Evening journal., 1907-06-12


Of the big stockholders who had helped
the president out OF a hole She had
learned telegraphy at a school, and
this was her first place. A hundred
miles down the line lived her widowed
mother, and the girl was working for
the support Of both. When the opera
tors came to understand all this, they
"went slow" on her. Had she been a
man they would have let her sink or
swim She made mistakes, and they
covered them up. She became con-
fused and tangled up and they helped
her to straighten things out. She got
discouraged, and they flashed her
words Of sympathy and hope. They
would have done nothing OF the sort
for a beginner Of the male sex. He
wouldn't have held his job beyond the
first month.
Il was a bit strange that Charles
Morton. the new division superintend-
ent, had been In power six months be
fore he saw there was a woman on the
line. Even his private operator had
sheltered her. Then an accident TO his
train at her station brought the two
face 20 face. The man was brusque
and pompous In his authority. and he
was provoked and impatient at his de-
lay. He saw that the girl was a lady
and that her Office was well kept and
that she understood her business, but
even before lie had addressed her he
had made up his mind TO have her out
OF that at the end of the month.
She was told plainly that his division
had no use for her. He was not run
ming a kindergarten. AT the end OF
twenty days she would be replaced.
He had no complaint or excuse to
offer. In fact he was not a man 10
make excuses What astonished and
piQued him a bit was the way the
| young lady received his orders. She
was not in the least frustrated and lost
none OF her dignity While treating
him with the respect due his position,
he somehow felt that there was feel
| ing OF contempt for him ia her dc.
meanor He took his departure a
bit ashamed of himself and vet furi.
Gus that the whole division had con.
spired against him.
Within an hour Il was known the
length Of the division that Miss VII
liams had got the sack because she
was mere woman. She had the sym
pathy OF all the operators, and more
than one counseled her to appeal tC
headquarters. She thanked them FOL
their kind words and said that she
would be all ready to step out OF IN,
Office when the new man arrived. tn,
division superintendent should hav,
saved his dignity. but the feeling tha
he had been outwitted kept him boil
ing hot, and within the next ten day,
he discharged Eve operators and strucl
terror TO the hearts OF all the rest.
For inehiciency' was the report h,
made at headquarters. and that wen
in each case. The president OF rail
road never sees reports OF such trinin,
affairs ard would not read them 4
they were placed under his eyes. L
therefore followed that the presiden
Of the X. and /. knew nothing Of ,rha
had happened and was going to hap
pen az Stapleton. It might have alter
I'd the case if he had been appealed to
but the girl, knowing that She has
been crowded out through no fault ot
her own, would make no sign.
; Fifteen of the twenty days allowed
5 her to finish her month had passed.
was early spring. and there were con
stant rains. The track gang was
watching the big bridge and the deer
cut, but the floods rolled under th,
: one, and the banks OF lAs other. chow
ed no signs Of giving NY. Th1 sta
plston Office was cut Qpt 8 sse essssSI