Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1913-06-03
GIRL NEEDS A MATE
Young Woman Has Profession
She Cannot Practice.
Wireless Operator, only One Of Her
Sex Who Possesses Government
Llcense-Must Be Two Opera
tors In Same Quarters

Margaret A. Donahue, a demure
blond miss of twenty, Is a living ex-
ample Of the fact that In these pro-
gressive times a woman can perfect
herself in a trade or profession at
which she may not practice. MISS
Donahue is the only woman wireless
operator In the United States posses
sing hrst-grade government license,
and yet she may not receive or send
wireless messages for pay for the rea'
son that she Is the only woman wire
less operator In the United States.
But II there should be another wire
less operator of the female sex posses
sing a government frstgrade license.
both that young woman and Miss Don
ahue would be In position to draw
salaries forthwith. AS a wireless OBJ
orator Miss Donahue has nothing Just
now but glory.
The reason lies In the laws govern
ing the human equipment Of wireless
stations aboard ship and ashore which
were passed last summer after the IT,
tanic disaster. These laws provide
that there must be at least two wire
less operators In each station, and that
these operators shall occupy quarters
within touch OF the wireless room. and
that one or the other shah be on duty
at all times.
Obviously Miss Donahue cannot be
assigned to share q ship or shore sta
ton with a man. And that is why she
Is anxious that another ambitious girl
may learn the wireless telegraphy
business.
There are thousands of woman
telegraphers on land wire lines. but
all these operators have to know IL
how to pound key and take mes
sage from the sounder. In wireless
telegraphy It Is necessary that the OBJ
orator be fully grounded In knowledge
Of the apparatus and electricity. Wire
less teiegraphy 10 q complicated de-
velopment constantly passing through
stages Of improvement
Miss Donahue became interested
two years ago while on q visit to
Atlantic City The wireless station on
Young's pier attracted her and she
was soon spending much Of her own
time and the time Of the operators In
patient investigation. Although she
had never before been interested In
telegraphy or electricity, the idea Of
propelling messages through the ether
fascinated her and she determined to
make herself proficient in the fascinat-
ing work.
Two months ago Miss Donahue trav-
eled from Boston to Florida and back
on steamer equipped with wireless.
On that trip she learned the alphabet
and, with the permission of the oper-
ator, flashed occasional hating signals
to other ships or shore stations.
On her return to Boston she entered
a school of telegraphy and qualified
as an operator in record time.
She took postgraduate course, as
it were, in the station of a signaling
company, on the roof of the Boston
Board of Trade building. and before
long was proficient enough to handle
regular messages between Boston and
the Bush Terminal in South Brooklyn.
Miss Donahue passed the necessary
examination for a government license
at the Boston navy yard last February.
officials. of the signaling company who
had watched her progress with inter
est, were anxious to give her a station,
but the regulations would not permit,
and until another woman wireless op-
orator qualities, or Miss Donahue mar
ries a male wireless operator-which
she might do; there's no telling-she
must perforce practice her profession
without monetary return.
Miss Donahue was born in Kenmore,
County Kerry, Ireland, the native
place of the big Tim" Sullivan clan
of New York and Boston. She was
brought to this country when a baby
and is a graduate of the Boston
schools