Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-08-22
MRS, WHITNEY WRITES OF THE
"OVSRWORkEO GIRLS"

Editor Star Bulletin
81. Refer az 10 statement IN
/ the Star Bulletin or tie -i-t instant
! regarding ONC-WC!kti g:-:s at tht
! ROselaVn H0t.l W4sh - state in
justice 10 myself tnar TIT. community
| should know t. iaCts concerning the
/ two FUItuguese A!rls in Question, Mt
Spanish as s;al"'! II. this Article Ab0".
sIN Years ago M,- 4uiir - lsther Q:
. these girls. arrived lroG. Portugal aat
, the elder gIri Adr,!Ha, g ltAt and TO-
tanned work at my place Shortly a
.erH ards the CIR tutu'C committed
a murder. and II, sister. CELESTIAL.
about II Iea.s Old vas eft UnprO
tected At the suggestion Of Sheriff
Henry. and IT the urgent request OF
the Portuguese Consul. SCnOr de Can
aTarrO. Celestina was placed il NY
charge together with her sister Aver
the unfortunate OCCurrsn nee OF the muir.
der, Celestina who vas witness to
It. was tOT 4 YEA: Afterwards praCtiC
ally a mental AID physical wreck.
Neither OF the girls could speak Eng
lish and any person COnV erSant with
the conditions OF newly arrived immi,
grants. and the trouble these children
had faced, can form some idea OF the
care given by NE TO bring them to
their present physical healthy con
ditiOn.
Until within the last two months no
serious trouble was experienced with
the girls, further than constant Vigil.
ance TO keep them away from male
company not suitable for young girls.
About this time a Miss Goodrich, from
Reno. came TO reside at the ROselaWn
This lady now employed by the As
sOciated Charities, listened to com
plants of the girls that they were not
allowed sufficient liberty and were
OvprWOrkpd. Without aSCertaining the
truth OF these statements ny personal
investigation, made a complaint to
Mrs. Elgin the humane officer, that
the girls were badly treated and should
be removed 10 another home. Per
emptOrly these girls were ordered be
fore Judge HCen, and although | was
permitted to be at the hearing my
statements were ignored by the court,
although | requested permission to
bring forward number of ladies' from
my place TO corrOborate my position.
Miss Goodrich stated the girls had
no clothes and actually sent them gar
ments from the Associated Charities,
when. as a matter Of fact, upon being
removed to the Laniakea Home for
working girls at Palama, motor dray
was required to carry their personal
effects consisting of four trunks, two
large bundles Of wearing apparel be
sides numerous hats A pathetic Incl
dent occurred when the girls came to
my home for their clothes. They
pleaded to be taken back, stating it
was not their wish to leave the only
home they had known here. The pro-
baton officer in charge was so moved
by Celestina's pleading that he sug
gested the girls return to Judge Heen
and obtain his consent to remain. AT
ter again consulting Mrs. Elgin this
permission was refused, and informed
the girls that they were under his jar
isdiction and must go where he di-
rected Subsequently, Miss Goodrich
came to my home and implored me to
forgive her for the unntentional wrong
she had done. stating she was salts
fled that she had been miSled by the
stories of the girls and
asked me to take them back, and she
would do anything in her power to
place them in my hands again. | in
formed Miss Goodrich that if she
would have the girls returned to my
care free Of court entanglements |
would receive them. Upon Miss Good.
rich again bringing the subject to
Judge Heen's attention. she stated
that he refused to reconsider the mat
ter. To my mind it does not reflect
much credit on the Humane Society
to have their active agent, Mrs. Elgin.
remove two young mOtherless, and |
might say fatherless, girls from such
a home as they had with me, and turn
them practically adrift in the streets
of Honolulu subject to evil influences
upon the hearsay of a malihini who
knew nothing Whatever Of CirCum
stances surrounding the lives of these
girls Mr.. Brooks, of the Associated
Charities, upon learning of Miss Good
rich's participation in the girls re-
mOval informed me by telephone that
her action was entirely disapproved
and regretted the trouble Occasioned
by her interference in the affairs OF
my home.
DurinS the years the girls worked
for me they were entirely found as re-
CARDS wearing apparel and effects.
and only until the last year, at their
own request. they purchased their owr
shoes. The last two years they were
paid $50 per month for the two, which
Judge Heen considered too small. The
girls now state they receive from a
downtown restaurant 81 per week, or
s36 per month together, from which
hey have to pay Sc for room, SIS
Tor board and S. for carfare. leaving
about IS per month for clothes and
shoes. Apart from pecuniary loss, the
outside influence young girls of this
class are subject will require a strong
ar motherly eye than Mrs. Elgins to
Keep them in the straight and narrow
way, and l am sure they will miss the
care they have always had /