The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1921-02-04
French Orphans
Proud of "PittS-
burgh School,

burSh, but our SCHOOL OF PeetS-
burgh" is what the pupils fondly call
1.-THE Junior Red Cross Farm School
for Boys at Fontaineroux, near Fon-
tainbleau, France. 1t represents the
gift of the school children of Pitts
burgh to war orphans of France, a
gift of $4,000, sacrifice money raised
by the children during the summer of
1918, and memorable ''tag-day" COL
collection in September of the same
year.
1t is difficult to convey the idea of
the feeling expressed by the farm
school pupils in their pronunciation OF
"Peetsburgh." 1t reminds me of two
Italian miners l overheard many years
ago in Philadelphia. They were stand
ing at the corner of Broad and Chest
nut streets. "My town of Peetsburgh"
one of them called it, and he was 60
ing back that night, voluntarily, en-
Enthusiastically.
l am from Pittsburgh, but it was
plain to me that "Peetsburgh" did not
mean to me what it did to that swar-
thy Italian-American miner. There
was in his tones a pride, a tender
ness, that has remained in my mem
DRY.
Proud of Their School
Here in France, two hours from
Paris, near Fontainbleauu, is the Fon-
taineroux farm and "our school of
Peetsburgh," .mispronounced with the
same proud and affectionate posses.
sion
To link Pittsburgh even closer in
it's relation to the Junior Red Cross,
the principal of Schenley High School
in Pittsburghs East End, James N.
Rule, became the head of the society,
and for six months last winter, DR.. C.
H. Garwood, assistant superintendent
of Pittsburgh schools: was in Paris as
director of the work in Europe.
In cooperation with the American
ambassador and the French minister
of education the site was selected and
the farm school formally instituted.
Two hundred acres of arabic land,
comprising a fertile tract of wide
wheat fields, vegetable gardens and
no ctY,rooo hooutif,,l obotoou onoo
possession of Francis /, with grape
arbors and orchards and mushroom
beds, adjoining the property has been
loaned to the school for an indefinite
period.
The school is divided into the "big"
farm and the small" farm. At the
latter the first-year pupils are housed
and taught. Their dormitory is the
chateau, which during the war was
a military hospital.
The big" farm in the tract of 200
acres with its pasturage for the
schools thirty COWS, and it's vegetable
gardens. The second and third years
of the three-year course are passed
here, where the boys. put their learn
ing into a practical test. Comfort
able old farm buildings have been
made into dormitories, presided over
by the mother" war widow, who
is devoted to her task.
Select From 500 Orphans
There are 500 war orphans in this
Department of the Seine. In fact, a
large percentage of Frances fighting
men were drawn from the district.
From these orphans it is the aim of
the school to select the sons of farm
ers who gave their lives for France.
They are chosen between the ages of
twelve and sixteen. Those showing
special aptitude are given special
training.
At the small" farm, Or the chateau,
where there are nearly sixty boys, are
the grape arbors and fruit orchards
Before the war the fruit from this es-
science of fruit raising came from all
parts of the world to inspect the
trees and view the results obtained.
During the war the gardeners put
down their tools to march away and
the onec-famous orchards and vines
fell into decay. 1t is now the aim
of the school to bring a return of the
oldtime glory.
Expert Gardener as Instructor
The head gardener was recommend
ed for the position by the head gar
dener from the Luxembourg Gardens
of Paris. That is to say he came with
the best o X that gardener can
obtain in France. He is an ex-soldier
and is teaching the boys the care of
dollhouse grapes for special markets,
as we'll as "eating" grapes in the open.
A method employed at the school per-