The Washington herald., 1917-07-01
HELLO GIRLS REVEL
IN CLASSIC HALLS
Read Browning and Keats When
Days Work Is Over.

Hello girls, ninety of them. who have
been imported into the city from New
York, Philadelphia and Baltimore to
facilitate Uncle SANS telephone busi-
ness, are in their hey day now. They
are not pining away these fine sum-
mer evenings of their youth-the aver
age age OF the girls is %. Instead,
up on the heights OF lexington in the
spacious grounds of the Washington
College they are having the time Of
their lives.
When Uncle Sam and his National
Capital headquarters became so popu-
lar and people from all over the coun-
try began communicating with him in-
consistently, it caused an unprece-
dented dearth of telephone lassies.
With all the speed possible the local
branch of the Chesapeake and Po-
tomac Telephone Company formed
classes to meet the demand. But the
vast government business with which
they were entrusted with was too
heavy and too important to be handled
by apprentices. So they 'phoned a
kind of IS. o. s." to the three large
cities named above asking for a pOr-
tion Of their expert operators-and
each one of these summer telephone
girls is an expcrt-to come to the
Capital City and do their bit"
After they had arrived another diff
ficulty confronted the local telephone
officials. They had no place to house
the girls. At last, after comforting
with those in charge at the Washing
ton College and imprcssing upon them
the necessity OF the girls being put
up" nicely in order that they might
expedi-iOuSly handle the governments
telephone business, they were given
10, int ha scbnOl
masse.
In fact the directorate Of the college
decided that the proper lodging of the
girls was so important that they would
foregO their usual summer courses.
HOPE to Stay Forever.
The young women are today enter
ing upon their third week at the col
lcSe and when asked last evening how
long they expected to stay they
chorused: I'VE hope forever"
II ever work was turned into play,
these girls have done it. 1t is just
as Mrs. VI. \. Seery. who is chapcr-
oninS the ninety girls. says: The girls
are Eaving A vacation &c luxe
Back in old MOO York or either of
the other two cities, many of therI
after their working hours would
necessarily he confined in a swcltering
fiat their only exercise swatting mos
quitoes.
At the Washington College, in
groups of four and five. in the even
time they seat themselves on the
grassy slopes which surround the
buildings, revelins in the cool and
quiet.
Or, on other nights. they will be met
as they return from work by Mrs.
Seery, their chaperon, with the jolly
news that a bundle of theater tickets
have just arrived and they are to be
the guests Of 'the company at some
theatrical attraction for the evening.
On their rest days and on Sundays
they are free to browse about the ten
acre tract which surrounds the COL
lege, to enjoy little country fea-
lures OF which many are deprived who
are accustomed to the streets OF a big
city. About them chirp a score of
different kinds OF birds, chickens
scramble and cows stalk.
Work Turned Into Play.
Work for them Is being turned into
play indeed. 1t is with this object in
view. officials of the telephone COM
pany explain. that so much thought is
being given to the proper care of visit
ing operators. For unless they are sup
piled with pleasant relaxation from
the daily strain of their work, they
would soon be exhausted to remain
keyed to the high pitch of efficiency
necessary.
Mrs Seery explained that the girls
come directly to the college from their
work and eat and sleep there. Aside
from the fact that they are working
in the city in the daytime instead of
studying in classrooms, their present
life Is little different from that of
real seminary girls
While the girls are not allowed to
feel they are under any discipline. Mrs.
SeeTy is very careful to see that all of
them are happy and satisfied at all
times.
Some Of the girls. It Is rumored, es-
tablished in such an educational at
mosphere as they are, are beginning
TO send home for their dust-covered
school books. determined to put in
few licks" on Old Man Learning dur
ing their spare summer hours.
But each and every one of the en-
tire ninety Is re-infused with the "joy
Of living and always happy to give
three rattling rah rahs-for-oh. moth
ing in particular. but everything in
general.