New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-09
FRESH A|RSI
Youngsters Get First-Hcnd
knowledge of Geography.
MANY CLIMB MOUNTAINS
One Lad Couldn't Conceive of a
River That Had No
Ships on 1t.

The boys and girls who have enjoyed
country vacations through the help IL the
Tribune Fresh Air Fund during the pres
ent summer have I'm most cases added
| pounds of flesh and blood to their puny
bodies They have also added stores Of
information to their stock I'm trade
Their gleanlngs in the line OF physical
and political geography alone were Of no
small importance. There was a small boy.
| Tor instance, who paid visit to small
| town in Northern Connecticut. When he
reached home his most glowing stories all
centred about the river" But on the
day after his arrival, when he saw the
stream-the Standardization was later
10 supply him with so much narrative ma
! terial, he refused to credit at all the
| statement that IT was a river. Don't we
| live on Tent street, right by the river
he asked. Indignantly. Then nc contin-
ued: It's got ships n scows N tugs on
IT, n docks. No ships could sail here"
Other Typographical features were in
general accepted without dispute. for. I'm
1
! of comparison. No one ever questioned
the authenticity OF a mountain when one
was pointed out, there being none in the
city. The one question always inspired by
mountains was: "Cn we go up it?"
Incidentally, Tribune Fresh Airs had
abundant opportunity to make the ac-
| quaintance Of the various mountain re-
i gioDs OF the East this summer. There
we're numerous parties OF youngsters sent
into the Catskills. the Adlrondacks. the
Green Mountains and the Alleghenies;
while at least two parties spent bliss
ful fortnight among the White Noun
tains
The tovs OF the parties. who were tho
most ardent mountain climbers, seemed
unable To grasp the fact that roads
might legtimately exist on mountain
sides. One day crowd had set out 10
! scale a ncighboring height For a while
they toiled up a road that wound its
way up through the woodland that clothed
the sides Of the mountains. After pos
sibly an hour OF fairly steep ascent. one
lad. who was logging the heels OF the
guide pretty closely. queried, When are
We ROln W Slhll w go ui ~ @N'h '''''
after when the guide left the beaten
track TO lead his followers upward
through the underbrush, the same LAD
| said to a comrade In tone OF salts
| faction. Now we're on it,
States. as such. usually are counted as
OF minor importance by Fresh Airs Go
through any party about Co start on Its
vacation trip and ask the individual MEM
bers whcr. they are going. Scarcely one
I'm a hundred Will fail to answ 81 promptly
with the namo of the town or village for
which he is bound Ask further. Where
If that and the question IL embarrass-
iug There was an exception 90 this rule
lately. however. \ lad had been enter
tanned In Northneld. Mass. and came
back with the proud boast that he had
sat In three statcs NJ IN" same time
| Vermont, Massachusetts and New Ham 70
shire"
Along with their geography the children
pick UP good deal of Information con-
corning the products and Industries OF the
regions they visit \ girl came home
from the nelghborhood of Wilkes Barre
Few days ago carrying piece OF coal
which. AZ she said. Il got in a mine me
self" Not long since, on train which
brought Tribune party home from
Northern New York. one boy was over
heard describing TO an Interested group
how he Seen pink tissue paper made
outer wood 20