| Show 4 RAILROAD CHAPERONS Unique and Successful Business Carried Car-ried On By Three Women As railroad chaperons Miss Zerelda Wallace Beaty Miss Emma C Bingham Bing-ham and MIss Anna E Brady hold unique positions among women workers work-ers They are employed by one of the largest railroad corporations in America Amer-ica to accompany tourist parties sent out by this road oUia restl ftt1 Ladles by birth breeding and education ion they are all exceptionally charming charm-ing and may be counted In point of salary and congenial employment among the successful business women of America Miss Beaty when asked about her duties as a chaperon laughed and said 0 they are only nominal at least that Is what I have been told by per I sons who hear of my frequent trips over the country and the number of agreeable people I meet But personally I would say my duties are indescribable indescrib-able first because they arc innumerable innumer-able and second because in a great measure they depend on what turns up I think you will readily understand under-stand that the duties on one trip are seldom if ever duplicated Of course we never make two trips with exactly the same persons under exactly the amc conditions I At the beginning of a trip I always go through the formality of introducing myself to every woman In the party explain my position and let her cleary understand that It is my pleasure as well ns my duty to have her call on me for any Information or assistance during dur-ing the trip Where there are ladies traveling alone or several together unaccompanied un-accompanied by a man I make myself especially nice so they may reel no hesitancy of calling on me about the most trivial occurrence Of course I often have the same person go with me on different trips I say go with me because they really make their arrangements that they may go on the trip where I am to be the chaperon This happens I am sure as often if not oftener to both of the other chaperons and we know each I others friends quite well DUTIES OF THE POSITION I But to go back to my duties as chaperon chap-eron on the train I see that the ladies have every possible comfort If I notice no-tice persons who give evidence of haying hay-ing traveled little before I find occasion occa-sion to be especially nice giving all Information desired and making them feel as far as possible at home with their surroundings When we arrive at our destinations or at a stop I see that every one of my charges understand under-stand where they are to be quartered for how long and at what expense Of course this includes the transferring of their baggage though personally that Is superintended by the gentleman who accompanies each tour the man chaperon we may call him Why couldnt a tour be conducted entirely by this man chaperon Well I suppose It could but not with as much comfort certainly to some ladies as when they have a woman to call on Then too the girls You have no Idea of the numbers of young girls fresh from school often still in school whom I have chaperoned on my numerous trips Why sometimes one would imagine Imag-ine me the head of a large female semInary sem-Inary Of course these girls are serious charges and have to be looked after very carefullyat least I might say continually But as a class they give no more trouble than the grownup tratelersmnd make very fllsiiTTiinr1 p i nsButI am digressing again e I lescribing my friends our girl travelers travel-ers nearly always become friends instead in-stead of my duties At the end of a tourthat is at the other endevery member of the party Is informed where I can be found dur ng the entire stay at what hour I will conduct them around the place we are visiting pointing out objects of interest inter-est and at what hours I can be found at my room In the hotel Now dont I I understand as many people do that the whole party is expected to go out sight seeing with me whether they so desire or not for such is not the case They are perfectly free from my persecutions per-secutions unless they desire to be persecuted per-secuted and need not see me from the time they leave the train until they return re-turn Even when on the train you know tourists are not compelled to call on me They are to use their own pleasure pleas-ure I am simply a convenience thereto there-to be called on when desired BRIDE AND GROOM PROTECTORS 0 yes we have some very amusing experiences How could it be otherwise I when I tell you that during the six years I have acted as chaperon I have been to Florida at least 25 times to California half as often and as for Washington and other short trips It would be Impossible for me to say without with-out consideration and much looking backward I have certainly seen and known of some very amusing occurrences occur-rences but of course it would never do for me to tell you about them What would my friends say at seeing themselves written up So the only way to find out wu Jld be to take a trip with me And I would advise you to select a Florida trip There you will see the greatest number of bridal couples You know we call ourselves bride and groom protectors and on some trips we certainly have our hands full living up to that title but never do we forget our duties In that direction Newly married couples are sacred and we see that they are never annoyed by practical jokes or otherwise You ask if I had any training for the position No certainly not Like other women when the necessity arose for me to make my own living I took the first think that offered In my case the first thing happened to be librarian In my native town then I had this position posi-tion offered I took it and here I am I have a vacation In the summer travel back and forth over the country the remainder of the year making myself useful to other people Of course I make many charming acquaintances and taken as a whale my occupation is pleasantLAFAYETTE LAFAYETTE MLAWS |
