dally, the greatest private telephone e*
changes in tie world are those at the
United States capitol, and in the most
extensive go-ernment departments at
Washington, as, for instance, the war
and navy dei artir ents, and the depart
ment of agriculture. Such an exchange
covers hundreds of ’phones, and there
is a “night service:’’ which enables com
munication with all the more impor
tant officials at their homes. The
equipment of the more notable of these
governmental exchanges is perfection
itself. The switchboards, for instance,
are of the illuminated type. That is.
instead of the receipt of each call heing
marked by the fall of a small metal tab
—something that may easily be over
looked by a 'hello girl”-—the summons
for "central” to make a connection is
given by the illumination of a small
electric lamp—something that cannot
readily escape notice. The switchboard
of this type provides, of course, one
THE TELEPHONE,
tlotoh car or the
U.S. oSSGJTAE CORPS
r.
>«'CLE SAM has been quick to
adapt to his own uses all the
notable inventions and innova
tions of the age. The tele
phone, wireless telegraphy, the
automobile, the flying machine
and all the other notable scien
tific and mechanical advances
of the generation have been
pressed into service by the fed
eral government as quickly or
almost as quickly as spheres of
usefulness have been opened to
them in the commercial field.
Of all the nineteenth and twen
tieth century revolutionary cre
ations, however, no one has come to have such
dependency placed upon it by the national gov
ernment as has the telephone. Certain it is
that there would be occasion for universal sur
prise were it possible to compile statistics that
would show what proportion of the government
business is now transacted by telephone.
Every federal official, from the president to
the most subordinate of the nation's public
servants, has a telephone on his desk, and con
siderations of time saving and monetary econ
omy, to say nothing of the conveniences, impel
the almost universal employment of the "in
stantaneous” communicative system. It has,
to a great extent, displaced the mails and tele
graph Washington, our national capital, is
’ fam-ous as the "best telephoned city in the
world,” and it is likewise known far and wide
as the "City of Magnificent Distances”—two
circumstances which combine to influence
heavy dependency upon the telephone by the
30,000 federal employes at Uncle Sam’s head
quarters. More than this, however, the execu
tive branch of the government is coming to
rely more and more upon the telephone for the
transaction of official business between the
seat of government and federal offices in oth
er cities. Aside from this extension of long
distance telephone operations, Uncle Sam,
thoroughly abreast the times, is now conduct
ing practical experiments with wireless tele
phony.
Perhaps the most convincing evidence that
could be offered of the degree of dependency
which Uncle Sam now places on the telephone
is to be founa in the attention paid to the in
stallation of telephone facilities in the new
$50,000 office building recently completed for
the use of President Taft and his business
staff. Ever since the Spanish-American war
the telephone room at the executive offices has
been considered one of the most important
features of this model business establishment,
but the equipment of the reconstructed White
House annex Is infinitely superior to the tele
phone facilities In the- old structure, and is. In
deed, probably the finest and most complete to
be found in America—that, is the most notable
that has been provided in any private resi
dence or corporate business office, or else
where than In the up-to-date telephone ex
changes in our largest cities.
The new telephone room at the White House
adjoins, on one hand, the general staff room—
the working quarters of the president’s clerks
and stenographers—and, on the other hand, the
office of the secretary to the president. Just
beyond this is the presi
dent's private office, so
that the chief executive of
his "right-hand man’’ can
reach the telephonic
nerve center with very lit
tle trouble. The private
branch exchange in the
matter of switchboard and
all the details of equip
m e n t, represents the
latest approved practice
and the wiring of the of
fice is thoroughly up-to
date. By no means the
least important feature of
the telephone room is a
specially designed tele
phone booth, claimed to
be the finest booth and
the only one of its kind in
the world. This is for the
use of the president, when
using the long distance telephone, and the
structure is sound proof in the highest degree.
In general appearance the president’s new
telephone booth conforms very closely to the
usual type of booth found in hotels, railroad
stations and business houses all over the coun
try To be sure, the oak wocd of which it is
constructed has been specially selected for its
beautiful grain and the plate glass in the door
and windows is unusually heavy, but in gen
eral appearance the booth conforms closely to
prevailing standards. The distinctive charac
teristics is the roominess of the interior. Not
only will the booth accommodate satisfactor
ily so bfg a man as President Taft, but there is
ample space for a stenographer to sand beside
the president’s chair inside the booth in case
the executive should desire to have a memo
randa taken down in shorthard as he received
it over the telephone. There are also facilities
whereby if desired, this booth can in warm
weather, be connected with the novel air cool
ing system which has been installed in the
new White House offices for the purpose of
making them habitable to a weighty president
during the dog days.
