New-York tribune., 1910-07-13
CHILDREN HAVE AUTO RIDE
Good Folk of MiddIetoWn Offer
Their Machines.
BINGHAMTON'S AID TO FUND
One Man Takes Time from Bust
ness to Find Vacation Homes
for 225 Youngsters.

ness TO F1nd vacdGlOH MONIES
for 225 Youngsters.
Dr. Devins manager of the Tribune
Fresh Air Fund. makes a point of visiting
each of the homes under his direction as
often as possible each summer. On Sat
Urciav he went to inspect the Convalescent
Home at Middletown. n. Y
As he turned in a the gate he missed
something. Not sound was TO be heard,
and when he came in sight of the house
not a child was to he seen. There should
have been forty-four of them caperins
over the lawns. lodging about the trees,
playing squat tag. cross tag and just plain
tag. but the grounds were as silent as the
oft mentioned tomb.
With all the faith in the world in the
attendants in charge of the home, DR..
Devins was worried. fastening to the
house. he cut i'm upon the matron's greet
ing with an inquiry as to the whereabouts
of the children. Then a broad smile over
spread his genial features The guests of
the home were out automobiling, If you
please,
The good people Of Middletown, Just as the
good people seem 10 do in every place to
which the Fresh Air children go, had
opened their hearts to them and planned a
treat for them. Several of the owners of
cars in the neighborhood had given up the
day 10 taking the little convalescents out
for ride I'D the hills and down the valleys
for many mile
Ice Cream Went with This Trip.
Nor was that all. as one would have
known by the way the automobilists were
still licking their lips when they got back.
a halt was made at the Fair Store. where.
70 quote the Middletown papers. the
youngsters were turned loose on the ice
cream counter which. if reports be true
wasn't a very good counter. for it didn't
keep track of the number of dishes each
consumed
Probably not one of the children had ever
ridden in such style before, and there was
no forced enthusiasm in the three cheers
they gave for the Showers as their hosts
drove away The people of Middletown
plan TO repeat the ride every two weeks,
so as to give each new party the same
sort OF good time.
on Sunday DR.. Devins visited the Paul
Devereaux Home, at Deposit, n. !. This
home is in charge of Miss Ethel NJ. Polk
and several assistants. who have Won the
confidence and esteem of the townspeople
Everything promises q successful season.
Yesterday three hundred and fifty chill
dren departed for hospitable homes scat
tered well over New York State. Two hun
dred and twenty-five Of them went up
through the beautiful Delaware Water Gap
10 BinghamtOn, n Y. A party of forty
went TO Savona. n Y. and d party of
fifty was put on the train for Utica. n. Y.
The rest were distributed in small numbers
among Middleburg. RushviIe Athens,
Naples and Portland, y. Y
When a party Of two hundred and TWEEN
ty-ive children is taken into the hearts
and homes of the people of a place il is
evident that some influence has been broad
in the land The inf1uence-one might al
most say good angeI-at work in Bingham
! ton is George J. Michelbach. a prominent
coal merchant of that city
Busy Mans Devotion to Fund.
Mr. MicheIbach is busy man. but he
gives q great deal Of time annually to the
Fresh Air work. He personally supervises
the getting of homes for the children and
raises money to pay the board Of those for
whom no invitations can be obtained This
done. when the party is ready to start he
and his wife come TO New York TO accom-
pa1y 1t TO its destination.
There he oversees the distribution of
the little folk. During the stay of the
party IN Binghamton he goes about visiting
/ its members and seeing that nothing is
! lacking for their perfect enjoyment At the
end Of the two weeks stay he personally
/ sees the party safely back in New York
/ In the years to come some of the young
/ sters for whom he has done so much will
/ rise UP and call him blessed.
a little incident that shows the sort Of
/ good the Fresh Air work is constantly do
/ ing is recalled by a fact concerning a party
that will go out in the near future. one
/ Of the girls who years ago Went TO a town
/ in the northern part of the state through
/ the efforts of The Tribune made a deep
! impression upon one of the young men of
! the place; in fact, the impression was re-
! ciprocaI. and the young people after some
years were married.
| They are now the proud parents of six
/ children. who never want for fresh air
IN their country home. The mother of this
girl will soon act as chaperon TO A party
Of youngsters who are going to visit this
same town In this way the mother gets
q chance 10 visit her daughter