The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1896-01-03
GOLDENBERG'S,
92S Seventh Street.

have to give every girl towel to herself.
You are no better than the others" sd id the
matron.
Now, in the name of common sense.
decency and purity, is ii too much to ask
OF the government that ii give every girl
who goes down there at least one fowl,
and let her keep ii clean herself: Unnecessary
make Ter? And let her keep herself pure;
If necessary make her do that.
cont wish 10 make this story needlessly
loathesOme. there is no pleasure in dis
gushing details. But l wish 10 say that
the very gowns and underwear are impure.
, The skirt i dried my lace ON had been
clothes. and the matron told me herself
that the clothes were not, properly speak
ing, washed: they were only wet ard soz-
Zled in tub.
by all who are there. white or black. They
are washed with the clothes from the hos
pitfalls, the almSllouse, the home for aged
and INDECENT cOlored men, and the male
workhouse. the matron herself stated
that these clothes are frequently covered
with vermin and the offsCourings of the
bodies of the aged and diseased.
THE CRYING EVIL
These statements are made simply to show
how utterly impossible 1t seems to keep
ones self pure under the present conditions
at the wOrkhouse. IL is the most crying evil
there, and one which the government can
not afford to overlook. The horror OF
contagion made the whole mission Of investi-
CATION more terrible than any one other
thing.
My first evening at the workhouse was
spent sitting around this long table Every
oue wanted to hear my story, and tod
IL in part to draw them out and get THEM
TO talking. | wanted TO see il there Was
one among them Old or young, with heart
enough left to take an interest IN my fate
and advise me to refOrIn-
A very amusing feature of the conversa-
tioa with these people was the utter hack
people W JIld talk at the same moment and
tell u story IL they started out to, whether
any one listened ornot- Three or four wou d
be pulling at my sleeve for attention at the
same moment, and the most starthngly
frank comments were made back and forth.
If a story wasn't believed, nobody hesi-
tated to say 50.
When | was talking everybody drew up
to me uncomfortably close. An old Irish
woman ventured TO open her lips, but Emma
yelled shut up, Becky. Choke her. some
body. Can't you listen To the lady,
say, Florrie, you had different hair
wr;en you come in here, didn't yUu?" asked
Emma. ! assented and siie nodded her
bead vigorously and winked her eye. Then
after splitting some Of tue vile stuff out she
said. Il know all aboJG til" DIVISION; I've
been clean through it,
Say. but she looks better in her own
hair" said another. IT'S nice and smooth
and she parts 1t straight. Say. Florence,
why don't you wear your own halr?
Some one suggested that | took my first
IMPRISONMENT very easily, and | asked
whats the use of crying" Having as
sufned all the bravado possible to try to
elicit an expression of interest for my good.
| suddenly announced that when got out
was gong to brace up and never take
another drink.
You do IL darIin'; do it." said an old
woman across the table from LIE. patting
my hand. Say, Eairls, isn't Florence too
good to he here? | say never take another
drink. Get place and wurruS and save
YOUR money. Yen soon have SiGO. and
then some nice n.an'ul marry you"
ITO h with the nice men: they'll skin
her of the money. and run said EInma.
Its all right to talk OF ta kin the pledge
when you're ill here" said Kate. But
when she gets out and goes waikin up
that lonely road Two or three DtCcks 10
the car and wonders who saw her III ife
pancr And " oBderin' where she gong 10
turn for a friend. Thems the times she $
goin' TO look around TO see tie ShCTtest
way to a saloon 10 get a good drink 10
brac, up. MY advice to her is 10 get out
of Washington. The police here 'ull run
her in every time they get chance"
While we were talking there came 2
iingiing OF keys and the keeper called out
Inside all" Everyone scrambled 10 gel
in before he came SO as to aprear 10 dc
it of their own accord and not he t:riNta
The weird picture in the h2T HSht WA
DESTROYED, the elements fell away, and u,
Streamed through the bars, and by II W,
went to bed. ] was beginning 10 feel !
mart Of the world around ME. anu MY OWL
- ~ % " sIBYL WILBUR.
alias
FLORENCE EERGEN.
The fourth chapter OF Miss w IL
irr'S experiences, and possibly the
concluding one, VIII appear IN Tie
Eyeujucy Times of tomorrow.