Through the medium of this telephone clear
ing house—with an operator on duty night
and day—the president has the entire official
world at his ear. First of all, it serves as the
■'central” of the White House private telephone
system. This system has 18 “inside stations”
as they are known in technical jargon—that is,
it controls a dozen and a half different tele
phones distributed about the presidential man
sion, the White House offices and the grounds
and thereby linking the business offices, the
living quarters, the kitchens, laundry, stable
and garage, etc., etc., not forgetting the head
quarters of the police froce of 32 men that
guard the White House, and the members of
which may be needed at some point quickly, to
control a crow-d or remove a crank. Via the
president’s private exchange his ’phone or any
of the other 18 may be quickly connected to
any of the thousands of ’phones—official and
non-official—embraced in the public telephone
system of the city of Washington.
little incandescent light for each subscriber In the sys
tem. The expense of such installation may be surmised
however, from the fact that the switchboard of this pat
tern recently placed in one of the governmental ex
changes cost $5,000.
Some few public men in Washington who do not wish
to be bothered with business after office hours, have
adopted the expedient of having secret or unlisted tele
phones at their residences. Under this scheme the public
man confides the number of his confidential 'phone to
intimates or others whom he is willing to have call him
up, but so far as the telephone directories show, he has
no ’phone at his residence, and “central” is forbidden to
connect persons who cannot give the confidential number
that acts as a password. A possible disadvantage of th<s
system was illustrated in the recent predicament of
Senator Henry Cabot Lodge of Massachusetts, who. in en
deavoring to call his own residence by 'phone, discovered
that he had forgotten the number. After several unsuc
cessful attempts at a solution of the difficulty, he was
finally obliged to call up the White House and obtain his
number from the operator in charge there, who, fortu
nately, recognized the senator's voice.
The United States arriv and navy have for some time
past placed great dependence upon the telephone. Aside
from the extensive use of the Invention at navy yards,
the telephone has been emp’oyed universally for interior
communication aboard our battleships, and the keynote
of the new fire control system on the reconstructed
battleships is found in the telephone installation which
permits nuick communication between the officers at the
top of the new fire control towers and the officers who
are directing gunnery operations from protected stations
in the heart of the ship
The army similarly, has utilized the telephone for all
sorts of communicative purposes at forts and military
posts, probably the most important being its employment
for communicating determinations of range from the fire
control and batttle direction stations to the various bat
teries. The army has also emploved the telephone for a
variety of field operations, including experiments with
the motor telephone and telegraph car of the United
States Signal corps, and a particularly mobile system
which has enabled the laying of telephone wires and com
munication by telephone betwreen horsemen
riding at a gallop in opposite directions.
However, the higher circles of officialdom
are by no means dependent upon the public
service for their telephone facilities. They
have a very ingenious system of their own. It
is a secret network of wires, and, very natural
ly, it is centered in the White House. Pri
marily, this confidential telephone web consists
of a special private telephone wire leading
from the White House to each of the nine de
partments of the government. The main pur
pose of this is to enable the chief magistrate
to at any moment consult with any of his nine
cabinet officers without any danger of eaves
dropping, but of course, should the president
desire to communicate confidentially by ’phone
with any subordinate in any of the depart
ments, it is a simple matter to summon such
individual to the secret ’phone, rather than to
have him communicate with the White House
via the regular telephonic channels.
Equally important as arteries of quick com
munication, are the two special telephone
wires leading from the White House to the
United States capitol. One of these lines leads
into the great exchange at the big white-domed
building, and through this “central” the presi
dent can get connection with the private office
of any senator or representative, or with the
cloak rooms or other rendezvous of the law
makers. The other line from the White House
to the capitol is a strictly secret line. Not
only does it not lead into the exchange at the
capitol, but the terminal Is not accessible to
any person save with the president’s sanction.
