New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-08-06
RODE ON COLT
AND PITCHED HAY
Johnny Fresh Air Back,
Holding Tight to Bias
ket of Berries.
LOTS OF FUN
PICKING THEM
Little City Chaps Had Time
of Their Lives Playing in
Harvest Fields.

Who is it everybody turns to smile
at?
Who is it everybody stops to wave
his hand to?
Why, Johnny Fresh Air, when John
ny comes marching home.
He's such a iaunty little chap and
so full of smiles himself people smile
unconsciously when they see him.
And he's So ready with his greeting OF
Hello, boss!" as he joys along that
passersby return the salute before
they realize what they are doing.
Johnny came marching back to town
yesterday three hundred strong. He
didn't wear a uniform, but he car
ried something by way of insignia. Ii
looked like-it was, in fact an oyster
pail, one of those collapsible paste
board affairs; and he might have filed
it at the treasure bunkers Of the Kron-
prinzessin Cecilie, so carefully did he
guard it.
"What We got in the pail, Johnny"
shouted one of the watchers of the
Homecoming.
Gold" did he shout in reply? No;
that was the tone, but what he articu-
lated was:
Berries; picked 'em myself"
where did ye get emf" asked the
onlooker, who had fallen in alongside
of Johnny as he quickstepped up Bar
clay st.
"Bingingt'n. where I wuz for va
cation" responded the lad smiling
reminiscently. There's berries all
around in that country; all the kids
got lots of 'em. See their pals ?"
"What did you do on your vaca-
tion ?"
HELPED the farmer pitch hay. And,
oh. ridin' on tt Johnny didn't
think it worth while to elaborate the
exclamation, leaving it TO his interrog-
ator to fill out from the smile with
which his face lit up at the recollec-
ton.
1--WE MIXED cows and drank it." he
continued after a momentary pause.
"And we rode a colt, two little colts.
Only We couldn't stay on 'em long, they
wuz too lively"
That was about all Johnny had a
chance to say in the short march up
the street to the subway, for he had
to give a good deal of attention to
getting over crossings safely, and
there was. every here and there, ?
store window with attractions for his
wandering eye.
He might have Gained his fears
about crossing the streets, for every
where, when they saw him coming, the
traffic officers held up the traffic while
the gallant three hundred logged, tod
died and romped across. Even the food
ct West st. had TO stop stock still for
Johnny, and even the "cop" smiled
and saluted the returning host.
IL must have been their tanned
faces and plump cheeks, and their
bundles bursting with all sorts Of
spoils from the country that caused
them to attract so much attention;
Otherwise they were just boys and
girls of the New York streets.
They had been in the neighborhood
Of Binghamton, n. Y, during the last
fortnight. Needless to say, they didn't
march all the way home. Most OF the
way they few along aboard the Lacka-
wanna Railroads No. !, TO which four
extra coaches had been added to ac-
commodate them.
Just to keep things balanced up,
while these Johnnies were unloading
from the train in Hoboken, nearly
two hundred others were just board
ing the train at the New York Cen
trails Putnam Division station for the
trim to the Ashford Hill Home, where
they are to spend the next two weeks
as the guests of the Tribune Fresh Air
Fund. .o.,,,,,-.rs