The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-02

The morning train into Birmingham from Chattanooga was crowded. A siri' hardly more than a child. entered, looked shesitatingly down the aisle and noted that no seat was vacant The man oo- cupying the seat by which she was stand ing made room for her. He was O. l.. Steele, southern sales manager for a large milling concern. The girl sat down with word of thanks
 It was evident that she was distressed and she seemed on the verge of tears Mr Steele noticed her agitation and asked the cause She explained that she had expected to meet her sister in Chatta- nooga and. missing her, was returning to Birmingham alone From here sine would go on the afternoon train to the home of another sister in Carbon Hill. Being alone, unusued to travelling. and confused by missing her sister, she was very much afraid that she would not reach home safely.
 MT. Steele promised to see that she meet with no mishap and when the train reached the Birmingham terminal he went to q telephone booth to call her sister, leaving her seated in the waiting room Presently she joined him at the booth, leaving her purse on the seat. It was stolen and the poor child was more worried than ever
 At this point a lady came forward and offered her assistance. explaining that she was the Travellers Aid repre- sentative and that she would take care of the girl during the day and see that she was put on the train for Carbon in the afternoon.
 A few weeks later MT. Steele saw a man getting acquainted with an ignor- ant looking country girl who took the train at small town between Knoxville and Chattanooga. When the train reached Chattanooga this man called carriage, handed the girl in and stepped in with her. Unwilling to make no effort to protect the girl, MT. Steele took cab and directed his driver to follow the one that was just leaving. It stopped at a third class hotel where the man went in and registered "J. w Jones and wife, Knoxville, Tenn" In the meantime the girl, with scared, helpless look, stood in the lobby.
 Mr. Steele told the clerk what he knew of the case. He refused to do anything about it. so Mir. Steele called the chief of police, who sent for the man.
 He then called the Salvation Army and told them of the girl. They re- piled that such cases were not under their jurisdiction, but should be report ed to the Travellers Aid at the Terminal.
 Travellers Aidl It was the same or ganization that he had found in Bir- mingham As his work took him all over the southern states and to every city and large town he often saw the for da a travellers, particularly for girls and young women; and he was interested in learn ing something more of Travellers Aid.
 What Travellers Aid Is
 Travellers Aid societies. he found, orig inated in New York in 1888 when the flower and fruit mission to the New York hospital undertook the work of directing travellers at the docks. It was continued by the mission for 10 years and was then adopted by the Female Auxiliary Bible socie@.
 By 1905 this matter of directing and aiding travellers had increased to such magnitude that more extensive work was necessary and so it was reorganized, . with officers and directors chosen from smen and women of broad vision and ex- sperience and of various religious affilia- stions-Miss Grace Dodge, president of the national board of the T. w. c. A.; John Wanamaker, pr. and Mrs. Morris Loeb, Gilbert Colgate, Cardinal Farley and others.
 One of the first questions always asked by one who hears of this work is, What is Travellers Aid?'
 It is a work that puts a check on er- TOT, wrong. extortion and crime. It is preventive and not rescue work, though it frequently necessarily touches rescue work. Usually it reaches the trav- eler before rescue is necessary. Trav- elers' Aid is not a life or accident in eurance in any sense whatever, in spite of the fact that it is sometimes thought to be that It is not a commercial en- terprise in any way.
 It does not do porter service at docks or stations. It does not prosecute crim- finals. It does not connect with hotels, railroads, steamers or transfer com panies. It is not a branch nor a rival of the railroads bureau of information. It provides information, advice, guid- ance, protection and aid to all trav- elers needing assistance beyond the jur- isdicton of the railroad officers and Steamship officials.
 Its service is free to all travellers, irrespective of age. race, creed, class or sex. While, as Mr. Steele's first eX- perence with Travellers Aid proved, it's greatest work is for young women and girls, it also helps men and women and children of every age and every na-