New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-06-15
FIFTY In "HAPPYLAND.'
Tribune Fresh dir Fund Sends First
PARTY of Children to Country.

Although the clouds were low over the city and
at times the rain was pouring down. IL did not
prevent The Tribune Fresh Air Fund from opening
its season promptly according TO schedule yester-
day and sending the country nearly fifty chill
dren. They left Jersey City yesterday afternoon.
bound fer "Happyland'' the beautiful home at
Tenahy. n. j.. built by Mrs John s. Lyle several
years ago. and devoted TO the work of the Fresh
Air Fund ever since. The children for the
most part little girls. many of them with pale and
drawn faces. and 1t evident that there was
one of them who not in need of just such
benefits the fund is able to offer
One OF the workers who had taken part in
getting the children ready said OF them:
Almost all of these children have been Ill., and
for their recovery just such a tonins up as they
get in the country is necessary. In nearly
every case the sickness has been due to other
reason than the poverty of the parents, which has
made it impossible for the children TO have the
nOurishing food necessary for the development
of a growing girl or boy. Get them out where
they have plenty of good food and decent sur
roundings. and they will be all right again in short
time. Judging from some experiences that 1 had
last year. I know you will be scarcely able to
recognize some of them when they come back from
Happyland
No less than four of the girls in the party had
visited "Happyland'' last year and were full of
tales Of picking strawberries. daisies and butter
cups. OF their drives which they had in the big
coach that is provided for them at "Happyland''
and of the games that they played in the yard that
surrounds the house.
The kind of persons that the Fresh Air Fund is
constantly helping Is illustrated by the case of two
little girls. both underfed and both Of whom have
been I'll the past winter They from family
of seven. The mother was afflicted with tuber-
cuosis and died not long ago. Since then the sole
support OF the family has been a girl of seventeen.
who has worked night and day TO keep her charges
in food. She Is to have little rest while
these children are away.
Now that this party has been sent away the work
of the fund for this summer may be considered
fairly launched More parties Will follow quickly
upon this. that by the end the month every
Of the Fresh Air Fund homes will be filed to the
limit of its capacity Even these will not meet the
demand. however and if the fund Is begin to do
what Its manager desires and what in justice to
the children of New York IL ought do. many
people In the country must forward with the
offer OF homes where children may be entertained.
Besides this there must be sufficient funds pro-
vided to pay the car fare and expenses of those
Persons often think that long the weather
- c S enough so that the Door are not driven to
need OF trip 70 the country. This is not the
Ministers who have had the work of the fund under
observation for some time say that one OF the
principal benefits IS the renewed moral tone that
former manager of the fund. once wrote of it:
u contend that a great gain has been made If
child thoroughly discontented with his lot There
a higher plane. The new life he sees in the coun-
try has resulted in the complete transformation Of
And then IL must be remembered that cool air in
crowded tenement house does not mean pure air.
When a child Is sleeping in dark room.
where the air has been Initiated by three four
other persons, he needs escape, and such escape
as the Tribune Fresh Air Fund gives him, whether
that air be warm cold. A of the Presby-
terrain Hospital said long ago that she knew OF
several cases where the lives of children living
under such conditions these had undoubtedly
been saved by just two weeks in the country.
There any number of just such children who
are anxious 20 If the needs of all OF them
are TO be met the work must begin early and last
through the entire season without any let up. As
dependent
t!rely upon the subscriptions of its friends and
the friends of children for its work. this be
done only If there is generous response TO the
quests for money. Money is needed 10 start
the work. and continuous stream of contribu-
lions Will make possible its continuance.