Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1891-05-29
SHOWING THEM THE TOWN.
HELPING STRANGERS TC SEE A
GREAT CITY'S SIGHTS.
The Work Which is Done by stCha-
perOn Bureaus"-A New and Use
full Feature of Metropolitan Life

The time has passed for the ssunpro-
tected female" to look forward to a visit
to New York with fear and trembling.
She need not wait the convenience of
any male relative. or write imploring
letters to city friends asking to be met
and taken In just when their spare rooms
are full, or they are planning a trip to
Lakewood. All she has to do is to send
a postal card to the chape-on bureaus
a comparatively new feature in New
York, though long familiar in London
saying when she is coming and in what
part of the city she desires to stay Then
she checks her trunk and starts, with no
more thought for the morrow than a lily
of the field.
On arriving at the station she is met
by an misunderstanding woman in
tsllor-made gown, who wears little
knot of blue and white ribbons on her
left breast. This is the professional
chaperon, and in less than no time bag
gage checks have changed hands, a di-
rection has been given TO an expressman,
and both women are on their way to the
comfortable boarding house where
rooms haxe been engaged. During the
journey the chaperon chats easily, points
out places of interest and inquiries
whether the visit is for shopping, pure
and simple, or for amusement, in the
sense OF sightseeing and meeting with
friends. Such attentions are especially
needed by quite young girls, and most
of all, perhaps. by elderly women who
have outlived the love of experiment and
adventure.
Arrived at the boarding house, the
chaperon settles all preliminaries, and
either gives her charge such bits of in
formation as may make her independent
in going about town, or promises to call
at any time she may be needed, either
ending the connection then and there or
becoming guide, philosopher and friend
for the whole of the stay. If the stran-
ger be disinclined to look after herself.
the chaperon knows what is going on at
every theatre in town, when the trains
leave for everywhere, which line of
street cars is most convenient, where
every one lives, and all about picture
galleries, libraries and places of interest.
She takes the visitor over the Brooklyn
Bridge, to the top of the big buildings,
and let's her grip her (the escort's) arm
black and blue when they whisk round
curve on the elevated railroad. She
nearly walks her feet off from shop tc shop
after bargains, snd gives her opinion
about bonnets and gowns when desired.
All this time she is bright and amiable,
sever shows herself bored or wearied,
1nd gracefully ignores the fact that she
is earning her living by "knowing her
New York." and is an agreeable CON-
panion at so much an hour.
The announcement of tie chaperon
bureaus, Cali Legitimate service promptly
rendered." scarcely expresses the number
of things the energetic women IN charge
do for travellers. They have nicely APP
pointed dressing rooms, where refl esh-
ing bath may be had, or hair dressed and
a different gown assumed if an evening
entertainment is to follow the days
shopping. Parcels are received and
sent over to the station in time for the
train, kilograms are dispatched, letters
are typewriter and appetizing lunch
baskets are packed; stewardesses are
tipped, parlor car tickets are secured
and the novel bought to read on the
way. Alladin's lamp seems to have
materalized in those modest offices, so
promptly is the '~Certainly, madame, in
fifteen minutes" heard in answer to al
most any request.
The lists of available chaperons are
classified according to age, religious be-
lief and temperament, so that a congenial
companion is assured, and the most con-
servative need fear no Earring remark or
suggestion. With a laudable desiIe to
have plenty of irons in the fire, the
managers of these bureaus recommend
dressmakers, let rooms, do shopping on
commission, retail Turkish bath tickets,
sell-some of them-investment securi-
ties and place advertisements in news
papers, all at SO reasonable a fee that it
is temptation to let them do all things
down on their catalogue just for the fun
of it.
The most amusing part of it all is that
one bureau keeps list Of men-divinity
students and steady college boys-who
will perform all the above mentioned
services for the youthful visitor from the
rural regions, without once calling him
"hayseed" or letting him find out how
frightfully his coat is cut.-Ne~ York
Recorder.