New-York tribune., 1918-07-17
1t takes a lot of money.
1t uses up a lot of energy.


Said woman the other day: "Do
you think it's worth while? Don't you
think it would be just as we'll to leave
those little ragamuffns you send to
the country in the places they come
from? What do they ever amount to,
anyway"
We echo the question: "What do the
Fresh Air Funds little friends ever
amount to-" Not that we have any in
tention Of discussing the matter ex-
haustively, but because one con-
crete example of what they amount
to has just come to hand. 1t was in
cl~ded in the report of one of The
Tribune Funds field agents few days
ago. She wrote:
"They tell me in Boonville, N. Y, of
a young chap, Willie -, who had
been Fresh Air boy there for several
seasons ten or twelve years before.
The boy must have had excellent stuff
in him, for he rose to be the assistant
head of a big insurance corporation in
of his own and thirty or forty clerks
working under him. He has given it
all up, however, to join the army and
fight for America. | saw a fine letter
written by him to his dear little (Fresh
Air) Mother Birdsey from Plattsburg,
where he was in the Officers Training
Camp. looking forward to fighting in
France"
Ten or twelve years ago the lad went
to Boonville with other boys and girls
for a Fresh Air vacation. The people
of Boonville watched the children as
they lived in Boonville homes as guests
for two weeks. They had a chance
q wonderfully good chance--to esti-
mate whether or not Willie and his
fellows were worth the money and the
energy expended upon them.
And what was their conclusion? :?
Read it in the fact that through all
the dozen or so years that have elapsed
into their homes for vacations parties
of the lads and lassies sent out by
the Tribune Fund. They are busy as
this is written arranging for a vaca-
tion party to be sent them soon.
Nor are they alone in this sort of
approval of the Fresh Air children.
For twenty years or more Bingham
ton, N. Y, has regularly entertained
very large groups of children, usually
about 800 each year. Word came from
Binghamton yesterday that this years
invitations were being collected and
would be sent in before long.
Beaver Falls, N. Y, near neighbor
of Boonville put the same stamp of
approval upon the children yesterday
by forwarding to the fund invitations
for fifty-nine boys and girls to be en-
tertained in the homes of the people of
the place; and-note this-most of the
prospective hosts asked to have sent
to them again this year the same chill
dren they entertained last year.
Bristol, Conn, is new Fresh AR
entertainer this year. Monday the
fund sent there q crowd of seventy
four children in response to invita-
tons. When the people had had an op
portunitv to look their guests over
they said to the chairman of the en-
tertainment committee, "Telegraph for
eleven more of the same kind" Yes
terday morning the eleven went, were
seen and conquered; and yesterday
afternoon came another telegram. say
ing, "Send us twelve more" The
twelve go forth o-morrow-guaran
teed to be worth while by two sets of
predecessors.
Worth while! Worth while! Who
knows what lies in the children who
live in the tenements to-day? Who
can say to what extent that which
lies hidden in them may be refined and
set on fire by a glimpse of a new world,
a taste of the pleasure that dwells be-
yond the confines of their tenement
streets and homes?
Surely not many people doubt the
worth of these little voterstobe.
Surely not many question the wisdom
of giving them a chance to grow we'll
and strong, to have their eyes opened
by trip to the land of birds and flow
ers, of hills and valleys, of blue skies
and golden sunshine.
Rad uhaf a soldiar how saus and