The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-05-01
too drunk TO stand up. There is a

too drunk to stand up. There IS
separate room in which any woman IS
put who is in such a condition that by
noise or in other ways she will be ike
~ TO disturb the other occupants OF the
big dormitories. A short time ago
woman came 10 the dormitory very
much intoxicated, frightened, seeming
on the verge Of tremens. She asked II
women like her were admitted, and
when she got in she requested OF hef
own accord that she be locked IN. a
woman who has paid for bed IS al
lowed to bring as many babies with hef
as she can get into the bed, and ther IS
no extra charge. II is hard for women
with babies to find admission at orol-
nary cheap lodging and misslonhouses'
even where the money is supplied 70
them, and therefore mothers ana child
rem are to be particularly welcome mere.
Some Of the women who come are or
the very lowest. One Of the white slaves
of Dover street came in the other day.
While she was there the officers talked
with her, as they do with all the wo-
men. and they succeeded in getting her
to return to her mother in small town.
Most of the women are from 80 to 90,
but a considerable number of them are
very old. One woman about 80 the other
day said: when 1 am with good peo-
pie I try to be good, but when l am
with bad people 1 do as they do"
good part Of the women seem just on
the line, using what little will they
have TO keep sober when they are alone,
but getting drunk as soon as they are
invited TO by others. One old woman
said she was very glad TO patronize the
Shelter and that as soon as she was able
to make more money, say $3.50 or 50 a
week, she would make some presents
to help on the work. This illustrates
the general attitude. They feel not
that they are being helped, but that
they are giving their patronage 10 the
institution, and they have a friendly
desiye TO do something more muniicent
when their fortunes improve.
The women come in between $50 in
the afternoon and $50 al night and they
stay until in the morning. In the
hours between the officers have a great
amount Of work. The building has to
be washed with the greatest care, and
disinfectants used all the time, and
more money is spent in this way than in
any other. There is a disinfecting-roo
as nearly air-tight as possible, with all
facilities for burning sulphur, where
disinfecting are carefully taken care or.
One feature of the Shelter is the sup
ply of clothing is sells TO its inmates.
From 2 to 3 cents a garment is the
usual price, and no matter how fine the
garment, 10 cents is the greatest price
ever charged.
The same women come nearly every
night, and now most of them look upon
the Shelter as their home. One old wo>
man sprained her ankle in the street
and an ambulance was called. When
she was asked if she wished to be taken
to hospital, she replied: mo, think
1 would rather be taken home" The
few who cannot pay. make it up by
scrubbing. One very old woman re-
ceived a situation recently. eBfore
going to work at her new place she
came back to the Shelter to wash half a
floor, which she still owed. The few
who have been turned away for insub>
ordination have, with one exception,
all come back and begged for admis.
sion, with promises of good behavior.