New-York tribune., 1905-12-26
STRAITS OF TRAVELLERS.
Station 1F.4'1~. Experiences sOith
Girls Stranded in Chicago.

'I wouldn't exchange my work for any
womans work in Chicago
It was Mrs. Edna Wolfe, matron in the
women's room of the La Sale Street Station,
Chicago. who spoke She sat in one of the rock
ing chairs in the big hall of which she has
charge. her eyes now resting on the rows of
waiting women, taking in the stream Of
new corners which would pour in after the
rival Of train. The women were Of all degrees
Of smartness-country women, shop girls, do
Inestic servants. newly arrived immigrants.
with here and there groups Of well dressed girls
with golf sticks or dress suit cases. Some of
them stayed but minute, some of them came
prepared to spend the day, apparently.
81 see you don't understand how love to
stay all day in this big, noisy place" continued
Mrs. Wolfe. IF you could know the poor things
I'm able TO set right and help you would not
wonder.
While technically I am employed by the
company to look out for their property and
assist the women travellers who use their roads
q great deal Of a matrons work cannot be
classified. and is more philanthropic in its
character than anything else
Mrs. Rose Snyder, the Travellers Aid repre-
sentative; Mrs. Cyrelia Ziegler, the other ma
tron, and work in concert. 1t is our intention
that not a girl shall ever leave this room to
become a case and so we keep our eyes open
every minute to discover girls or women who
look as If they were in distress or danger, as
If they needed protection and advice.
Sometimes the girls are too far gone when we
see them. One morning early I found a girl
under twenty years lying on the sofa In the
inner room half intoxicated. She was so pretty,
so young and refined looking. couldn't bear to
think what might lie IN store for her, and tried
to plead with her to give up her drinking and
bad companions before it was too late
rShe laughed in my face, She said she'd tried
being good and it didn't pay. She walked 10 q
mirror Strengthened her hat and left, insolent
and reckless.
lone can almost always distinguish bona
fde traveller by his air of purpose and his inde-
pendence The other kind may be dressed just
as well, but they enter in an UNDECIDED, some
times stealthy way, move about restlessIy from
one chair or one room to another. start TO go,
then come back, and soon show by subtle but
1Inn7istakable signs that all is not well with
them. Under these conditions, we feel Justned
IN asking if we cannot be or assistance. ana ana
then as a rule the woman will be begin to tell
what the matter is.
srVouen often get confused while travelling,
mistake connections and find themselves in a
big city at unearthly hour with no place TO
go TO and no friend to advise them One nice
girl drove about Chicago for hours early one
morning, trying TO find hoteI 10 take & her IN IN.
She was crossing the continent alone, mlstook
the station her train left from and found hersen
stranded.
"At last she gave up her hunt, dismissed her
cabnan and determined owalk the streets uII
daylight An officer say her hearo heF slofS' aIi
.sVEbat with nervousness and exhaustion and
the snubs she had received at the hotels' the
ronr thing was nearly crazy, and When sne
Esw me she broke down completely ana began
aobbins historically 1 sent for food from the
fncbroon persuaded her to lie DOWN anu pe
,notbered and at 8 o'clock had the satisfaction
of putting her aboard her train refreshed ana
Comforued. -, III, Ill
@,She was a refined. cultivated girl, with an
the money she needed at he rdisposai, but sne
POT IN light fix that night where she needeo
q good rnotherly woman TO look atter her. All
that Ic TporTQ of
lone day a young girl arrived on a local
train from the North. She came in, went out,
then returned and sat down as IL WaelhE Lo5
souehodv She had a little Kit win her ana
seemed a nice innocent girl; but l knew some
thing was wrong. . -
..Sbe said she expected g friend to meet her.
Yes II was a gentleman friend In 1acI ne
was fhe gentleman she was engaged To- She
had come on to be married TO MN. SIie usio
eeDt a message 10 his place Of business, she
added and undoubtedly he would come IN lhe
course Of the morning . =.
"I didn't like the way It looked, put thougnC
would wait and see what the gentleman
Fr;end' looked like before interfering. The g1rl
couId come TO no harm while she was under my
eye at all events r-- -ho ha
WHY couIIdn't she look him up? She had his
home address, and as his message or the morn
;ng had brought no response, she Woulo fooh niI I'LL
IN there | told her / should not permit heT
Ia go TO his house alone, and after a great oeaA
Of eoayinp and arguing at length persuaded her
10 wait till / could go with her.
.srha ho1lse was in a shabby street IN q oiS-
tant suburb A pretty young woman answered
our ring. , x,. o.,,s6 tbe Girl
Vas but he is not at home Can do any
thing for YOU? I am his wife. .
s1rTbe girl went white a sheet You can
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