Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1907-11-01
THE TRAVELLERS AID
An Important but Little Known
Work in Boston

pecially for Young Girls In a Strange
Land.
Especial correspondence of The Phpnix.l
1t is not generally known, perhaps
what an extensive and interesting work
is done by the Travellers Aid de-
partment of the Boston Young Women's
Christian Association. Three workers
give their entire time to this branch of
the associations work. and one sees from
time to time brief notices In the daily
papers of the numbers of steamships met
and persons aided; but to know what it
really means one must hear the story of
a day from Miss Blodgetts own lips.
When the message, "The Saxonia passed
Hull at 1 D. M" reaches Boston from
Telegraph Hill, the Cunard dock is at
once crowded with hundreds, anxious to
catch the first glimpse of the big liner
as she comes up the harbor channel
The steamship agent, his assistants and
employees, baggage men, haCkmen, immi-
grafton and customs officials, longsnore
men, the telegraph operator, the money
changer, the food vendor, and the mis-
sonaries, all arc in evidence, not to men
ton those expecting friends and the many
idlers that always gather where some
thing a little out Of the ordinary is going
on. The great ship, with 2200 souls on
board now shows her broadside, GOO feet
long, and with slow, impressive dignity
the tugs swing hev into her berth, and
she is soon made fast to the dock, her
voyage ended. But if you note atteh-
lively the living freight that crowds her
decks you will realize that to most of
them this is not the end, but the be-
ginning of a new and strange life. What
confidence, what anticipation may be read
in their faces The grotesque dress, the
uncouth, untutored faces; the motley
groups; babies in arms and children
clingng to mothers skirts; old men
and women with anxious counte-
nances; stalwart youths; girls with
red checks, bare heads and tangled
hair: the Finn and Hungarian girls
with bright bordered kerchiefs tied
under their chins-all have the one
word, foreigner" stamped Enthusiastically
upon them.
The immigration officers are ready, the
gangway is up. and the hundreds of
steerage passengers begin their single
file over the plank with big box, little
box. bandboX bundle" and feather bed
The experienced eye easily detects that
there are many SCandinavans among the
number, the majority Of whom are
doubtless bound for the agricultural
West The 300 Hungarians en- route to
the steel districts of Pennsylvania. look
thrifty. vigorous and quite clean. The
dress of one of the women attracts your
eye-blue skirt with rows of yellow
braid blue apron with green trimming,
blue waist with pink buttons, vivid pink
shawl and brilliant green handkerchief
bordered with red rosesi The 200 Jews
on board will help swell the population
Of Boston and will be well looked after by
the efficient agent of the Federated Jewish
Charities Boston. her sister cities and
towns, or at any rate New England and
New York, will swallow the numerous
sons and daughters of the Emerald Isle
and, perhaps. digest them. One cannot
help thinking of Kipling's quatrain;
There came to these shores a poor exile
of Erin,
The dew on his wet robe hung heavy
and chill:
Yet the steamer which brought MIN was
scarce out of hearin'
Ere twas Alderman Mike introducing
a bill"
Firms. Poles. ard some Roumanians
are among the travellers; but who are
these STRENGTHENING folk, the men
wearing long fur garments, the skin side
(untanned) out, the waist shaped like a
mans dress-coat. and the full gathered
skirt reaching to the heels? They are
on the way to Canada peculiar reli-
gious sect from Russia, seeking. as did
our forefathers. a country where they
may secure religious freedom At last
safe in the big immigration room. where
after passing the doctor they are placed
in the long files leading to the inspectors
desks. What bewildering processes these
must be to the newcomers, and often how
trying Most of them are eventually.
discharged and pass on TO the considera e
ton of luggage, customs business, rail-
way tickets, telegraphing, or to the joy
full meeting with waiting relatives
Others are given the card of detention
and must await second examination.
Meantime the Travellers Aid worker
and other agencies have found plenty to
do. Mrs. Clark. loyal American -Swede
matron of the Immigrants Home, located
near the Cunard dock, is most helpful
to the Scandinavians. She began work
nearly 20 years ago, under the Methodist
Home Missionary society. The St Vim
cent de Paul society employs a woman
to watch over girl immigrants of the
Roman Catholic faith. The Travellers
Aid work lies of necessity largely among
the English speaking people, but no one
is denied whom it is possible to assist
II, in a large Western contingent a fam
lily or an individual is found, ticketed
through to destination, but without money
for food on the Journey it is bought or
otherwise provided for. Care is taken
that each traveller possesses a plain,
straightforward address, especially if
going to city or large town. Often a
telegram rs sent cat the expense of the
Association If need be) so that on arrival.
which may he in the night. the iaexper-
fenced young woman may be safeguarded
by her friends, or a Travellers Aid worker
in the distant city is asked to perform
this service for the young stranger Often
letters are received from abroad request
ing the aid" to meet and care for women
going to the far West Children, too,
Of six, seven and eight years have
crossed the Atlantic alone, to be met and
cared for by this agency on arrival mere.
Some time ago a Russian Polish girl
of Is started with her brother to come
to Boston, sent for by her mother who
lived in this city. On reaching the Ger
man frontier the authorities discovered
some weakness of the eyes, forbade ner
entering their country, and, sending her
brother on toward America, told the girl
she must go back to her own country.
Young, alone and among strangers she
became violent i'm her despair and threat
ened TO take her life rather than return.
This so alarmed the officials that they al
lowed her to proceed and in some way
she reached London and the Travellers
Aid there, who wrote to the worker in
Boston The mother, nearly distracted
by anxiety for her child, was hunted up,
the passage money quickly secured and
soon a registered letter was speeding
across the ocean. to be followed in due
time by the joyful meeting of mother
and daughter at the Cunard dock in Bos-