New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-08-09
A CHILDREN'S PARADISE
In Rain or Shine Shepherd Knapp
Home Shields Happy Cre1c.

first thought 10 present great obstacle in the way
Of making the children happy and oontented With
! two hundred children 10 keep indoors where II is
warm and dry, the problem would be difficult 20
solve under ordinary circumstances. The weather
st the homes has been pleasant so far this season.
and, with the exception of shower now and then
which drove the children inside they have been able
10 play outdoors the entire time. Last week, how
ever. the attendants at the Shepherd Knapp Home
at Litchheld Conn. faced the situation OF enter
tanning hundred children indoors for nearly two
whole days
Fortunately the Home IS provided with facilities
20 for the children in bad weather. rainy
day house has been built. with playroom for
the girls and another for the boys. The girls are
entertained on the top floor. Around the walls or
the room and in all the corners are doll houses
fitted Up with every convenience for n doll family
and these alone sufficient to entertain many Of
the girls for hours time. To some OF them a
real doll house is of the most wonderful things
they have ever seen Real doll beds chairs, tables
and dishes where mother dolls and baby dolls live.
things hitherto beyond the ken OF their childish
lima gnations. The little ;irls quickly at home
IN this field OF entertainment There are many
tragedies enacted. too in these doll families. An
infant doll proving at all disohcdient. has been
known be sumnarily beheaded. while II Is not
rare for one TO lose leg after severe punishment
has been inflicted
For those girls who are unsuccessful IN the rush
70 gain possession doll house. there are books
TO read and balls to play with The attendants lead
room closely resembles kindergarten. Going 70
Jerusalem is the favorite game with all the girls.
- Downstairs the boys hold forth IN room lifted
Up as a gymnasium There Is a basketball court
with gallery for spectators Baseballs. bean bags
and Quoits provided All forms of indoor games
are played such as leap frog. jumping and relay
| racing With an equipment like this the rainiest
days pass as quickly as tho sunniest
But Il is the outdoor life that the children are
| sent away To enjoy and fortunately. the rainy
1 nna nrfN
Knapp Home Is admirably suited 20 give the visit
| ors every advantage Of outdoor rfe II was orig
| nally old New England farm. In the heart OF
| Western Connecticut. at Litchheld The farm COW
cred thirty ground part OF IL under culti-
| walton. part pasture lands and orchards In 1905
the farm was bought by Mrs. Shepherd Knapp ana
| given 20 the Tribune Fresh Air Fund in memory
| OF her husband. The interior OF the farmhouse
was remodelled and equipped 20 provide entertain
rnont for one hundped children The stable was Ut
ted up for the rainy day piayToom Since that time
| the equipment OF the home has been gradually ex-
: tended by the children Of tho Knapp family
The latest acquisition made this year; a
new dormitory was built expressly for the boys.
ana with this addtien the capacity OF the Home for
entertaining children has Lcen increased 10 accom-
| n1odate two hundred. The new dornitory provides
/ for a hundred boys. About twenty-five new swings
| wore nut up this year The superintendent is now
| engaged IN raising money for horse and stable.
Tba children are doing their share OF the work tow
ard this end by giving entertainments In the little
| village OF Milton. near by. Last week check Tor
800 was received by the manager Of the fund from
! residents IN Litchied who interested IN the
work ~ the fund and a second check for a similar
| amount has been promised before the end of the
season.
| The Shepherd Knapp Home Is in charge OF Nor
. timer Shuford the superintendent. Mr.. Shuford Is
| a graduate of Franklin and Marshall College. and
| has been connected with the homo for nve years
| Miss Camille shuford. Of the Woman's College.
Maryland. is the matron. There are eight attend
ants-Mlss Mary X. clifford. Of Wellesley College;
Miss Lillian Kuhnert. Of the Normal College. New
York: Miss Elizabeth Nye OF Smith College: Miss
/ Bessie Stangant. OF Mount Holyoke; Howard I.
! Cole. Of Columbia University Frank NJ. Houck.
| OF Dickinson College: r. T. Oberg Of Clark Uni
/ versity Worcester Mass and Horace II. Under
wood of New York University. Each attendant
| has charge Of twenty-five children. The visitors
are divieed into two companies. OF four divisions
each. an attendant taking one division
( The entertainment provided for the children Is
| wide and varied. Perhaps the feature which ap-
peals most the boys here. as at all the other
| homes, Is the swimming. The Home Is not far
! from Bantam Lake. and here the children are
taken every other day for n swim. picnic Is held
for each party the shores Of the lake. The chill
| dren spend the whole day there. A lawn fete Is
/ also given. and the grounds are decorated with
Japanese lanterns and flowers. There are field days
| as we'll with watermelons for prizes. ice cream
| treats baseball games and all forms OF outdoor
4 athletics
The evenings are spent in Augusta Hail. the rainy
| day building In the gymnasium which the boys
| use there is stage and piano. and II nothing
| particular is planned the children sing songs. the
boys occupying the gallery and the girls the main
/ floor But there is generally a regular entertain
ment The attendants give entertainment one
| evening. and the children recprocate another even
| ing The Home IS also provided with an English
| Punch and Judy show. This is a source OF
| great amusement. Every fortnight the children
| give an entertainment in the village OF Milton.
| These are among the events Of the summer in the
| town and they looked forward 10 with pleasure
| every season. The Home hardly has been opened
| before inquiries from the residents 10 the
| superintendent about the entertainments.
| On one evening a grand ball is given In the
| amusement hall. The floor is waxed and the hall
| decorated with leaves and coored paper. The chill
dren work industriously to trim the ballroom. and
some very pretty effects are obtained. especially
when there happen 10 be some Italians in the party
After the dancing refreshments, consisting of lem
onade and cake given the visitors.
o,rcus was the latest invention OF the imagi-
,,atixe minds Of the children at Litchied. With
the assistance Of the attendants they had every
tbinc there from trained animals 20 a peanut stand
There was to be a trained pig: I'm fact. OF the
attaDdaDts rose sunrise to cage the animal. but
the mig was unwilling. Otherwise the circus
| rest success There were fortune tellers and
indian souaws, clowns lemonade "hit-the-eoons.'
| nickaninnies and side show where some OF the
| children danced and recited
1 Arrangements have been made already 10 send
away $50 children this week. and 1t is expected that
| ,uIlv n thousand will go when all the arrangements
! orc completed To-day three small parties will &c
| auav 4ls 20 Oiean N Y. and other stations along
| the Erie Railroad and thirteen TO Franklin, n. y
six win go 10 Stamford. Conn one hundred and
seventy-slx will go into the country tomorrow
| nfty-two Ticonderoga, sixty-four-to utica TWEEN
! 10 20 Chapel Hill and forty 10 Delhi, N " or
Ava will 90 N.