New-York tribune., 1907-08-15
FRESH AIR BENEFITS.
Fund Work ReheUes OUercrorded
T'enements-Parties Sent Out.

a new reason for going TO the country was given
yesterday by little girl who had not had sham
poo for such long time that she could not be put
in the large party that went to Pittsheld- Just
after she had been turned down the brother of the
girl came up for examination The doctor passed
him. and his sister turned away with a sigh, and
said:
We'll. anyway I'm glad Willie can go. cause
there'll be room in the bed now
1t was learned upon inquiry that the girl formed
one OF party Of five children that sleep in one
bed The bed occupies nearly the entire floor space
of a rear bedroom, dark in the daytime and sitting
hot at night The fiat is half OF apartment. in
which seven people I've. The mother and father OF
the family live in another
From such overcrowded conditions these The
Tribune Fresh Air Fund is rescung children. Some
times the conditions found worse. many
three families OF from four 10 eight each. have been
found living in a five room apartment The fam
ilies eat at the table but different times.
there is room for three tables. and to eat alto
gether would be impossible
OF course the high rents the cause OF this
overcrowding In places II has lead 70 taking
in dodgers. As many as a dozen or eighteen men
will be boarded IN a small apartment with the fam
ny. Occasionally a boarding house system Is found.
such is common among the Italians Broome
street. There each provides his own food for the
landlady to cook. that when it comes near meal
time she viii have a dozen dishes. each containing
different mixture simmering the stove. Beds
being out Of the question. each boarder has mat
tress, that is rolled up in the daytime.
Bred under conditions such these IL is not sur
prising that some OF the children the fund sends
to the country frightened at the surroundings.
Only last week a report in of a little girl
who happy until It time TO go to bed
Then she began to cry:
"I'rn afraid" she walled. "I want my papa and
my uncIes so that nuthin' won't carry OF
The danger from this overcrowdIng 20 be
more one OF I'll health than immortality. pastor
who has worked for long time among the people
in the East Side said yesterday:
eft Is as a result of this overcrowding in the
tenements In the East Side that our tuberculosis
hospitals are being filed to overfowing With
over two thousand persons living In some single
blocks with persons packed into the houses so
that II they should into the street at the
same time 1t has been said that there would not
be room for them to stand there; with men and
women and children living so close together IN
dark I'll ventilated rooms. II is small wonder that
the disease spreads. and the wonder to me is that
any of the children succeed in living until they
are grown"
Another man from whose church over two hun
dred children go every year through the Tribune
Fresh Air Fund told what this sort of work is
doing for them He said:
II believe that the greatest scourge IN New York
CITY to-day Is tuberculosis 1t is constantly get
ting hold the children and the only way TO
fight IL is to remove the children from their I'M
wholesome surroundings. 1t is wonderful what
two weeks In the country will do. IL will take a
child weak and underfed. who is Just in condition
TO prove easy prey TO the disease. and put him
on his feet for another year. He will get enough
renewed vitality TO enable him 70 fight it of
am sure that IL not for the two weeks coun-
try outing which many poor children get many
more would fall victims to the contagion-''
The Tribune Fresh Air Fund enabled nearly one
hundred and fifty children 10 escape from just
such conditions have been described yesterday
There ia of them in the fourth of the large
parties that have gone 70 Pittsdeld the guests
of the Berkshire Fresh Air Fund; twenty-one went
10 Bainbridge. n. Y, where II. l. Beatty has
worked successfully as to be able TO take three
companies this year. Apulia. N Y received a
party of eight.