New-York tribune., 1906-06-25
CONVALESCENTS AIDED.
Fresh Atr Fund Last Year Helped
1I9 Children to RecOUer.

Perhaps no part OF the work done by the Trib-
une Fresh Air Fund is important than that
for convalescent children which is made possible
through the efforts of the people of Middletown
N. Y. and Goshen n. Y. Each year friends OF
the fund in these places provide two weeks out
ing for about 120 poor couvalescent children. The
children cared for at the home OF Mrs Thomas
Southwell in a pleasant old fashioned house at
Mechanicstown is provided by the Trib-
une Fresh Air Fund to look after the little ones
Ordinarily twenty children are taken at tine and
each is kept for two weeks, but if child needs
more time TO recover fully he is kept much longer.
Last year 119 children sent TO Mechanics
town. One OF them kept for twelve weeks,
two stayed ten weeks two there eight weeks.
one remained seven weeks, five needed six weeks to
make them strong ten had four weeks. while
ninety-eight came home after two weeks. The gain
in health to many of the children is remarkable.
No better idea of what is done be obtained
than from the following quotation from the report
of the manager of the Home:
The gain in weight in many cases was truly
wonderful The girls with st. Vitus's dance went
home without any signs of the disease, and the
The girl kept all the season could hardly be recog-
home plump as partridge She was out for four
weeks the season before and said that the follow
did not have to go to a hospital.
Children recovering from heart trouble hip dis
ease. St Vitus's dance, nervousness, rheumatism,
surgical operations, accidents. an@ma, tonsiltis.
scarlet fever, children's diseases typhoid fever,
weak lungs. headache, stomach trouble. pneumonia,
malaria, swollen glands. deafness. rupture. dia-
betes, tuberculosis of the spine, liver trouble and
idiocv. sent to Mechauicstovn last year and
came home stronger than when they went out. To
effect this change in the children pure air and
plenty of wholesome food all that neces-
sary. In case there need Of medical assistance
Dr. c. l. Redfeld. the physician In charge stood
ready TO give his services and medicine freely.
Abundant entertainment provided for the
children who fortunate TO be sent TO
Mechanicstown. brook near the house
unfailing of diversion to every visitor Many
were the dams and excavations that were planned
and executed in this stream. while just to wade
the cool water barefooted enough TO make
many children happy. Fishing parties the banks
were popular, but had doubtful success. When the
children tired of this they could so 10 shady play
ground. provided with swings and big tent. Gro
uuet was the most popular gam5 and the children
had opportunity TO play II much as they wished.
Last year each relay Of children had long troll
lev ride.
The people OF Middletown and Goshen are under
taking the same work this year The following
officers of the society that provides for the chill
dren have been elected President, A B. Hurtin.
Middletown; vice-pres.dent, A. G. Wheeler. Goshen;
secretary, W. w Clark. Mddletown: treasurer
Dr: +. g. Parker, Goshen; manager. II. w Tut
hill. Middletown. The people OF Middietown and
Goshen have been conducting this work for several
years.