Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-02-20
AS ONE WOMAN SEES IT
Work Done BY the Travellers" AID
Seelsty, With Some Little Side.
Ilshts on the stranger In
Town on Sunday
BY SARAH d. LOWRIE

20. by SAkAH u. LOWR1E
T AM always making vows that will not
L 90 to another public luncheon or dinner
to hear speeches about a cause spelled with
q big G, and then for eome weak personal
fssSn Lamb am besusd and find myself seated
they all come from. those chickens? l know
where they 90 to. II done had 'speriencc. "
At public luncheon everything legends
on the person you sit next to--the cause is
really secondary. In one week succumbed
to three banquets. and it so happened that
at one Of them both my neighbors at table
and the cause made the affair most reward
Ing. My neighbors belonged to the Society
O. Eriends. and the cause was the Travellers
A good many years ago I was at the
organization meeting Of the Travellers Aid
In this city, and a great and good friend Of
oil needy travellers and good traveller her.
self. Mrs. William Shaw Stewart, presided
bringing the whole idea before the RESPONSE
bic people Of the town. She has been dead
good many years now and new Board Of
Directors has arisen, but for me the Travel
ers' Aid still means Mrs. Stewart, go ! was
doubly glad to 60 and hear all about its
progress.
We were only asked to listen; the society
Is on the Federation list, and our time for
giving was not then or there. My feeling
is, however. that It Is doing a great work
fSr al OF US, and If it needs our support 1t
COMETIMES when I an coming back to
~ Philadelphia from journey and the
train goes on md on through miles and
miles of streets and I look across the roofs
of thousands and thousands of houses. say
to myself, How Is 1t possible that in any
place so big and crowded there is a house
which my key fits and a room made ready
for my coming and people who will actually
know that have come home! Two million
people! And yet I still belong there and
1t is a very wonderful feeling. And the
reverse OF it is very strange feeling. and
under some circumstances frightened and
quite terrible feeling. The Travellers Aid
Society has been founded and is working to
take away the fright and terror and to give
and a sense of protection while they are
within our borders both welcome and pro.
lection.
So far as It Is humanity possible 1t de.
Nvers those who appeal to 1t and those who
are put in its care and those whom It can
seek out and fnd-from evil
Eighty thousand travellers pass through
the Broad Street Station during a day.
One hundred and seventy five thousand pass
through the New York Terminal. Among
these there are children as Young ns eight
and adults as old us 100 who travel alone
Last year, during the New York strikes,
many ships docked here and $1,000 immi-
grants passed through our port, speaking
twenty-six foreign tongues. In one day
5000 were landed. and during the course OF
the year 300 girls came over to marry men
here, many of whom they had never seen.
0NE Of the officials of the society, Miss
~ Murray. the head of the New York City
Bureau, rccounted two travellers tales that
had been reported to her within twenty four
~ mi ..n
grim who gave his nge as 1U3 and his des-
ttnation as Ireland. He had come from
Lincoln, Neb.. and was minded to turn
about and 60 home because, as he remarked.
after oil there would be few who would re.
member him or care about his coming to
Ireland. since he had been gone just ninety.
six years.
1t was while he was debating this new
thought with the Travellers Aid agent in
the Pennsylvania Station that he diyulyed
to her that he was stuffed with money from
his boots up. fle was taken to Il bank and
$1,000 was found about his person. changed
into drafts, and his tickets bought and ar.
rangcments made for his return to Lincoln
and Il welcome and safe home provided for
him.
If he had got out of the station and into
the New York streets alone and garrulous,
vet suspicious, 1t is hard to say what would
have been his fate.
The sOciety's agent Mt the Grand Cen
nf .ho nru;.aI -" c go ".' .'',' 'net snHie Gay
OF sne arriva! OF Two travellers from Maine
,bn ,.aro imes "e1T eas!y recognizable, for
as alikc as Two cnconmts ",rH TGo WINS anu
we're Teddy Rooseyclt Rohirson ar1 nn1,.s I.inn
solomon Robinson, and ,k.y wer" sem t>'ns ns
their wav rn;oicinu "et' Sene Oh
0F COURSE. bundrods ~ oh;,,.. ..
~ going to the Klondike or TO the West
,,ranpIng. anu little girls coming to town to
look ABOUT, are quietly rounded up by the
s;a, s;atlon 9mciaIs ana handed over to the so:
c.ety anu eventually sent nome or held until
tnelI parents can reach town. OF course,
n"lnrcus o. rnnaWny girls and cloping
sninx ssounx women ana escaping Old women drift
Satloh ana arc sent BACK or sent Oh or taken
e"te ~. ~ "s tnelr cases warrant.
e.. -nsnI anu Hay there IS some one ready
Terminal. They are on the piers when the