It Is safe to say that there are men who have
been in congress for years, who do not know
of the existence of this secret line to the
W’hite House, much less know the location of
its terminal. However, the line serves a most
important purpose, for it enables the president
to at any time, confer with the vice-president
or with any senator or representative—for in
stance, the administration spokesman or floor
leader—In absolute security as to the confiden
tial character of the verbal exchanges. Not
even a “hello girl” can overhear what is said.
In number of connected telephones, and in
point of the average number of calls handled
Latterly both the army and the navy have
taken up the wire'ess telephone. It may be re
membered that during the round the world
cruise of the battleship fleet, the wireless tele
phone was employed extensive’y for communi
cation between the various ships. Now the
United States Army Signal corps Is taking up
wireless telephony with long distance installa
tions, with a view to determining the utility
of the system for field service. With the in
struments in use it is possible to communicate
in an ordinary conversational tone for a dis
tance of 15 to 20 mites. The army experi
ments are designed especially to develop ap
paratus that will combine compactness and
lightness.
VIEW OF SELF-SACRIFICE
A question which frequently arises in so
cial relations is to what extent should one sac
rifice one’s self to oblige one’s friends. More
than half the social pleasures entail a sacri
fice on somebody’s part. Money has to be
spared that can ill be afforded, people whom
one doesn't like have to be met and health
has to be disregarded in order to keep an en
gagement.
The life of the average woman seems to de
mand of each successive day just a little more
of her time and consequently of his vitality,
and when she adds to her own burdens those
of other people, by filling in a place at the
last moment, or by doing any one of the mul
titudinous other little things that oblige so
cially, she is on the road to destruction and
had better learn to say “No” before she has
to go to a sanatorium. Every social leader
has on her list some of these tried and true
mortals whom she can coax into working over
time. For this reason her dinners are never
clouded by a vacant place; her entertainments
are always a success. But the woman upon
whom she leans pays for it all, even though
she has her good time.
ALL SUNSETS ARE NOT ALIKE
Domestic Happening Helped Mrs. Pe
terby to See the Beauty of This
Particular One.
Mr. and Mrs. Peterby were sitting
on their piazza. It was late after
noon and the sun was making his final
preparations to gild the western heav
ens. Peterby sat in mute admiration.
‘‘Did you ever see such a superb
sunset?” he exclaimed, rapturously.
“It is simply wonderful! Amazing!”
Mrs. Peterby did not join in his
enthusiasm. She shifted uneasily in
her chair.
“You would think anything was
good,” she replied. "You’ve just had
a good dinner. But it’s just an ordi
nary sunset, nothing more.”
“Where are you going?” asked Pe
terby. “Why can’t you sit still? Just
like a woman. No artistic apprecia
tion.”
“I’ll be back presently,” replied
Mrs. Peterby.
Four or five minutes passed. She
came back and sat down. There was
silence.
“It is beautiful," whispered Mrs. Pe
terby. “Don’t think I ever saw a finer
sunset. See that exquisite coloring
ofT there—and those feather effects.
Perfectly lovely!”
Peterby turned his face slowly and
gazed at her.
"What did you do in the house just
now?” he asked.
Mrs. Peterby’s face beamed.
"Why,” she replied, “the cook was
going to leave, but she told me she
would stay another month.”-^-Success
Magazine.
A Modern Woman.
A Massachusetts woman can talk 54
languages. And It was a Puritan poet
who decided that one tongue was
enough for a woman. — Cleveland
Leader.
Church Bell Kills Sexton.
M. Dumet, sexton of the church at
Bayet. was killed by the bell falling
from the tower. He had gone to ring
it to announce religious service, when
it snapped ofT and dropped, killing
him on the spot.
Making a Life.
Many a man has made a good Ily
ina who has made a poor life. Some
man have made splendid lives who
have made very moderate and even
scanty livings.—Success Magazine.
By F©IIy95 Aid
By ELEANOR B. PORTER
(Copyright, by Short Stories Co., Ltd.)
The schoolroom was very quiet.
The master sat at the desk, wearily
leaning his head on his hand, his eyes
fixed on a boyish scrawl decorating
the blackboard across the room.
“This world is all a fleeting show
for man’s delusion given,” he read !
with a mild wonder as to how Hobby
Green chanced to express so pessi
mistic a doctrine.
The misquotation, as it stood, was
certainly in sad accord with his own
ideas but that was no reason why
the children should learn the truth
thus early in life.
