Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-09-28

I am going 10 tell you a true story,
one that came under my observation this
summer You may have heard some ike
n Cor the variations are rung In every
season
A girl Is years old decided to come &c
Atlanta. She reached here quite late at
ns<ht and there was nobody to meet her.
she said that she had written to her
friends and perhaps they were late The
lady who stays ut the depot for just this
purpose advised her to so to certain
hotel for the night and to look for her
friends the next day. She wanted 10
take her TO a nice inexpensive place anc
see her settled before she left the depot
But the girl insisisted that she knew
where her friends lived and would go
there. Then the lady said that she would
and a reliable haci1man 10 take her.
Many OF those hackmen are employed by
disreputable places and person mas 10
be very careful Now this girl did not
say so in words. but she conveyed the
Impression that she was no hayseed. that
she knew enough TO take care OF herself
and would have no interference she
took her seat in the station till the Trav-
eler's Aid lady left. then she called a
hackman OF her own selection and went
where she thought her friends lived
They had moved and nobody knew
where Then the hacxman said that he
knew a good place where she could spend
the night just the thing The girl had
been warned against BY this time IL
vas very late and when the hotel wo-
man met the girl the hackman got his
pay which was enough 70 nave put her
ir a good room for the night
The ho.el is one OF the NEST notorious
IN the city. and IL is my opinion that the
girl was sized I'D and as there would be
no chance TO keep her in such place
long the woman decided to get all she
could that nirht- So she said her regu-
lar rates were $ a week. but she would
make exceptions as she liked her looks;
and the long and short CT il is the girl
was battered into thinking she was do
ing a good stroke or business by engag-
Ing and paying SIS down.
The next morning the sights opened her
eyes 20 the condition OF affairs and the
girl fed 20 the friend she spurned the
night before.
The Travellers Aid helped her find the
friends and a lawyer was consulted about
the money. but there was no chance to
get IL hack. So the money is gone. for
no decent girl could board there. not
withsianding the fact that she had put
all her money there
II this had only occurred once
wouldn't write OF e.; but the pity OF IL is
that girls from towns Of even 200 people
come here and think they know all that
Is 20 be learned and they are the very
ones the sharks and harpies like TO get
hold or
Don't listen to strangers. but when a
woman wears the badge OF the Travellers
Aid or any other society it's safe to put
yourself In her care. And on the streets
ask the policemen. don't let strangers
kwnur votrr business Nnf Ton- 400 a civ
came TO me and told me that a nice look
ing woman spoke TO her on the street and
asked her to go to see her. pretending
that she knew the girls mother. The
girl was surprised and did not think TO
make the woman say what her name was.
When she told me the address was not
surprised to hear one Of most disreputa-
bic streets named. While Of course my
work Is among the girls. ] hear every day
OF young men who come here and. being
anxious to show how much they know,
rush into all sorts OF traps.
In conclusion there is one thought that
want to leave with you. While there are
all sorts NJ bad people in Atlanta there
are all sorts Of good people. These bad
people are like spiders who suck the life
blood from their victims. Thousands of
good men and women give their money TO
pay men and women 10 look after the
stranger and the helpless. Except that
they hope for home in heaven the mon
ey Is given without q thought Of a return
for il. Pretty soon am going to tell the
girls the experience OF two who came here
with no money nor any experience in any
lire OF work. and too proud to do house
work
Faithfully yours.
LIZZIE o. THOMAS.