Evening star., 1921-01-23

list. journeying about from city
to city is all in the days work,
merely incidental to business or pleas
ure. but to those who rarely leave
home and then only on the urge of
necessity or some great emergency.
travelling alone is an ordeal whose
magnitude is never sensed by the ex-
perienced. These latter tolerantly
wave aside the gentle query of the
Travellers Aid workers Can I assist
you in any way?" if put to them. with
scarcely a thought as to what that
same question means to the weary,
lonely, oftentimes bewildered and
frightened strangers, who alight by
the hundreds daily from the trains that
constantly rush through Washing
tons Union station.
The greeting of comfort and cheer
which the kindly women wearing the
badge with the typical sheltering
palm hold out to all strangers that
enter the gates of the terminal and
the ready hand of service revives dy-
ing hope and faith and restores conf
dence to all who avail themselves Of
its benefits. Even the willful runa-
ways recognize in it real friendship
and submit to the protection and au-
thority that is behind it to save them
from themselves.
The Union station is the literal gate
way of Washington and is thus the
Alpha and Omega, as well as the great
midway of the countless comedies and
tragedies that order in varying de-
grees the journeyings of the throngs
that pass through it. Every class OF
society and every element of human
happiness or sorrow mingles in the
rush past of the hurrying crowds.
X *'k *
To the Travellers Aid, the guardian
angels of the station, they are all
Just people," regardless of class.
color, creed, age or condition, and
they may need some service. great or
small. No pen or brush, unless magic
tipped by genius, can portray the gamut
of emotions that find expression in
the needs, the mistakes and the cir
cumstances that come to light under
the minlstrations of these workers.
day in the Union station would
furnish the most ambitious photoplay
artist with wealth of material that
would rival some of Balzac'S comedies
or fill the hearts of the sympathetic
onlooker with thrills akin to those
Oh OuIndS, cOulu He uut Aoiio" .he
devious trails into human passion
which find setting and a stage In
the prosaic stretch from the ticket
window to the waiting train.
To measure or classify this service
rendered by the workers of this pro-
tective organization rendered all
hours of the day and night, all days
in the year. would be impossible, as
it is given to tit the emergency,
whether it be in securing bottle OF
warm milk for a wailing infant or
the services of an undertaken.
diversity of troubles which beset so
many of the travelling public, the
writer sought out the presiding ge-
nious Of the organization in Wash
ington. Mrs. Walling Van Riper of
New York, who since last June has
tary, and in that brief time has es-
tablished it on most efficient lines.
Through her efforts the great con-
structive and protective principles of
the organization have come to be
recogiized and valuable factor in
Washington life.
Mrs. Van Ripper brought to this work
q vast background of experience
gained in many lines Of philanthropic
service, much Of which was done in
or near Washington, and this has
made her we'll known to itsLPeople
Her nrst introduction to local inter,
Special Aid Society. which rendered
important service during the war.
Then came a year Of home service for
the American Red Cross. Besides
this, she was financial secretary of
the Fort Greene district Of the Brook
lyn bureau Of charities; also head of
q liberty bond department in a New
York bank. and put in long service
on the New York committee Of acci-
dent prevention. Her most appre-
ciated enlistment" however, was as
a social worker at the base hospital
at Camp Meade. where the boys
firing service in their behalf.
When asked to tell of one Of her
days in the Union station with her
two assistants Mrs. Van Ripper re-
piled:
First Of all. let me tell you just
what Travellers Aid is. 1t is just ex-
actly what its name implies-an aid
to travellers Of all sorts, especially
those hampered by age. youth, mex
perience. lack Of ability to speak Eng
lish or any other handicap that makes
1t necessary for them to have as
sistance in getting to their trains and
safely on their journeys. The aid
sends kilograms notifying friends Of
the arrival Of a traveller, finds suitable
accommodations for those unfamiliar
with the city and not met by friends,
obtains wheel chairs and careful at
tention for invalids, gives special care
to young girls travelling alone. 1t
10 watchful in protecting girls from
the attentions Of undesirable men and
likewise looks after children and
young boys who are making trips by
themselves.
"Yes." Mrs. Van Ripper answered the
question, "one must love humanity to
do this work. The late Phillips Brooks
said. The longer I live. the more hu-
manity appeals to me- You will no.
tice. he did not say any particular
type or phase of humanity, but hui
manity. That 10 the keynote Of the
Travellers Aid Society and the ac-
tuAting motive Of all who enter its
work.
II shall not attempt to tie these in
cidents to the hours in which they
happened, for sometimes two or three
days elapse before we feel that a case
is closed, and often correspondence is
maintained for a long period.
'One Of the most Interesting girl
cases was discovered apparently
waiting for q train here in the station.
She was about seventeen years old
and alone. The Travellers Aid worker
approached her and after chatting a
while learned that she had q ticket
for . southern city. and there seemed
nothing to be done for her. But you
know, in this work we rather de-
velop q sixth sense where girls are
concerned. and hence the worker
chattted on with her in a friendly
way, seeking for the opening to be Of