Evening star., 1936-12-26


Wv ators had no such per-
fectly equipped Offices for
the conduct Of their affairs as they
have today-indeed, when they had no
Offices at all--one little switchboard set
In the window of an unobtrusive niche
In the wall on the first floor of the
Capitol building served to carry on
the infrequent telephone commune
cation legislators then had with the
outside world and with each other
This was in 1898, and because the
Capitol served as the gathering place
for the various representatives of 4S
States. life was genial and cozy and
intimate. Groups met informally in
the halls to conduct business with the
casual caller. and the only meeting
place for Senator. Representative or
constituent was In the public cor
fidors.
There was a constant buzz Of con-
versation abroad in the Capitol in
those days. People did not scurry
through its marble areas intent only
do today. They used the buildings s
public spots for Office and the halls
Wed with the public tavern in the op-
portunities then afforded for coming
unexpectedly upon ones friends.
There were only two committees of
great impertance--the Committee on
Accounts and the Committee on
Appropriations--and they operated
throughout the year. so even with the
adjournment of Congress there was a
pleasant stir In the building.
Watching the passing scenes from
that unobtrusive window niche was
q young lady lately arrived from New
York. who had been appointed to the
position of sole telephone operator on
all Capitol Hill Born in Virginia and
resident since her marriage in New
York, Harriott G. Daily took up her
duties in the midst of all the corridor
activities with a resolve to give these
gentlemen who hailed from every
State In the Union "a hundred per
cent service" Today, in her Office in
the new House Office Building, from
q desk behind which she contemplates
the activities Of 81 operators. Harriott
g. Daley. wfite-haired and gentle
voiced. declares herself to be lust as
ambitious to give hundred-per-cent
service" as she was in the days of her
novitiate.
PUILT into this first-floor window
In those early days was a little
switchboard consisting of 81 lines.
Those 81 lines. Mrs. Daley assures me,
'buzzed all day long and were just
as busy in their own limited way as
this whole switchboard is now" Gov
eminent departments and branches
Of the Legislature had no central
switchboardS. Every time Mrs Daley
put through a call from the Hill she
had to go out on the main line and
make the connection as one does to-
day between private homes.
Before the introduction of this ST.
line board there was only one telephone
available for the use of all Senators
and Representatives. This was In the
post office of the House side of the
Capitol, and members had to stand in
line to make a call. OF necessity. con-
versation via the wire In those days
was very brief and to the point, with
a long queue Of fellow members shift
ing impatiently from one foot to the
other and glancing at the big gold
watches they drew at intervals from
eapacious vest pockets.
Operating her little switchboard en-
tirely alone, Mrs. Daley knew what it
meant to put In couple Of days work
every day. She would come on at 8
O'Clock In the morning and work until
pm. After brief dinner interlude
she would return to the Capitol for
night service and work until 1890 at
night. For two years she kept up this
arduous schedule. when increasing
business and the expanding ramifi-
cations OF Government, as well as the
limitations OF human endurance. made
1t necessary TO appoint an assistant
A small switchboard also was in
stalled on the Senate side of the Cap
itol and this was run by the pages.
There were no interconnections. A
page on the Senate side, wishing to
call Mrs. Daley on the House side of
the same building. had to plug into an
outside wire and put his call through
the general exchange downtown. With
expansion. these two boards were put
together and the two operators occu-
pied a small office in the Capitol
crypt.
The force grew to include four op-
orators, and with the necessary
changes that were then being made in
the arrangement and assignment Of