The Washington times., 1935-08-28
NOW
A Telegraph Key
That Cleans
TAFT'S ACTS
By HELEN EssARY

By HELEN ESSARY
I thought that putting things
off until the last minute and
then tearing the hair was sup
posed to be q characteristic Of
women-until I watched Con-
gress adjourn.
That telegraph instrument
whose Unexpectedly dead"
wire almost spoiled President
Roosevelt's opening Of the new
Chattanooga Highway, is prob
ably the most celebrated and
costly telegraph instrument in
the world.
To begin at the beginning,
the officials Of the Alaska
Yukon Exposition back in 1909
requested President Taft to
open their great show with a
telegraphic signal in Washing
ton. For the purpose, a gold
telegraph "key" was wrought
solid, except for the contact
point Of platinum.
The lavish Alaskans then
adorned the key with % gold
nuggets, each the size Of a
thumbnail. The first nuggets
to come from the great Klon-
dixie field. Sounds like fairy
tale! It was, practically.
After the opening of the ex-
position the officials there pre-.
scented the key to Mr.. Taft.
Mr.. Taft, in turn. presented it
to DR.. e. w. Smithers, chief
communications officer at the
White House. Mr.. Taft was
always generous and impulsive.
Although the fabulous tele.
graph instrument is the private
possession of DR.. SmitherS and
is worth thousands of dollars
Che has been offered $4,000 it
has been drawn from its fire
proof vault perhaps 200 times
in the past rs years for cere-
monial use.
President Taft opened the
Panama Canal with it's help.
President Hoover used it for
the Cascade Tunnel.
President Coolidge opened the
San Diego Exposition and
scores of minor events received
the presidential high sign, Ego"
by q simple touch of the key.
It's mighty lucky that Mr..
Morgenthau didn't ask to have
the gold telegraph key turned
over to the Treasury Depart
1nent.
President Roosevelt may 'for
one be willing to put his faith
in the youth of the country" "
but there are times when Mr..
Layton r. Colburn, who knows
about automobiles and people,
has his doubts about Young
America.
This doubt may be only Re-
publican campaign matter-Mr.
Colburn is not violently Demo
cratic. However, here's one in
cident Mr.. Colburn remembers
as typical Of the responsibility
Of youth.
A young man arrived at Mr..
Colburn's office one morning,
one definitely pre-Roosevelt
morning, and said he had come
from an automobile insurance
company to check up on GER
tain prospects. What about a
man named william Howard
Taft. w. H. Taft? That's the
fellow. What about him?
Let me think, said Mr.. Col
burn. Oh, yes,-he's a boot
logger. Bootlegger, wrote down
the young man. And before that
he was in the retail liquor bust
ness. The young man took fur
ther notes. Anything about
his character? Certainly, said
Mr.. Colburn. He's a hit and
run driver!
Thank you very much, sir
said the young man as he TOOK
down the last note. I just
couldn't place him myself.
Mrs. George B. Simmons, ex.
plotted by the G.. o. P. land
by mel as a naive daughter OF
the soil, has had for months, I
learn, with humility, a literary
agent. The agent probably fol
lows Mrs. Simmons out into the
fields and guides her typewriter
as she plows.
Government clerks are always
polite and intelligent when I
phone them for stray bits Of in
formation.
The people at the Congress
sional Library are particularly
endowed by Heaven, and the
personnel clerk, with patience
and sympathy that would have
given Job a twinge of envy.
Some nice voice in the read
ing room recently found out
for me, after digging through
old books. who carried the mes
sage to Garcia" Another nice
library voice once discovered
Frances Scott Keys relation
ship to a Georgetown gentle
man. s'-.
I hope these words Of praise
won't bring too many phone re-
quests to the reading room.
Tall. handsome Bob Will
IASaNatWY