New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1878-09-11
HER LAST SONG.


night. It isn't often, maam, there is
night that would be suitable for YOU I
don't think there's been half dozen this
winter that I'd want you round if you
was my daughter or my sister-begging
your pardon, ma'am as the best way |
can put it to you to express my meaning
and the feeling that man has about such
things.
Ever see our books? No! just look
here, if you please. Just count those
pages. Will you? From there to there.
We took in all those in December, 1876,
we had in this one station two thousand
two hundred and fifty-two men and
women. Of course, there's the usual
share Of arrests. There's Mahoney, Jones,
Sullivan, Pete Cartwright and Julia An
derson, right under my finger, all arrests.
All drunk. But some of 'em are vagran-
cies in the winter time. You see it was
pretty cold last December, especially
nights. And then we were careful about
our officers.
Don't allow kicking, and no more
swearing at 'em than the circumstances
required. These creeturs get such things
round among themselves. They have
fancy for this station, maybe. I don't
know how that is. We mean to be hu-
name Oh this corps. That's our theory.
Some of our officers have very gentle
manly way. Not that we think it makes
much difference. | tell you, madam (you
had better know it at the outset,) [ don't
know what your intentions are, Of course
but ladies come with so MANY chart
table and curious designs, which it seems
pity to disappoint; but | tell you the
folks that get into these places are a
hopeless lot. They're folks without a
chance. Most of US have a chance, I
reckon, in this world, some time or an
other; even them poo1 devils. But by
the time they get here their chance is as
dead as John Browns body. don't say
there's never an exception. Now there
was that creeter last night. Maybe, if
somebody'd taken her in hand several
years ago-if lady with the way you
havo--Q hope you'll excuse me ma'am,
but there is q difference in lady's way,
such as 1 think you'd have to be man,
and do pretty rough mans work, like
mine, for instance, to understand so
clearly asyou mighty I wished last night,
| will confe IS, that there'd been a lady
here. 1t did never occur to me to 90
home for my wife But never bring nv
wife into the station house.
Here's the entry.--the last one mean.
See!
D:-Doherty, Ellen, February %,
1877. Vagrancy." When get time I'm
going to count up how often that woman's
name mas been on these books. But it
would take good deal OF time. It's
some years:
remember very well the first time she
came Don't know how l happen to.
There's such lot OF young girls. An
pretty ones, too. This one wss more than
commonly good -looking-an Irish girl
She had dark style and was paler than
most Of em. l think 1t must have been
five years ago. 1t was the first time she'd
ever been arrested. She took on dread
fully about it. She hadn't begun to drink
then. And what she was taken up for
had never happened before. 1t was the
first time she said. Someways I remem-
Der, believed her. Seemed as If she'd
break her heart. Hadn't any folks she
said. Her'n were dead. She cooped u
in little heap in the corner on the floor
that night, and sat crying all the night
1t wasn't till nigh morning that the other
women could get a word out Of her. If
I remember straight, we had an uncom-
monty rough lot of women folks on that
night. l wouldn't have put her among
'em, but there's no other way. I never
got quite used to that-shutting up
young thing with an old one.
Well, SO she was sent to tn, house for
thirty days; and by and by she was back
again. She came of her own accord that
time. Said she couldn't get anything to
do. Seems to me she said she wanted
honest work. They do say it once in
while. And it was pretty cold night.
She came for place to sleep. So after
that we got pretty we'll used to her; but
mostly after she began to drink and alter
like the rest. Itdon't take long. Their
own mothers would not know 'em mostly |
IN three years or SO; maybe, as it hap
pens
Well, yes. Our rule is; come tort
night and you go. When one comes
steady for two weeks every night, then it
is case of vagrancy, and we can send
'em to the almshouse. Bat Doherty, she
was pretty careful. She grew smart
as she grew worse. If she got taken up,
it wasn't for a long pull. Never knew
her in the house at the logest more than