The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1918-10-19

IL
ploye in Washington, would you care
to pay $50 month for the privilege
of sharing one poorly furnished bed
room with three strange girls? Or
would you care to sleep in the same
room with an old woman and her
husband? Those were two Of the
alternatives offered me in recent
three days search for a lodging in
Washington, and conditions are daily
growing worse.
l went down to Washington from
New York City last Saturday night
! to attend conference concerning war
work. | was summoned suddenly,
and was told that might be required
to take up my residence in Washing
ton Immediately. had no great diff
ficulty in procuring berth on the
Pullman. In fact, travelling condi-
tions, though crowded, were better
than ! had been led to believe. Con-
ditions in Washington itself were
immeasurely worse than | could have
believed possible.
went to Washington with a sur
plus of $25 and thought that amount
would be sufficient to live on comfort.
ably for a week at least. BY Tues.
day afternoon / was left with Just
SLIPS in my pocketbook!
Although | had had no time to re-
serve hotel room ! was fortunate
|enough to arrive early Sunday morn
ing, and with the aid of a personal
card to the manager of one of the
best hotels was able to procure the
promise of room. But there was
no room empty then. I was taken
Temporarily into a double room. The
bed had not been made. There were
all the evidences Of a hasty flight
trainward. When my baggage was
later transferred to a single room
received a pink silk negligee and a
pair Of mems slippers which had been
gathered up with it. | had a hard
time to persuade the hotel clerk that
they did not belong to me.
Although l had formerly lived in
Washington, had not been there
even on visit, for four years.
spent several hours Sunday trying. tc
get in touch with old friends by tele
phone and found in more than one
case that telephone numbers given II
the book were actually five years ou
of date. OF the few friends whom
was able to reach, all told me the
same story-there were no room tc
be had in Washington. I, remem
bering Washington as it used to be
laughed at them and started blithely
out on a search for permanent lodg
ing. My hotel room was comfort
able, to be sure, but l, like most oil
the Governments war employees, ex
pected to receive only a moderate sal
ary-and 81 a night for a room alone
is not compatible with the poor work
ing girls means.
Sunday afternoon I spent in tn,
northwest section of Washington
with friend who has an apartment
there-very small and very crowded
She offered to share her own room
with me II could not find accommo
dations elsewhere, but hesitated
naturally, to inconvenience her.
little dreamed how gladly | was Il
accept her hospitality only two day
later.
Sunday evening / visited severa
old acquaintance in Washington. No
one of them had a room or half
room to spare, and not one OF Their
could tell me of any one who hat
And these were women who had live
in Washington all their lives, and ha
hundreds of friends living in the city
Sunday night | spent at the hote
Already my bill for Sundays breal
fast and supper, Sunday nights lodl
ing and Mondays breakfast was owe
IS third of my $25 had disappeare
in single day and night!
Monday morning, after a short bu,
mess conference I, started out to see
among strangers the accommodation
| could not find among friends. Fir:
| went again through the phone boo
and city directory for the names {
any acquaintance could remmbe
from my grade school DAYS. tn
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