New-York tribune., 1907-08-05
NIGHT ON Il TRAIN.
H0zc One Hundred Children Sleep
IN Day Coaches.

An all night trip on train in the company OF III
Tribune Fresh Air children was the experience OF
Tribune reporter On Thursday. The party left the
Grand Central Station at $50 n bound sor the
northwestern part Of the state. Some went TO Mex
ico some TO Gouvcrneur. while the rest were scat
tered different points on the Rome, WatertoWn
& OgdensbuTg Railroad
There much speculation as the party passed
through the gate : the length of the journey.
One little girl wanted know If she would be there
by 10 O'Clock. Another thought that the gateway
led to a boat and not train, and asked II theF
would get out Of sight Of the land.
Once inside. the of excitement 1or
a few minutes Boxes and bags had to be disposed
of; farewells had to be waved to parents waiting
outside Some of the little girls knew what was
coming, and had hardly got inside BEFORE they
popped off their dresses and prepared 10 make
themselves comfortable for the night The tram
pulled amid much shouting and waving OF
handkerchiefs. 1t had hardly reached the END OF
the tunnel before some one started TO sing. Others
iCined. and the whole car was Tlneliis wiz,
'Tammany" The Good Old Summer Time and
other popular airs. -
The settling down process was slow. At Yonkers
some of the more quiet had cudded Il Their seats
and were asleep. The older girls made their
younger sisters as comfortable as they could. one
girl of ten had charge Of her hve-year-oid ssotI
Hardly had the train started when the oioer sIII
made the little one pillow and stretched heF ouI
comfortably in the only available double seat
placed {. paper hcr face to keep the light out
Of hc~ eyes. and then Jat down near her.
Yonkers vas not far behind when those who had
not fallen sleep began to opHn their Iunch
boxes. Bananas. crackers. cold tea and bread be-
gan to disappear. one boy began eat at Tonkers
and kept II up for nearly the entire journey The
others dubbed him Empty EaucL'
The younsster opened a bag al Nonkers anu
started banana. At Tarrytown q sandwich
Ossining. He went sleep soon after this, out
began 10 again at Albany, where the childr n
were aroused IN the process OF changing engines.
Sleep claimed him again after this, but when dawn
made its appearance. at Little Falls, his nag
was asain open and he was at work on sand nd
wich. At Utica he threw away an empty odS-the
kind that the grocers say viii hold seven Pouhos
of sugar.
Rv the time Ioughkeepsie was reached every
child in both IF the two cars was dreaming OF the
country, with the exception Of two restless
spirits A trip through the cars then showed what
could be accomplished in the way Of sleep under
difficulties. y single seat a. the end of one
Of the cars served for bed for two small girls.
who lay packed together like sardines In many
other seats two able to lie down by stretching
eyosswise and using each Other for pillows
At Albany one Nttle girl came to the caretaker
with this complaint. 4 let pussie sleep and now
she won't let sleep
One eir Of nine kept awake au the way 10
Poughkeepse, sitting straight in her seat and
never closing her eyes. At this point she came 10
the reporter with this request:
Mister will YOU please mind my twenty-five
cents
Her money disposed Of, she was soon in dream
land with the others.
before Albanv was reached the train came 20 a
sudden stop one SjrI opened ler eyes and sat up
saying to the caretaker:
Huh vhat'd YOU wake up for? thought
In big field picking daisies and had my
arms full"
With the first breaking % day the children began
TO arouse themselves and were wide awake h> the
time il vas really hcut. Then requests began 10
come 20 the reporter
Mister I can't get my shoe on.
Mister. Will yol. please button this ror meT
Mister. hat time iS it.?
-WIil be Mere
Mister. how more stations
Mister. please open This box
on mist -r, I've spilled AL my things please ue
them up for me
Mister. I've tore my dress -
..lIete~ viii the lady meet us with a carriage"
Mister. do change Cars2'
And so on an endless string Of questions ana re-
quests that would have kept half dozen persons
busy. ,
Tho weeks activities came to close SATURDAY
when twenty-five girls we're sent TO Bena~ay
Home. a. ClaveraCk, y. Y.