Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-11-24
MAIDEN SEEKER
FOR POT O. GOLD
GUARDED HERE
Travellers Aid Society on
Watch for UnsOphisti-
Gated Girls.
PROPER GUIDES GIVEN

What does Indianapolis DO Tor the
girl who reaches here alone?
OF course, we don't mean the compe-
tent young woman who has travelled
through a dozen or more States on her
Tone" but we are referring TO the little
girl from down State" who few
short hours ago packed her suitcase so
proudly with the elegant appearing
dresses, the work of the town seam
stress" and with heart beating hlsh
. with ambitions TO make money, told her
, folks "goodby" set out for the big
city" where work is supposed to abound
In every direction you look.
To some sophisticated metropolitan
citizens the problem of the country girl
In the city seems to be ancient his
tory" But, It is one of those peculiar
economic conditions which does not
evolve with the rest of the world ana
the difficulty of protecting the young
girl who is seeking her fortune IN the
big city is as difficult as it was twenty
years ago.
In these days when the church which
used to hint at the wickedness OF the
CITY now paints in flaming red the dis
closures Of the pitfalls set for the
uninitiated hundreds are asking how
does indianapolis care for the girls who
seek work within the gates of the Union
Station:
For this purpose the Travellers AID
Society of Indianapolis has an office In
the southwest corner Of the Union sta
ton. where Mrs Edna L. Pearce watches
Tor the strange girl and directs her to
1 safe place TO room.
EASY TO KNOW
STRANGE GIRL.
How do you know girl is strange in
The city? That is easy. II she knows
what she is doing she will either walk
straight through the depot or look around
for the person who is to meet her On
the other hand If she is stranger she
usually puts her bag down in the mid
die Of the floor and casts an uncertain
glance around the room. This girl
usually arrives late in the afternoon.
Also she usually is without money, or II
she has any, ft is n very small amount
She does not know where she is going
and does not have any friends IN the
city. She usually has the opinion she
can find a room right across from the
station" and that the next morning she
can getfa swell job at the first place
she inquiries.
It is the business OF the matron OF
the Travellers Aid Association or the
Y. W. c. A. worker, into whose care
she Is transferred. TO disillusion her as
kindly as possible. Perhaps by pictur-
ing to her in firm language the hard
ships she will have to go through may
be she can be convinced that home is
the best place after all"
She usually says she came to the city
70 get work. but she doesn't know much
Of anything" but she understood any
body could get 4 job" 1t sometimes
takes more than her informers state
ment to convince her just anybody
can't get a Job, but trained women only
are in demand.
What brings the girl to Indianapolis
L is generally conceded the stories OF
high wages paid during the last few
years have drawn thousands Of these
girls TO the cities, but the real answer
for all times is dissatisfaction" exag
gerated to "unhappiness" in many in
stances Perhaps it is real. but more
often II is only fancied. Home trouble
Iln its many phases is the title for many.
many cases. Sometimes the father or
mother has married a second time and
Giscord enters the home. Sometimes the
desire TO escape the results Of poverty
brings her to the city. ignorant Of the
knowledge that she is about TO enter
a harder life than the one she left.
THE ONE SEEKING
A BETTER TINE.
Then. there is the girl who. although
she is not wilfully bad" has come TO
believe that she can have a better time
in the city than she had under the eyes
Of her parents The matrons say she is
the hardest to work with.
in fact" said Mrs. Pearce, 1.-THE girl
= who needs our help the most is the hard
est TO approach She far more often re
sents what she terms our Interference
than does the girl who IS not IN need
of our help"
But, I do not believe these girls
should be blamed for their conduct. be-
cause they do not know any better, and