New-York tribune., 1908-08-22
CHERRY hLLEY DRE4RY
Farmers Sad Because Laughter of
West Side Children Is Conc.

Nearly ell the inhabitants OF Cherry Valley were
st the railroad station yesterday to bid farewell TO
twenty-three visitors. Men, women and children
oVefnowed on TO the tracks in their eagerness
get near to the departing guests and there wers
tears among the guests and tears among the leave
takers. Thus 1t clear that the villagers were
not glad to be at the station any more than were
those who had spent two weeks in the historic
place
at is painful to let them CO." said q woman who
had entertained of the twenty-three. 1--WE
would like to keep this boy for the remainder of
the season There there, don't cry. You will come
back next year. and then maybe you will be able
to stay longer"
L don't want to co. walled the boy.-and then
came walls from little girl who stood guard over
a large bundle of clothing and other good things,
and peck of apples She could not carry either
bundle, but determined that they should go
where she did, and they did
When the train for CobIeskilI the first place
where cars had to be changed. there were twenty
three disconsolate girls and boys among the pas
sengers, and about half ton of baggage more than
had been brought into Cherry Valley. The party
fairly buzzed experiences exchanged They
told one another Of hay rides, of haying, berry
picking chicken feeding and also of eating. That
seemed to be the subject nearest their hearts. Ap
pies and berries, and milk and puddings and pies.
and beef. real beef and also real chicken. A
roster, healthier lot youngsters could be
found. and when they left, only two weeks ago, for
the Otsego country they would not have been
picked out at all robust They had gone from
the tenement houses of the West Side and had
been thinned by the heat. They moved nstlessly
to the train, under the of Tribune Fresh
Air Fund attendant But there was no Iistlessness
coming back.
At CobIeski11 there long wait for the AL
hany train. They got milk for addition to the
big luncheons prepared for them by the Cherry
Valley hosts, and from one end of the line TO the
other the whisper, "It amt like the milk
had the farm From Cobleskill TO Albany the
train had to make up about half an hour, and 1t
came near doing it. The roadbed doesn't amount
to much, and It tortuous journey, with car
sickness thrown In new experience for the
youngsters And they sck-that is, some of
them AT Albany there hurried change, with
the piles of farm produce hindrance But 1t
made without the loss of child At Cobles-
kill. just before leaving, of the children. the
smallest of the party, pulled the ice water tank
down his head, the attendant feared some
thing might happen later on, but they got
on the train at Albany with rush and enough
chatter and noise to wake that place UP a little
seyyhen will we be home? oh, when will be
homer incessant on the long journey
down. The children were very tired, but main
tanned cheerfulness, despite the little impauenca
that would creep in. And they were all downright
glad when the train, after many delays from High
bridge down, into the Forty-second street
station There the caravan was taken over by mis-
sion workers and the last stage or homegoing be-
Next year the dveIIers among the big hills want
the children again. They expressed wish to have
them for a longer time The name of each little
one is cherished there, and when all the crops are
ripe there will be express bundles coming down to
families who will bless the senders- The Fresh
Air Fund will have formed lasting link between
the two peoples that nothing can break. Two chill
dren could go with the party because of Illness
and the fund worker carried large box down with
him for them. And each child that did go had more
clothing when the train left in this city than
when the journey to the hill country begun.
Yes the fund work does things in many ways that
are lasting.