The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1907-02-20
Guest Of Royalty as Result Of
Chance Meeting
NO ONE ELSE COULD OPERATE
THE MACHINE ON THE
BIG STEAMER.

The heroes of Anthony Hopes nov
els. who stepped from commonplace
existence into the midst of the noblest
families of the world, and met on terms
of equality dukes and earls. and then
returned. without a tinge of regret, to
their old humdrum life, did nothing
more wonderful than a young woman
| telegraph operator of Chicago has
just done.
| 1t was Miss Medora Olive Newell.
operator for the Postal Telegraph and
Gable company, who, at one bound.
leaped the breach which separated the
| chair in the telegraph substation at
Market and Adams streets and became
the guest of the Hungarian nation. to
be banqueted by the first families of
the land Now that it is over, she has
returned to her telegraph instrument
and it well satisfied with the click,
| click of the instrument
| "Of course travelling is all fine and
one likes to meet great people, but l
am glad to get back to work again"
she said yesterday, as she resumed her
work after two months absence. Il
would not care to change places with
any of the people l met, even though 1
| do admire them"
Received Attention Through Chance.
! Chance and Miss Newelrs ingenuity
are alone responsible for the attention
| she has attracted. 1t was on board the
| Cunard liner SlavOnia, that the young
| woman operator first became the friend
of the members Of The Hague peace
| commission. who later made her &
guest of Hungary.
Miss Newell, who had been sent
abroad for her health. by the Postal
company. more than two years ago,
boarded the Slavonia on the coast of
Sicily to return to the United
States. On the liner were the 102
were bound to Washington to interest
President Roosevelt in the second peace
tribunal. Miss Newell | arrived on
board at the psychological moment, as
the members of the commission were
making every effort to send wireless
Austria Hungary.
The operator on board was unable to
handle the instrument. however. and
they had just about given up in de-
spair. when Miss Newell offered her
services.
Sends Much Desired Message.
Il believe l can help you" she vol
unteered and the instrument was
turned over to her.
After a few moments of study, the
wireless message. which was a tele-
gram of cOngratulatiOn to the emperor
upon the occasion of his birthday ami
versary. was shot off through the air.
But a young woman who undertook
the intricacies of this instrument which
was such puzzle to them, could not
be understood by the members of the
commission. They talked to her. and
asked her questions, and before New
York was reached they had agreed that
she should visit Hungary as the guest
of the nation.
You have helped us out of Il dilem-
ma, and We want to reward YOU" said
Artistic Desswffy. secretary of the
Hungarian parliament position which
in general corresponds to speaker of
the house in the United States.
Miss Newell smiled, blushed, and re-
turned to Chicago. and the incident, as
she believed. was closed, when last
Christmas a bulky letter was re-
ceived at her residence, 433 West Mon
zoe street. She examined it. and found
that it was nothing less than an invita-
ton to be the guest Of Hungary, and
to be the leading person in a program
Of banquets that had been drawn up by
members of the commission.
Three Weeks On Continent.
On Jan. 5. the operator left her key
n the Parrotte building and started on
her travels. She had nearly three
weeks on the continent. The program
included a reception at Fiume. a port
IF Hungary. where eight members of
he commission met her. There was a
banquet at which Count Marco Alex
ender, governor of Fiume, presided.
Then there was a banquet at Abazzia
md many visits to the houses of men,
oers of the nobility, all of whom We're
much interested in the American tel
egraph operator who seemed as much
1t home among the members of parlia
men and nobility as among the whole
sale houses of Market street Chicago.
1t had been planned that she should
be permitted to take Secretary Dess-
WHY'S seat in parliament, on the OPEN
ing that body. and. for a few minutes,
WELD the gavel but there was no ses-
sion during January. and Miss Newell
was compelled to return to Chicago
without sitting in parliament. She has
been invited to return when the Sec
ond peace conference is held. however. |
and she hopes to take her seat in the |
august body then.
Ends Trip at Desk.