The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-04-26
fBy z.asly ErniEnet.)

\ -AA-AEA-S Where can a poor. i11fterate girl coming to. this city to seek work and having 10 Knowledge Of the town and but little money find a place Co sleep The question had troub led me much. knew thatsmany well mean ing people Of the city rested com fortably in the thought that they con- tributed to the Protective Association the Y. w. C. A. and various aDther charitable organisations which are supposed to care for young women in their general work but wanted to know how the girl who just came ~to this city was to know of these havens of refuge, whether their existence was generally known throughout the rooming house section and whether Q girl would readily be directed to them- There are in Bridgeport some 10.- GOO Todd women working in factories. alone, according to the Unlted States Census report for 1910. That cen- sus gave the humber then in the man 1factuffng Industries as ,63s. Or about z8 per cent. of the total of 2ss- 66s factory wage earnera In six years the increase would easily bring up the number of women beyond the ten thousand. mark As s, 505 Of flae total BopuIatien of 102, ,O54 given speaking about one out Of every six females of the city is employed in a, factory. This total does not at all include the hundreds of women in do- .4nestic service. in numerous offices. not connected with factories, in the schools as teachers in stores. hotels. restaurants, telephone offices and the like. which swelIs the number consid- erabIy In the whole world there is perhaps n0 city which has a greater percentage of women wage earners than Bridgeport. At least 96 per cent or more of these girls arc work ing because they must support them selves.
 Such an industrial center for wo- men news of whose booming activities particularly at the present, is being spread broadcast naturally is the place toward which turn girls from smaller towns. villages and even lar ger cities where there are less oppor- tunitfes' for the woman in industry
 What does Bridgeport cfEer the lonely girl stranger who steps from g train with a dollar or two in her pock- ct, a willingness to work, an innocent heart and untralned mind?
 NOTHINGl
 From the moment that she steps from the train, unless her Tguardia angel hover close, she is completely at the mercy Of any evil infIuence which may come across her path. No where, it seems, can she ind one who will direct her where she may safely stay for the night, for there Is fno such place with, the exception of the Protective Headquarters, which, un- fortunately, is little known among the places where she is most likely to wander in the search for a sleeping place.
 The furnished room houses, whose frcrfs bIindly display signs telling that rooms may be rented within are found to be all filled up, once the proprie- for has determined that the girl is not prosperous enough looking for his establishment. Even as she rings al the door of one Of these estabIishments she has no way of determining the character of the place and there are many whose characters are question able.
 If she is fortunate she will meet with Kindness, if not, is a question where she may end. In all the life Of such girl who comes to this city under these circumstances, there is probably not time when chance so completely Fules her destiny as in those few hours during which she is searching for 3 room.
 It is always. easy to discuss a prob lem from a superior view point no, gained by actual experience in the sub- iect. Many people excIain Why we have this organization and that or. E4nization to which a girl could gc nnder similar circumstances" Wheth. CT this organ1zat1onS and. that or gantzation'' are as well known as they should be, whether she can be direct ed there or not, whether they actually do as much good as the leading of. hcfa1ss with the aid of an energetic press agent lead the contributors te Iheir support and the general public Into thinking they do. is quite another thing.
 There ie but one way of deterrrair- Ing such conditions and that is by living through them your self
 It was with this thought that T de- cfded to find out Just what were the experiences of girl coming to Bridgeport to look for work, having no room and but little money to pay eof one.
 Two weeks ago last night I borrow
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