has
not been serious accident nor a nad % ease case OF
| charge That the children enjoy their outing
| a. Milton and are appreCiative is shown by the
! following letter:
Milton, Conn. August II.
Arrived safe Friday afternoon. We are nav
| ing good time and do not want to come home.
| We have two baseball teams and are going 10
! play ball to-day. The team who wins gets
! watermelon -
| Monday is field day for boys. We have %
| and 60 yard dashes. the winner gets prize
| We have a street cleaning department of boys
! t. keep the grounds clean , -,
We have COWS and four pigs ana SWINGS naHl-
| roocl,s seasaw. We have a big barn TO have
! shows We go swimming every other day.
| There are 101 of in one home, girls ana
/ bove Papa YOU said | should STUDY. nave
/ no hooks We are al Sheppard Knapp Home,
| Milton Conn If you come get OH at oalall
| and walk three and half miles to the nome