New-York tribune., 1913-07-30
COUNTRY HOMES OPEN,
BUT CHILDREN CAN'T GO
MidseaSon Lack of Money Pre-
vents Tribune Fresh Air
Fund from Acting.
ONE INSTANCE OF THE NEED
Little Boy Asleep at Night on
Stairway of Brooklyn Bridge
Attracts Attention of Many
Possible Givers.


Possible Givers.
\ little boy about seven years old
asleep on a stairway Of the Brooklyn
Bridge attracted the attention Of hun
6reds Of persons between i and y o'clock
last night
He was forlorn little chap-probably
one who sold newspapers or gum earlier
In the evening and sat down to rest for
moment and went TO sleep.
At snv rate. there he lay wedged up
against the rail. his head pillowed on one
s,sn and the rest Of his body distributed
o,.er the two below. Persons who came
s,5denIv around the corner Of the
pulitzer building and started I'D the steps
nearly trampled the youngster under foo''
hut almost every one bestowed plying
Glance and a Poor little fellow! won
der who he is?" on him as ne hurried
along.
For the better part Of an hour the child
silent on. Then. either because the steel
tread of the step bec anne too hard for
inflow or because the gong of passing
streetcar changed louder than usual ne
aroused himself. looked blankly around
for moment, stumbled to his feet and
wandered off up Park Row rubbing his
eyes.
There is hardly a person in New 1orH
or elsewhere with more money IN ms
pocket than is needed for actual running
expenses who would not give enough OF
II 10 send this child TO the country for
fortnight. away from his pitiful surround
ings # the child were set before MIN anu
the matter put TO him personally: Ihls
child will be given country fortnight
with plenty of food. clean surroundings
and unbounded opportunities for play II
YOU will give s. TO meet the expenses OF
the outing Otherwise he must stay Where
he is. amid his sordd surroundings
throughout the summer"
Yet this is the simple fact For almost
every person with s., $40 or 500 that he
could give for Fresh Air work there IS
little chld-hungry and in rags. probably;
a dweuer in an impossible tenement
doubtess-who is longing and pleading
for a glimpse and breath of the country
Some Of these little ones are sick, some
just discharged from hospitals; others are
living on starvation rations; still others
are tired with work at tasks beyond their
years and strength, and all are children
who know little Of the real pleasures Of
life.
How many Of these boys and girls the
Tribune Fresh Air Fund will provide
vacations the men and women who can
give s.. SO or 500 must say. The situa-
ton is at a crisis. Fresh Air work all
over the city is crippled for lack Of funds
this year. as it has not been for years
in the past The only reason most be
that the public is not alive to the needs
Of the season.
The manager Of the Tribune Fund
knows where an almost unlimited number
Of country hosts stand ready 10 take the
little ones OF the New York streets into
their homes as guests at the mere request
II the Tribune Fund will send the chill
dren 10 them.
But the manager fears to make the re-
quest because funds are not available 10
meet railroad expenses. There has been
received S2O6o3 II toward the expenses OF
the seasons work TO date. This will not,
however, meet the bills already due. The
expenses Of last seasons work were over
$i6 900; they cannot be less this year un-
less the work is curtailed.
The Fresh Air season is half over.
What is done. therefore. must be done
quickly, for soon 1t will be too late to
ask friends in the country 10 take the
children in. Shall the canvass for invita-
tions be halted and the children left to
suffer alone? This question is for those
who can help with funGs to answer