Scott Fairfield the -ew master of
the district school at the Corners, had
the name of being a “powerful hand
for grammar and composition,” but
today he nad outdone himself. After
a lengthy and painstaking explanation
01 the word “biography” he had
startled the children by requesting
each one to write the biography of
some friend or relative; and it was
with many laborious sharpenings of
pencils and much rattling of paper
that the youthful writers had begun
their task
At the Deans’ supper table that
night, during a momentary lull in the
conversation, came Polly’s oppor
tunity
"Mamma, what’s a biography?”
“Bless the child—what is she up to
; exclaimed airs. Dean in gentle
surprise.
"It's writing a whole lot of nice
things about somebody—praising him
way to the skies, when it isn't true at
all!" snapped Aunt Madge, who had
just been reading the eulogy of a man
she cordially disliked
"It's telling of everything a person
did do. and a few things he didn't,'*
declared brother Ned with a shrug of
his shoulders
"My dear, it's a fi’M account of one’s
life which one would never recognize
as one's own." said her father, as he
Now and Then She Stole an Upward
Glance at His Face.
pushed back his chair: and in the
general laugh that followed. Polly
slipped away
The biographies were to be read on
Friday afternoon When the appoint
ed time arrived, the youthful authors
betrayed some excitement and nerv
ousness as they rose one after an
other to offer their contributions
The master looked down very kindly
at Polly's flushed cheeks and shining
eyes, but he started slightly as she
announced in a shrill trable:
THU BIOGRAPHY OK MY AU.N1
M ADGK
This beautiful lady was born. oh. i don’’
know how manv years ago but ever so
ti any-much as 20. maybe She isn't dead
yet. so i don't know when she died She
is tall and slim, and has got a lot or
shiny gold hair piled way up on top of
her head, and she is the prettiest lady I
ever saw 1 love her very, very much
She is never cross and never says "Run
away." I don't know anybody else who
don’t say: "Run away" sometimes Hu:
this beautiful lady is very sad Some
times when I look at her I want to cry
but I don't know why. so I don't Once
upon a time she had a lover. I know this
because she has got his picture upstairs
In ner room. I don't think he is as pret
tv as she Is. and I told her so one day
She looked awful funnv. and took the
picture away quick. He looks a little
like my teacher, only my teacher has i-n.
whiskers, and he hasn't This lovely Ud.
has not been here very long, but 1 wish
she would stay forever. That is all i
know about her.
POLLY ANN DEAN
Scott Fairfield's lace was white and
his voice was very low and husky as
he called on Tommy Brown for the
next biography
When Polly started for home that
night, she found the master beside
her
May 1 walk w'ltb you. dear?” be
asked, with a wonderfully sweet
smile
Poliy was raised at once to the sev
enth heaven of delight. She blushed
and hung her head, but she looked
sideways out of her eyes to see if
Mary Ellen and Susie were watching
—the master was not wont to be so
gracious
"Do you think your Aunt Madge Is
at home to-night?" questioned Fair
field again, with a strange diffidence.
Polly nodded.
"Perhaps you will take me to see
her,” he suggested, almost deferential
ly, and then he was strangely silent.
“It must be Madge." he was think
ing. "It is just like her own pround
self to make no sign Pride? What
was pride worth, anyhow! He was
sure he would throw' his to the winds
His blood was coursing madly
through his veins and he was ting ing
to his finger-tips when Polly opened
the gate before a pretty white cot
tage; but he contrived to watk with
proper sedateness behind his small
guide, who was iairly quivering with
the delightful importance of the oc
casion. He was pacing nervously up
and down the parlor, however, when
Polly disappeared in quest or Aunt
Madge.
Scott Fairfield started quickly for
ward as the door opened, but his im
passioned "Madge" qku un ms ups,
and Ms outstretciied baud mopped to
his side Poll* was leading a small, |
dark-haired, bright-eyed woman up to
him and saying:
"This is my Aunt Madge, Mr. Fair
field.''
Every vestige of self-possession left
the master of the village school, and
he stumbled and blundered in hope
less confusion, while his lace went
from white to red, and red to white.
“I—er—oh—there is some mistake
—er—I'm delighted. I’m sure—" then
to Polly with wrathful recklessness—
“Why, child, you said she was tall
and—" he stopped short with a sud
den realization of the vivid color that
was staining scarlet the face of the
pretty little woman at his side.
