New-York tribune., 1918-07-10
The Tribune Fresh Air Fund

Eleven o'clock to the dot. There's a
whistle Of air as the brakes are re-
leased. A shock runs through the
train. The wheels begin to turn and
Number Four" rolls slowly out of the
Erie terminal
What makes the wheels go round ?
DO, not some Of DR.. Garfield's coal
from the pockets that line one side of
the Erie yards. Fresh Air contributions
from the pockets of the Friends of
Children money that came clinking and
rustling into the cash drawer of the
Tribune Fresh Air Fund yesterday, day
before yesterday and the day before
that.
For at the tail-end of Number Four"
there rumbled special car with its
windows ahutter with waving hands
and sunshiny with smiling faces-the
hands and faces of Susie and Mary and
Ellen and the rest Of the Fresh Air
family. To be sure, there was coal in
the tender, there were passengers for
Chicago in the Pullmans and the day
coaches; but forget those prosaic facts
and focus your attention for moment
on the tail-end coach.
Eighty Girls Aboard
Inside it there were eighty girls
bound for that part of the fresh air
Home, vacation place for crippled
girls No matter how fast the wheels
Of "Number Four" might have revolved
yesterday for ordinary Chicago seek
ers under the impulse let loose from
the coal in the tender, they would have
stood stock still for Susie and Mary
and Ellen and their sisters if it had
not been for the silver fuel from the
pockets of the Friends of Children.
Two:fifteen sharp. Another whistle
Of air from releasing brakes The
same jarring Of coaches. The same
slow turning of mighty wheels and
New Haven "Number Fiftysix" rolls
majestically out of Grand Central
Terminal.
Again the special coach ahutter with
farewell waving hands and vocal with
shouts Of "Frcshl Airs" bound Tor
THE country.
Happy Boys and Girls
Another train driven by Fresh Air
contributions, train whose most I'M
portant freight was crowd of seventy
eight boys and girls who are to-day
the honored guests of hosts in beauti-
full Putnam, Conn, hosts who are max
ing their contributions to The Tribune
Fresh Air Fund in hospitality at the
destination Of the Fresh Air flier, in
stead of in the form Of fuel to drive
the wheels Of the hier.
Three forty the same afternoon. An
other silver driven train rolling out of
coach, another fifty children bound
smiling and happy for Happy Land,
the funds fresh air home at Tenaf1y,
n. J.
The schedules of all the railroads
leading out of New York will be full Of
these silver driven fresh air specials
for weeks to come. They will be roll
ing away from the city in all direc-
tions and at all hours-just as long as
ard rustling into the cash drawer OF
the Fresh Air Fund.
There are two sides to this connec-
tion between Fresh Air contributions
and moving trains. The first is the OBJ
vious one that the trains with their
loads Of children will not move from
the city to the country unless the
money fuel is provided.
The second is this: That not dol
lar Of Fresh Air Fund contribution
is ever spent until the wheels Of
train loaded wish children begin to re-
volve. No part Of Fresh Air con-
tribution is expended on the city side
OF railroad station to meet the ad-
ministrative expenses of the work in
the city. Every dollar contributed to
the Fund is expended to make the
wheels Of trains move toward the coun-
try or to pay the cost Of providing hos
pitality for the children in the country.
A dollar given to The Tribune Fresh
Air Fund is dollars worth Of vaca-
tion purchased for a poor boy or girl
who vitally needs that dollars worth
and several more besides.
Previously acknowledged. ........ .Sl0,es5.06
A grateful admirer of the "Ad-
Visor" ..... ................ 500
W n D. observation-disclosures. 500
a. u. Muzzys . . sssassssssssA o.VV