The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-15

guests have come to look upon it as a | social opportunity.
 Among the guests Miss Swanson is one of the most unique and popular features of the house. She was brought to Amer ica before she was five years old by her parents, who were Swedish emigrants. Being one of a large family she worked | her way through college taught in high I school for two years, became the head | of the employment bureau of the Woman's Industrial and Educational
 union of Boston. and from there came to the Franklin Square house as assist ant superintendent.
 Less than two years thereafter and shortly after she passed her 25th birthday. the superintendent of the Franklin Square house resigned because of i'll health, and Miss Swanson became the resident head of the house temporarily. All sorts of calamities were predicted for the house because of her youth. The trustees spent that year looking about for another superintendent. It was a rec ord year for the house. prosperity, general peace, and content for the guests and the help. When finally the yearly meeting of the trustees came around she was unanimously chosen superintendent. Thus in something more than 20 years after her arrival in America the baby daughter of Swedish emigrants, she had climbed to the front as the superintendent and resi- dent head of the largest woman's hotel in the world, the Franklin Square house, or as it is being designated unofficially "The House of Thousand Girls In my judgment 1t s an ideal arrange ment this having the working girls and girl students together" Miss Swanson de- clared when talking about her duties. Tt mt only shows the practical side of bus mess life to the student girls, but it en- .lxar tn pnn In m
 prove herself. It is really surprising the number of girls who after working down. town during the day go to night school evenings. Many here take music lessons.
 others art, while quite number go to
 the Girls High school, which is on the
 next block. three evening each week for
 the languages, the English branches or
 typoWriting and shorthand.
 student girls who have lived with us season usually get better positions than
 those who have lived in the dormtories
 At least that is what some who have in-
 vestigated tell me. l haven't attempted
 to keep a record though I have noticed
 thft student girls who have lived here
 ol entering the business world have se- cured exceptional positions, and all so far as l have been able to learn have done
 well.
 Among such large number of girls
 there are bound to be some wilfu ones.
 but so far l have not found one that it
 was impossible to reach. No, l have no
 rules for handling wilful girls. Each girl
 is a new problem. l have to use my
 best judgment, though perhaps it might be
 safe to say that l always begin by get ting the girls point of view After that
 try to make her see my point of view.
 When l accomplish that. as a rule, our difference ends.
 Each year we try to make the guests
 m fN.t ttah la n additional privileges. Two years ago we gave the girls in the least expensive rooms the privileges of using the laundry. With the opening of the new annex we are able to extend that to all our perma- neut guests. Before many months we hope to enlarge the library and reading roor1
 One of the greatest advantages of our new annex will be the enlargement of our transient department. Before we could only accommodate very small per cent of women who came to us wishing to re- main for the night or for only a few days. Of course. we made the best pro- vision for them in our power. al ways kept a list of reasonable and de- cent lodging houses to send them to- That was not pleasant, to send a woman. a stranger in the city, and often at night, out looking for lodgings. Our new annex gives us room for those who only wish a temporary place. l have arranged so they can either pay for tbelr room and take their meals out, or get everything in the house. Often where a girl is lock- ing for work it is more convenient for her to take her meals especially her lunch, where she chances to be. I know all these little points, for am not only a working woman, but 1shave been a student
 No, the new annex will make no dif- ference so far as restricting rules for guests are concerned. Guests come and go here with the same freedom they en- joy in the highest priced hotels in the country. By the simple method of hav- ing the night watchman report to mo the names of guests who come in after II o'clock l am able to keep track of every