“Aijparently my niece has been fa
voring you with my personal descrip
tion—and the reality disappoints
you,” she began frigidly, but with the
suggestion of a twinkle in her eyes—
there was something wonderfully
ludicrous in the picture of confusion
before her.
The poor man opened his mouth to
speak, but Polly came to his rescue.
"Papa said you wouldn't recognize
it!” said she, gleefully.
“Recognize what?" questioned Aunt
Madge, turning to Polly in surprise.
"Your biography, of course, and
you said it was praising 'em way to
the skies when it wasn't true, too!”
Aunt Madge colored and bit her lip,
and the ghost of a smile flickered for
an instant across the distressed face
of the man; then he gathered all his
scattered wits and made a mighty ef
fort.
“1 sincerely beg your pardon. The
fault was all my own l was led, by
what this little maid said In her biog
raphy, to think that in her Aunt
Madge 1 had discovered a long-lost
friend. I only hope you will kindiy
excuse my awkward stupidity when
you realize how great must have been
my surprise as 1 saw. not my friend,
but an entire stranger enter the
room." Then he turned to Polly with
a faint smile, but a deep pain far
down in his eyes "I fear, my dear,
that my meaning was not quite clear
to you about the biography i did not
intend that you should imagine it
all.”
“1 didn't!” asserted Polly, stoutly.
"I was telling all the time about a
beautiful lady that I love very dear
ly, and it's all true, every bit of a
word It’s Miss Weston, over at
Cousin Mabel's I just wrote about
her for Aunt Madge's biography—
that’s all.” added Polly with a sob in
her voice.
“She means Madge Weston w:ho is
visiting my brother's family across
the street: the young lady has sud
denly become Polly's idol." explained
Aunt Madge hastily, marveling at the
great light which transformed the face
of the man before her, as the name
passed her lips.
Five minutes later he had mingled
hasty adieus and apologies and had
turned quick steps toward the house
across the way
Aunt Madge, with a sympathetic lit
tle thrill for that other woman's com
ing joy. saw through the window the
door of the opposite house open and
close on Fairfield's stalwart form;
then Polly was surprised with a spas
modic hug and a fervent kiss from her
usually undemonstrative auntie.
Women as Inventors.
A writer in Cassier's Magazine cele
brates the inventive skill of women.
He notes in the long list of me
chanical devices “springing from the
fertile brain of American womanhood”
a machine for driving barrel hoops, a
steam generator, a baling press, a
steam and fume box. an automatic
floor for elevator shafts, a rail for
street railways, an electric apparatus,
packing for piston rods, locomotive
wheels, a railway tie. a stock car. a
boring machine for drilling gun
stocks, etc That is all very well, but
no woman has ever invented a ma
chine that will button her up the
back She has to marry a man to get
that done with neatness and dispatch.
Future Living Conditions.
M. Jules Bois, the distinguished
French writer, who has discovered
much concerning ancient civilization,
predicts that in a hundred years' time
the great cities of Europe will b*
practically uninhabited except for
business purposes during the daytime.
All classes will live in the country
or in garden cities, to which access
will be cheap and extremely rapid,
owing to the development of pneu
matic railways or flying cars. The
motor car will have gone completely
out of fashion, but the bicycle will
come again in favor, for a sort of fly
ing bicycle will be invented, which
will enable the rider to soar in mid
air.
Korean Mining Industry.
The mining industry in Korea gives
employment, directly and indirectly,
to some 8,000 Koreans. As regards
copper deposits the Kapsan mine, in
the northeast of Korea, which is now
held by an American company, has
for centuries been worked by Koreans,
and preliminary surveys of the prop^
erty revealed the possibilities of rich
deposits of the metal. Coal and Iron
are widely diffused, but difficulties of
transport render the working of these
deposits even where rich, impossible
at present except in the case of the
anthracite coal mines near Pyeng
Yang. which are under the control of
the Korean government.
Pictures Future for Rabbit.
A theorist on the rabbit problem
suggest* that some day the rabbits
will actually be cultivated and im
proved <n Australia, as the sheep was.
his fu. lengthened and the value of
his skin thus improved, both as cloth
ing in cold climates and as the basis
of felt for hats. He pictures possible
future stud rabbit sales. But that is
a dream of the future. At present the
rabbit in Australia is a declared pub
lic enemy, to which no man can give
harborage without incurring the re
sentment of the law.
