The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1914-07-03
SAVING THE GIRLS
TRAVELLERS AID SOCIETY IL OR
GANIZATION or WORLD
WIDE SCOPE.

Chicago, July 3.-"Saye the girl. +"
That is the motto of the Travellers
Aid, an organization practically
world wide in scope.
In the station waiting room or at
the train gate of every railroad en-
tering Chicago, quiet but watchful,
stands a travellers aid" Their
practiced eyes are quick to detect a
note Of uncertainty and the girl trav-
cling alone is questioned sympathet-
ically. Her story is learned and then
the organization behind the aid steps
in. The procedure here is the same
as in other cities. All work together
and the Chicago organization fire.
q~uently receives letters from the for
eign associates requesting that girls
en- route here be looked after on ar
rival.
The work Of the travellers aid in
Chicago is directed by the Young
Women's Christian association and
the Catholic Women's league. Funds
for its maintenance are donated by
the board Of The two organizations
and the work so far as possible is
evenly uiNluth. IAtDtt EFiltiAtB Aht i o.
w. G. A. are aids at the six Chicago
railroad stations from Z o'clock in
the morning until 6 o'clock at night.
Then they are relieved by representa-
tiyes of the Catholic Woman's league,
who remain on duty until midnight.
The Chicago organization was the
pioneer i'm the work and was formed
twenty years ago, at the time of the
Worlds Fair. From a small begin
ming it has grown to a practical in
spection of every woman passenger
travelling alone entering the city.
The aids are vested with police pow
ers, but rarely cause an arrest, Re
store the girl TO her home without
notoriety" is the watchword.
Every year the number of cases,
where the aid finds it necessary to
take action for the protection Of girls
increases. This weeks record shows
five girls taken from railroad stations
| and four of them have been restored
to their homes. The fifth, Miss Law
Tor of Brooklyn will soon be in the
care of her parents.
"Our aim is to gain the confidence
of the girls, learn their stories and
then bring about a reconciliation with
their families" said Mrs. Wilhelmina
| Barr, superintendent of the Chicago
Y. w. G. A. ct is not often diff
cult. BY the time a runaway girl has
reached Chicago she has begun tc
feel lonely, to realize her helpless.
ness and is ready if there is some one
to show her the way, to turn bach
to the old home.
THE cases we have had this weel
typify our work. Two Iowa girls
aged 16 and IT, arrived here al
night. They had only a few dollars
and knew no one; they had run away
from home because life there was
too slow. they said. The aid brought
them over here to our home, and
talked to them. The next day
communicated with their parents
They are both back at home now and
very much wiser.
Another girl, barely 16, whose
father is a contractor in a Chicago
suburb, was brought here a few days
ago. Her mother had died and she
grew lonely and dissatisfied. She haC
only $4 and told the aid she was go
ing as far as that would take her
1.-The girls father came here yester
day and they wept in each other
arms. She went back home happy.
"Our great aim is to work so tina
the girl can go back home withou
stigma. For that reason the polio,
are rarely called into a case.
only when a man recognized as
white SLAYER meets a girl at the trail
has il been necessary to invoke TIL
aid of the police.
1--WE are very careful in the selec
ton of the aids. They must be a