The Washington herald., 1907-12-22


Salvation Army, the Young Mems Chris
tian Association. Anti-Saloon Leagues.
reform bureaus. and other philanthropic
societies is well known 10 the American
public. bat there IS an organization Of
whose workings and accomplishments but
little has been said, and Of which but lit
tie is knOwn-one that Is doing a great
work at the present day and achieving
wonderful results-namely, The Travellers
Aid Society
This great body Of philanthropic work
ers has agents in nearly every large city
I'm tho United States. and Is each year
adding 20 is corps Of assistants. The
duties Of these agents consist Of meeting
trains At the railroad stations. and boats
al the wharves, and 10 direct and as
sist Unescorted women and children who
are apparently In need OF advice, and 10
enable them to make their. train connec-
tiOns. take them To the address Of their
friends, relatives. or destination, or, il
they came TO the city in search Of employ
ment care for them, house them, and
feed them, and obtain woEk for them in
/ some respectable place.
Many Need Assistance.
1t is surprising the number of just such
/ passengers that are travelling every day
in the gear with incorrect addresses.
wrong information. a woeful lack Of
funds. and sUndry other embarrassing
I conditions which perempt0rlly demand the
aid Of some person 10 interest themselves
in the unfortunate wayfsrer. The plight
Z Of some Of these poor UnfortUnates is
really pitiable and the gratihcatiOn they
express when safely guided 10 the homes
/ Of their friends is touching 10 a degree
/ The heart-broken cry Of one Chicago
mother for daughter that was lost was
/ the beginning Of travellers aid work. Il
! seemed that the daughter was possessed
I Of the idea that she had histriouic abii-
\ ties. and had Joined a theatrical troupe
which was afterWard stranded in a Wis
! consin town. The girl was detained IN
/ house. and her letters 10 her home were
( never mailed. The distracted mother ap-
pealed % the Young Women's Christian
( Association. which. after great difficulty
i and considerable delay. reunited the cOu-
/ pie. Thus twenty years ago GSS0 tray
\ elers' aid work had its birth I'm America.
/ Rescue efforts had been put in opera
I ton at the Philadelphia Centennial in
I 1916. but the Chicago incident showed the
NECESSITY FOR prevention. and prevention
4 is the watchword of the society.
I At the time Of the Worlds Fair il was
rumored that 6s3 girls were lost sight OF
1 in the whirlpool. and since them the y
, ". c. A. has become so energetic that its
( agents are permitted 10 wear a badge,
. which gives them al the rights and pre-
/ negatives Of a policeman
/ The s.. Louis Exposition developed the
idea Of a new organization, which was
effected ia Isl5. and incorporated in Jan
uary. 1877 with headquarters IN New
! York. Miss Grace II. Dodge IS the pres
( ent president. and through her efforts
the society has become affiliated with the
London organization.
Gases Are Pathetic.
The recitals Of some Of the society's
agents are IN many cases pathetic In the
extreme and serve 10 illustrate in lucid
manner just what the society is accom-
plishiug along It's lines Of 4ndeavor
One day in Philadelphia a pretty Polish
girl. dressed in peasant costume, arrived
at the Broad Street Station from New
York. She could not speak a word OF
English but she had piece Of paper
in her hand. which she handed 10 the
the address S257 Edgemont street. BY
gestures the agent made her understand
that she would take her there. The girl
kissed her hand. and then. as II she
thought that that was not sufficient.
threw her arms around her neck and
kissed her on the cheek Many persons
who were standing in the corridor smiled
at this exhibition OF her gratitude. The
agent took the girl To the address and
found that the girls sister lived there.
She was rejoiCed 10 see her. and thanked
her many times for her safe arrival
One afternoon a beautiful little German
girl. ten years old, came in on train
from Jersey City She said she expected
her aunt 10 meet her at Wayne Junction.
and told the conductor 20 let her of
there. but the tram did not stop at that
station The agent took her 10 the ad-
dress she had 1857 GeratZ street. Ger
mantown- Her aunt seemed greatly re-
heved 10 see her. and said that she had
waited at Wayne Junction for several
hours, and was exceedingly worried when
she did not come.
Russian Girls Gratitude.
On another occasion a Russian girl ar
rived on a train from New York. She
came as far as the gate, seemed fright
ened. and turned hack. A gentleman who
came in on the same train. said to the
gateman Look out for that girl: she
does not know where 70 go" The gate
man did not hear him. 50 the agent went
through the gate and spoke TO her. She
could speak a little English. and told the
agent that she came from Russia The
steamer landed In Boston and she went
10 New York, and came from there %
Philadelphia. On the way 10 the address
she had with her, the little foreigner said,
Ladies so good. so kind They meet me
at boat in Boston. they put me on train
in New York. and they take me TO my
friends in Philadelphia" The sgent asked
her II those who helped her in Boston
and New York wore badges, and she said,
Yes. same Ike YOU"
These little tales graphically illustrate
the urgent need for just such preventa-
tive measures as the society aims TO
take. and is cause deserving Of the sup
port and cooperation Of all phiianthropic
citizens.
Last spring the Washington CO-Opera-
tive League for Social Service became
interested IN the society and through the
I efforts Of Mrs F. L RansOme a Trav-
elers' Aid agent was employed. whose
duty il was To meet incoming trains at
both railroad stations and the Norfolk
steamboat wharf. Up TO November
the agent had reported a total OF 275
cases which she had assisted in various
ways. Since November / the agent s
work has been confined TO the Union
Station
At the present time there Is but one
local agent. and il is the purpose OF the
Cooperative League for Social Service
TO make an effort 10 employ two addi-