Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 40, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 February 1908 — HOTEL CHAPERON. [ARTICLE]

HOTEL CHAPERON.

On* Installed by Sew York Hostelry —Boon to Strangers. Every woman who has had the experience knows how dismal it is to be a stranger alone in New York, says the New York Tribune. She wants to see things, but she. doesn’t know what to begin with. When she decides what to begin with she probably doesn’t know the best way to get there; or it may be a place to which it is not pleasant for a woman to go alone. Hotels are full of such women, and one New York hotel has decided to provide chaperons upon whom Its woman patrons can call when they desire. One young girl who came from Chicago was In charge of a chaperon there for a whole month. She wanted to see New York, sd her parents made this arrangement for her. So delighted was she with her visit that after she got home ahe made a scrapbook souvenir Of the month, with one page devoted to each day’s doings, and sent It to the chaperon. Looking after that girl was the first trial of the new plan, and tbs success of the trial decided the hotel to enlarge the system and make It a permanent thing. “Yon moat have a good deal of fan,” some one suggested to the woman who chaperoned the Chicago girl. “Going with women to matinees and concerts, visiting points of Interest, lunching and dining at smart resorts ” “Well, yes,” ahe said; “but it’s work, too. The last woman I chaperoned was a strenuous young person who wanted to see everything at once. She was generally about six steps ahead of me, calling over her shoulder, ‘Oh, Isn’t this great!’ It took some energy to keep up with her. And It takes energy to accompany a woman on a shopping excursion, I can tell yon. “A lone woman In a hotel does need some one to go about with her,” continned the professional chaperon. “Some women living in hotels get positively Inert for lack of such a companion. They come down to breakfast, go back to their room and sit there; come down to luncheon, sit around awhile and go to their room; dress for dinner, dine, sit around awhile, go to bed. ‘But what can I doT one woman said to me. ‘l’m obliged to remain a stranger in a strange city during my husband’s absence abroad on a business trip. I want to see the strange city, but it’s no fun going about alone.’ It was cases like this that made chaperons seem necessary.”