The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-07-30
ABOUT MISS BEALs.
Wichita Telephone Girl Engaged to
Kansas City Man.

Kansas City Man.
Miss Matte Helen Beals, an operator
in the Wichita telephone exchange of
the Kansas and Missouri Telephone
company, drew claim No. in the Law
ton district The land is valued at
$4,000, and Miss Beals is receiving
showers of congratula tions from her
friends and acQuaintances this after
noon, says the Beacon
The news was first broken to Miss
Beals by Miss Marie McKinzie, an op-
orator in the long distance department,
who heard it as the list of names came
over the wire from the Reacons repre-
sentative at FL Reno. Hastily casting
aside the receiver around her head
Miss AcK1nzie rushed peH nell into
the large operating room and breath
Iessly exclaimed:
.sOh. Matte. what do you think?
You've drawn the second claim in the
I4aWtOn district"
For a few seconds Miss Beals and
the other girls in the Office thought it
was a joke. but Miss Mckinzie was so
persistent in her statement that at last
the truth dawned upon Miss Beals and
she began to believe that she had
drawn the claim.
i am going down there right away"
she said in response to a question as
to what her plans were for the future
I may go to Arkansas City this even
ing. where my brother lives" she con-
tinued. and from there 1 will prob
ent plan is to live on the land and
make it a home for my mother and
sister I have been SO besieged with
congratulations from my friends since
the news came that I have hardly had
time to think 1t Is certainly great
piece Of luck.
In company with Florence A1ling,
one of the other operators here in the
Office, I went 70 Ell Reno on the 17tn
of July. We left here in the evening
and returned the following night We
didn't know a soul at FL Reno, but
someone directed US to call at the
Episcopal minister's residence there,
and he told Us about private family
where we could spend the night We
had no trouble in registering, and had
a very conforta bic journey.
"A queer incident occurred last
evening which superstitiously in
clined person might consider the cause
for my good luck. was out at River
side park with party of friends
listening to the band concert On our
way back picked up a horseshoe and
brought it home with me- One of the
party said, I'll bet that draws claim
for you at Ell Reno tomorrow, Matte
We all laughed at the remark, but now
I'm rather inclined to put a little faith
in hOrseshOes-" AS she said this her
eyes twinkled IN a way which left the
reporter in doubt as to the seriousness
of the remark
The Associated Press dispatches from
El Reno give Miss Beals' age as %.
the report but generously gave all
other information asked. Miss Beals
is a compare lively new conner to Wich-
ita only having been here since June
ed in the Kansas Cit telephone ex-
change. Her mother, Mrs L J. Beals,
has been a resident of this city for the
past two years and resides at 41S South
Market street
Miss Beal is a Kansas girl and was
born at Harper. She resided there
- e.
after which the family removed to
Stillawter, O. T. Several years later,
they moved to Kansas City, Mo While
on a visit to relatives at Saltwater
three years ago. Miss Beals father
died. Since that time, the family has
consisted of the mother and her two
daughters, Matte and Dolly.
Miss Beals is operator No. 5 on the
local exchange board She is a favorite
with her companions ard there is no
one who begrudges her the magnificent
prize In appearance she is what one
would call a striking young woman.
She has light brown hair, blue eyes and
a complexion in which the color comes
and goes at will. Today she wore her
was dressed in a pretty pink shirt waist
and a gray skirt, which set off her
graceful figure to advantage
MISS REALS ENGAGED
Kansas City, July 30--Char1es v
Akerland, head porter OF the Savoy
hotel here. is, it is understood, engaged
TO marry MISS BealS-
About six months after he arrived in
Kansas City he met Miss Beals who
was then a salesWomaE behind the no.
tion counter at the Jones Dry Goods
Co One day. a year ago last April,
Akerland was making some small pur-
chases in the store when his eyes met
those of a beautiful girl with light au-
burn hair and a smiling face. The
smile did not vanish at the first sight
of her future betrothed- The attraction
was mutual Months went by and the
acquaintance rfDened into an engage
ment but neither had any money with
which to set UP housekeeping and they
decided to wait until they accumulated
sufficient for that purpose. The outlook
did not argue for its early consum-
nation One day Miss Beals came from
behind the dry goods counter and be-
came E hello girl at the Missouri and
Kansas central office at SO a week Two
months ago she left the telephone ser
vice and returned with her mother and
sister to their former home in Wichita.
Yesterday she drew a farm which il