The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-12-11
Collegians Need Study in
7raUel, Says Aid Worker
BY HELEN LINDSAY


~ able to pass a course in
French III, but they would funk
a course in. train travel. AS she
prepares for deluge of bewild-
cred co-eds going home for
Christmas vacation. Miss Eleanore
Jones. Travellers Aid worker at
the Union Station, wishes the
modern college curriculum would
include such a study.
They spend their allowance on
one last fling at school, and save
only enough to buy their tickets
home" Miss Jones explains.
They forget the possibility of
missing train connections. or of
losing the ticket. And the Trav-
elers' Aid has to help them get to
their destination. Of course they
reimburse us. but it's surprising
that boys and girls can reach
college age and have so little re-
sponsibility"
Though vacationists present
problem at this season. the regu-
lar business of the Travellers Aid
is with runaway boys and girls,
immigrants and elderly people,
Miss Jones says.
G 1NCE Europe has become en-
~ broiled in war, we have large
numbers of foreigners coming
through Indianapolis daily. seek
ing refuge from possible army
service" Miss Jones explains.
Many young men of fighting age
who can obtain a visa into this
country and go to the homes of
relatives, apparently are leaving
their European homes.
1--WE recently had a young man
whose passport showed that he
was born in Louisville, KY, yet
he could not speak a word of
English. He was a Syrian. who
was born in this country, but had
been taken back to his parents
home at an early age. He re-
turned to America to avoid army
service"
Aiding foreigners presents many
problems TO Travellers Aid work
ers. Miss Jones recently assisted
an Italian girl to make train con-
nections by using an improvised
sign language.
She was on her way to a West
Virginia mining settlement, and
had a long wait here. Like most
foreigners, she had many paper
bundles. In one of them she car
ried her lunch, and 1 tried to tell
her to eat it while she waited
here, but I had difficulty in max
ing her understand.
Il circled my finger around the
face of my watch. to show her
how long she would have to wait.
Torrents of italian, which I could
not understand, were her answer.
Finally caught familiar word
she wanted coffee.
Il took her to the restaurant in
the station, and ordered coffee for
her. Then she was satisfied. and
after putting five Jumps of sugar
in the coffee, she drank it and
ate her lunch.
" 4 FTER we put her on the
L n train, we oueried Logan to
see if she had reached there all
right. She had, and five differ
ent families of Italian relatives.
met her"
Queries follow all travellers who
seek the Travellers Aid. Re-
Gently 5-year-old Negro boy
was sent from Indianapolis to a
Kentucky town, where his mother
was to meet him. A telegram was
sent his mother, advising her of
his arrival.
Two days later the local agency
received a card from the mother,
saying the child had not arrived.
For several days his location
could not be ascertained. Then
it was learned that other rela-
tives had met him at the train,
because his mother could not be
there, and had taken him to their
home and failed to advise the
mother.
Children of broken homes oft
en- present a problem to the
workers mere. One morning when
Miss Jones arrived at her desk,