WATERBURY WATCH CO.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 40, 15 February 1894, Page 3

WATERBURY WATCH CO.

, The first female telegraph operator jn ftew Zealand (says tho " Tuapeka Times ) was a plucky little woman named Mrs WKean, wife of one M'Koan, postmaster at tawreuce. In the yer 1865 Lawrence was Bitched on to the telegraphic system then opened in Otago. In anticipation thereof tho inspector had undertaken the task of initiating the various postmaster along the line in the mysteries of telegraphy. Mr M'Kean was a most obtuse pupil. He could not be made to understand tho points lot Mr Inspector do what he would. The ' postmaster's residence was under tho same ioofas the Post Office. In that way Mrs W'Kean had a chance for overlooking what was going on. The obpervations were only casual, and as such they must have been euperh'cial. Still, they wero enough, for her purposes. She was a shrowd, active, intelligent little body, and over all possessed a rare virtue in the female character *—she, knew how to keep her own counsel. The inspector was on the eve of giving up in despair, and made up his mind to get a separate operator for the station. That meant £20 or £30 per annum of a loss to tho postmaster, but he was,himself quite reconciled to it. Mrs MqKean, however, did not view it in the same light. Probably she foresaw curtailment in the household expenditure,-and as .the was-a woman with a large family, that was a matter of grave consideration. " Let toe try it," ahe said to the inspector, apd to the amazement of tho latter she did the work •' up to the knocker." She continued the work for a period of two years, and we nave authority for saying there was not a better worked office in Now Zealand than the Lawrence office under the regime of Mrs •McKean.

An American lady who missed by a few being olected Attorney-General oi Montana was afterwards appointed Assistant Attorney-General. A few weeks ago, Mißs Ella Knowles was sent to Washington <*n business relating to the school lands of her State, which was pending in the Interior Department. She had to make a presentation of the State's claims before six heads of law divisions, and finally secured a decision in her favour. Another lady, a Miss JSmerson, of San Francisco, has been appointed Commissioner of the United States Court of Land Claims. The position Wto some extent judic al. She will take testimony as an examining officer, and will flecide whether the Btatementß made before Her are relevant and material or the opposite. For several years she has conducted tftypewriting business.