The New York herald., 1921-05-02
VILLAGERS CL0THE
AND SCRUB FAMILY
Rockland County Folk Aid
Seven Found Living in
Primitive State.
ONE SENT TO SCHOOL
Girl Finds Path Home Af-
ter Truant Officer Loses
His Way.
FATHER WORKS OUT FINE
Asserts That He Will Try to
Fix Up Their Abode and
Avoid More Trouble.
FATHER WORKS OUT FINE

The tranquil little village of Pearl
River, in the hills of Rockland county,
less than thirty miles from the heart
charitable interest in the fate of
family Of seven which recently moved
into their midst and revealed the most
primitive mode of living which has
been known In that section for many
years. Certain features of the case
impress a visitor with what is known
Of inhabitants Of the Kentucky noun
tains, or what is read in a book of
fiction whose scene is far from the
biggest. busiest, wealthiest city in the
world.
The particular cross-section of home
life which once must have been veritable
squalor, centres dramatically about a
slender. blue eyed girl of 10, Ella Thomp-
son. and her father Irving Thompson,
landscape gardener The father Is work
ing now to pay fine of s5 which was
his sentence when arraigned ten days
ago before Charles M. Haughey. Justicn
Of the Peace. charged with failure to
provide for the education of his daugh-
ter. The girl has just completed her
first week in school, an ambitious, in
teresting pupil iii the second grade. eager
to master the names and meaning of
figures and pictures in her school books.
Her intimate knowledge of wild life,
cleaned from the few years of her
simple existence miles from school
house is said to be remarkable.
Returning with the village truant Of
flcer from her first day at school, both
were nearly lost until the girl identified
the path by some mullen leaves which
she had seen earlier in the day..
"See! she exclaimed to her guide
Mullen leaves All right now!'
Discovered by Woman.
But this was several days after the
accidental discovery of the family by
the wife of William A. Serven, former
Assemblyman, and her daughter-in-law,
who were walking on the hill adjoining
their village home. Mrs. Serven caught
sight of ragged children playing in an
orchard, which crowns the top Of this
hill less than a half mile from her own
home. The tattered condition of the
childrens clothing attracted Mrs. Ser
ven's attention. and she investigated.
The children, shrinking In fear at the
approach of the two strange women,
ran toward shed in one corner of the
orchard. the corner nearest the Serven
home. The women followed, and what
they discovered when the door of that
shed was opened by n haggard. poorly
dressed mother of five scanuly clad
children was enough to touch responsive
chords in any mothers heart.
From the puzzled woman in the shed
it was learned that the Oldest child.
Ella. was of school age, but had never
attended school. A glimpse of the ply
scal condition of the mother and her
children showed immediate need Of
clothing. soap and water The nearest
source of water, 1t was found. was a
spring a quarter of a mile toward the
woods. Somehow there were evidences
that IL had not been used as 1t should
in that little shed. Sewage was and
still Is problematical.
Elias absence from the village school
brought action from the truant officer
and Thompson was hailed before the
Justice of the Peace Then there was
some vigorous scrubbing and cleansing
of the young Thompsons before the
villagers would give them a clean bill
of health. Red Cross memories were
still vivid In the village. and n group OF
interested mothers shortly produced
suitable clothing for all five children
and the mother. More Is on the way,
and substantial set Of cooking uten-
sfls and dishes is going to supplant the
crude equipment of the family.
Knows About Outdoor Life.
First reports of the family connected
them with the so-called Jackson
whites" of the Ramapo HILL ecction
Investigation yesterday proved that this
was erroneous Thompson appears to
be about forty-five years old He has
attended school and shows ready
knowledge of outdoor life and the care
of trees. shrubs and flowers
When seen yesterday afternoon. he
wore an old siouch hat. a gray sweater
with sleeves Inended in ample stitches
after the fashion of a self-relant bache-
lor. His trousers were of khaki and
seemed to be fairly new. The impress
sive thing about his appearance is the
unnaturally heavy lid of his right eve
and scar on his cheek, the result. he
says. OF an accident in his early life
Born In Haverstraw. he tells Of hav-
ing lived and worked In Spring Valley.
Rockand Lake. Westwood, where he
married. and more recently ION Sun
tax's place." whence he came to Pearl
River. AT one time he worked In In
terstate Palisades Park, where he set
out hedges without n line" and is
proud of his accomplishment
In talking with Thompson. one feels
that education isn't everything, partic-
ularly about the care of trees.
"I had nine big pups up here once"
he related OF some nursery school men.
"and not one Of them could tell me
what was the matter with some trees
j showed them. The trouble with the
trees) was they had knops-a good
Websterian word-on the roots. Cut
those off and they grow fine as ever
But they didn't know It,"
Thompson speaks Of the part which
the village folk have taken in getting
Ella to school. but says that he intends
tc avoid further unpcasantneee and
work steadily so he can "nx up his
present home. One OF his children Ida,
years old. is dumb. and he plans to
send her to an institution in New York
city II he can secure the necessary funds
The others, still showing signs or their
impoverished life, are Ethel. years
rfd Gene, B. and Violet, three months,
babe In arms.
From the slight inspection of tho shed
which was possible yesterday. their
orchard home Is not amply furnished
Near the door was q small wash stand.
In ono corner a stove, opposite the stove