The Washington times., 1934-09-15
Helen EsSary

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life without -.
telephone has Helen Essary
the peace of Heaven. For Two
months recently, I lived a tele-
phoneless' existence.
Was it inconvenient? Not at
all. Did worry about messages
that never arrived, shopping
that was delayed, plans that
were changed? Not after the
first day. Existence went on
calmly without immediate news
of the neighboring world. The
mail brought information Of
town happenings. Friends called
and gossiped inspiringly - in
perSon-not over the wire.
Ones busy hours were unin-
terrupted by the jangle of the
bell. There was time left over
for work and relaxation.
I know about the minutes
TASTED on the telephone. I my
self am too persistent tele-
phoner. And I loved being saved
the temptation of squandering
time-my own and other peo'
pies.
II you're the sort Of Wash
1ngtonian who really would like
to vote in the November elec-
ton for the Right Person. way
off there in your home State of
Mississippi, or Oregon, or Kan
sas, but you don't know exactly
how to go about mailing your
ballot, stop some day in the Of
fices of the Absentee Voters
Bureau in the National Press
Building. There you will find
several smiling ladies Gin new
fall costumes) anxious to give
you any sort of advice you need.
If the Right Person, in your
particular case, is Republican,
perhaps you had better go to
some other office. The Absen-
tee Voters Bureau is directed
by the Women's Democratic
Educational Council, Of which
Mrs. Grattan Kerans is the
president. Assisting Mrs. Kerans
are Mrs. Roselle Mills, Miss
Katie Lou McVickers, Mrs.
Mary Watts. Miss Ida B. Mapel,
Mrs. Vic Gauzza and Miss Mae
Helm. Mrs. Polly Pollyticks, an
elusive but capable character,
is likewise active in the work
of the bureau. Naturally, the
Democratic national committee
is delighted with this political
roundup.
Two fire engines of No. %
ompany went charging
through the heavy rain of
Thursday up and around the
steep Newark Street hill. Resi-.
dents of Cleveland Park heard
them tearing along. Snatched
their raincoatS and rushed out
to see what was happening. Any
fire that insisted on burning on
such a wet day must be a first
class fire. Too bad for anybody'S
house to burn down. But a fire
was a fire!
This was not a fire. Just at
the dip in the street beyond
Highland Place. the fire engines
paused neatly as only fire en-.
gineS can. The firemen Sprang
down from their Steaming char
lots. A woman under a drip.
ping umbrella came forward.
murmured something about a
wire on a tree, that she thought
the engine company should be
the first to know about.
The firemen searched anx-
iously for the wire. They con-
tinued to search for Is minutes.
The neighborhood gallery looked
about, too. There was no wire
in any tree. The woman under
the umbrella was embarrassed.
Sergeant Warfield said amiably:
9TH a is all right, lady.
Things like that will happen"
The firemen drove back to
their engine house at Connecti-
cut Ave. and Orway st. Set to
work rubbing the splashes of
fresh mud off their engines.
And Cleveland Park settled
again into the repose it has had
ever since Grover Cleveland
first used its biggest house as a
summer White House.
There's probably nothing at