New-York tribune., 1906-11-13

given 70 the Fresh Air Fund by the Reed Aunnss
Association, which keeps the buildings in repair
and well equipped for fresh cir work
OTHER SUMMER HOMES.
Besides the homes operated directly by the Trio-
une Fresh Air Fund there have been several other
places that have kept their doors open nearly sll
summer. entertaining from twenty TO a hundred
children at time.
First OF these in point Of size is So. Helens
Home. at Interlaken. Mass. which. though man
aged directly by the Tribune Fresh Air Fund. IS
owned ana supported by John z. Parsons The
place remained open ten weeks last season. enter
tanning in that time five hundred children.
At Tenahy. n. J.. woman who does not wish
her name ale public supports Happy Land, where
fifty girls were entertained at time. Happy Land
opened its doors the middle of June and did not
close until the latter part Of September, taking al
together parties OF children. At Mechanics
town. y. Y. the people OF Middletown and Goshen
maintained g home for convalescent children. and
took six parties OF twenty each. The people Of
Fairfield Conn, headed by the Rev. DR.. F. S.
Child supported Elm Cottage, which took five
parties OF twenty each. The beginning OF the sea-
son at Fairfield marked by the removal OF the
work into q new house. that had been erected espe-
cially to meet the needs OF Fresh Air work. AT
Pittsheld Mass. the people support an organiza-
ton known as the Berkshire Fresh Air Fund
which pays the board OF children on several farms
IN the country. Last summer about four hundrec
children
ferent companies. At Claverack. N. Y, is the
Benawey Home, supported by the churches Of
Claverack and Hudson This home took four
parties Of twenty-four each. The Fresh Air Fund
Byo the New Windsor Fresh Air Society. which
maintains home at New windsor \ y: and one
Church to send FIVE parties OF twenty TO its home home
az @ = dnen gsn home FOR eight weeks
where sixty boys were entertained in four parties
Due credit must be given. however. to another
phase Of the work which in many respects is more
important than any other that is the entertain
1nent Of children in families. There were hundreds
from one 70 five guests, some Of them keeping the
children for almost the entire summer In some
scattered through seven states in one hundred and
ntnety-nine different towns. The list OF names OF
panying map VIII show how they are scattered
over the Eastern States.
WHERE CHILDREN COME FROM
Now that one sees where the children sent,
take a look At where they from. What are
their home conditions like? Is every child that is
sent away worthy Of charity?
The last OF these questions IS easily answered
Great IS taken TO that unworthy people
receive the benefits OF the Tribune Fresh Air
Fund. Every child that the fund sends to the
country IS known by OF the numerous mis-
sionaries representing Of the organizations
from which the children come, and this missionary
IS personally responsible for the worthiness the
case.
I To the question as to home conditions the reply
/ is simple. Roughly, however. the children
/ aided by the fund may be divided into two classes
/ the children Of the respectable poor and the
/ children poor because OF the almost criminal fol-
lies Of their parents The respectable poor struggle
valantly 10 lift themselves from their surround
ings, feed, clothe and educate their children and
make them happy, but conditions against them.
/ one Of the greatest questions that they have to
| face IS the rent problem. The problem of living
becomes serious when earning SO week
Erl~
amount has 70 pay q rent ranging from SO to SIS
before he or she can begin TO buy food cloth
| ing for a family OF five six children. And II
must be remembered that TO many Of the fathers
and mothers whose children the Fresh Air Fund
! helps s12 q week would be a veritable windfall
If the rent paid furnished a comfortable house
such may be obtained IN the country for ever
81 or s. a month. 1t would be so bad, but
this IS far from being tho case. The apartment
IN the city usually contains two three rooms a
the most. One room in front which often serve.
for kitchen sitting room, dining room parlor and
bedroom. when there IS company, is usually o
fairly good size and has two windows open
ing in the street. The condition Of the othe
rooms depends much the period when the tene
nent was constructed. one OF them may open OF
a dirty back yard; more often. however. air
shaft. sometimes small as 10 be hardly WORTHY
Of the name. furnishes al the light which the rea
1 get
/ In such places as these live families Of from
| six to seventeen or eighteen persons. IF tn
| father has plenty Of work they may be fairly com
Portable, but 81 he has not, starvation stares In
family in the face. The condition of the nous
and the moral tone OF the home, however, depen
entirely on the father and mother, and fortunat
IS the child whose parents are earnestly seeking
10 make the best Of their surroundings. Sometime
tioas are much worse than those described. som
found facing the problem or existence IN
single dark room IL a basement, damp and un
wholesome. One woman, whose children went L
the country last season. was driven, after her hus
band died through constantly decreasing seal
. Of rents 10 q cellar, where in q single room, sh
was trying TO support her children. Instances nav
come TO light where families were living even
; sub-cellars.
crowdiug. but for extraordinay oveFcrOwdin
in some parts of the city. The Fresh Air Fun
has sent children from places on the East Side
where renting an apartment or thIee, you
1 or iye rooms, ostensbly for himself and family
has filled il up with ten or a dozen boarders i
> addition Instances have been found where nor
than twenty persons were lflhB II one ApaI tInei
1 and that not a large ons-
5 CARE N MAKING READY.
Z Coming as they do from such unsavory surround
,ngs great care has 10 be taken that the childre
are thoroughly clean before they are sent away
This is an additional burden the shoulders @
the planagernent and Of the missionaries who sen
the children but satisfactorily was the work ac
: coronlished last year that there were few com
plants about dirty children. Each child With
twenty-four hours before leaving New York. is eH
aInined by a physician, who, before the child ca
go must make the following affidavit:
: ~ hereby certify as medical examiner OF III
d Tribune Fresh Air Fund that have carefully eI
j a1nined the above named children and find abou
them no evidence Of conta gious disease. vermn c
p other cause for denying them the benefits OF III
J. fund"
obi