The Philipsburg mail. [volume] (Philipsburg, Mont.) 1887-current, 1894-11-01
Difficult to Obtain One in the
City Of Chicago.
TRIALS OF A POOR COUNTRY GIRL
She Wandered About the streets of
the White City and RecOmin.
Hungry Entered a SnlOOM-They
Got Her Drunk and She
Was Finally Arrested.

Before police justice on the North
Side slim, pale girl was brought. She
wore no hat, her hair was tangled, and
clinging to it were fragments Of dead
leaves. Her gown, doubtless once a
fimsy piece of finery carried through
the country by peddler, was faded and
torn, and her toes showed through holes
In her shoes. She had not the appear
anoe Of hardened sinner. Her mouth
did not bespeak long career Of vice,
and her eyes, though red, had not the
dull blur Of continued dissipation. The
Justice looked sharply at her.
"You have not been here BEFORE" he
said, half as declaration and half as
question.
"No, SIR Shame and grief were in
her voice.
"What is the charge against herr"
the justice asked.
'She was found drunk and asleep in
Lincoln park" an officer answered.
The justice looked at her. She looked
down. "How old are your" he asked.
"Twenty two," she answered.
"Where is your homer"
"My home was near Mukwonago, in
Wisconsin. haven't been here very
long came here expecting to find Of
fee work, but failed. I didn't know
where to go. I wandered about and
finally got work in cheap restaurant,
and I worked there few days for not..l
ing and the thing failed. Idon't hardly
know how I lived after that, but I know
that last night was wandering about
the streets. The air was cool, and was
hungry. There was no place open for
me, and Invent into saloon. / knew it
was wrong to go into the place, but
where was to go? I know that there
are places for girls to 60, where food
and beds are provided for them, but
they are always far off, while the saloon
is always at hand. You have to hunt to
find the good places, but the bad ones
stand always in front of you. don't
know why this should be SO, but it is.
A number of men were in the saloon
drinking, and one of them, sitting at a
table, told me to sit down and have a
drink. told him that wanted moth
ing to drink, but that I should like to
have something to eat He ordered
something, and ate it, and then he in
sisted until I drank a glass Of beer. I
don't know how many glasses drank,
but know that it must have been q
good many: for I reoollect trying to
dance I sang old fashioned country
songs, and they made me drink more.
I don't know when I left them. The
next thing l knew was shaken by a
policeman in the park.
1t was long time before the justice
said anything He sat looking at the
GIRL at her torn gown, at the leaves in
her hair.
"You don't want to be a bad woman,
do you?" he asked.
She looked up at him with a swift,
surprised glance, and tears were in her
eyes. "No, SIR" she said. "What /
have seen Of bad life makes me hate it,
I know that I'm not very smart, but J.
can work ii [ have the chance.
"And you shall have the chance, y
the justice answered. Sit down over
there. -
''Are you going to send ME to jail?''
aNo, I'm going to send you out to
my house, and hope that hereafter
you'll not find the good places SO far
away and the bad ones so close at hand. !"