by Dawnya Sasse
She stood and straightened her blue calico skirt. Her cream colored shirtwaist was crooked, and she went through the motions of adjusting her buttons and pulling on her sleeves. Something was brewing.
She reached for the door knob, exited her room and entered the upstairs sitting room. There stood Auntie Sadie, glowing from the inside out. Sadie didn’t move. She just stood like a lit up statue. Her hands open at her sides and a smile stretched from one side of her face to the other. Her brown dress took on a near-iridescent quality almost shining in the candlelight.
At that moment, Sarah felt a hand touch her on the right shoulder. She turned her head quickly to see who had touched her. Then a flood, flood, flood of peace came into the depths of her being. She was no longer alone. The truth was, she had never been alone. All of the pain was washed away, all of the loss, all of the strain. She knew in this one moment that God had always been there.
He had never left her alone. He was no longer just Auntie’s friend, He was Sarah’s friend. Even in this, her darkest hour, she was not alone. He had come.
Faith And Hope
The men arrived later in the evening than expected, but the ladies were no longer aware of time or space. That night Sarah and Sadie experienced a visitation in their simple sitting room. A presence was so strong that their burden seemed a thousand years away. Silently, in their heart of hearts, they knew they could lose it all yet had gained the freedom to walk away. God himself would open new doors.
It was Reverend Orvis that spoke first. His deep voice, breaking the silence. He cleared his throat and swallowed his last bite of ginger biscuit washing it down with a sip of tea.
“I don't know what God is up to. I just know that as I prayed in the chapel, the presence of God came into the building. He has assured me that you two have made a difference in Adams, and He sees it. Sarah, I know you don’t see it right now, but you have given people hope. You are the first people to come into Adams, give back to the community and not bend a knee to Andrew Saner.”
He coughed lightly and grinned. “Not to say that we aren’t praying for Mr. Saner, but the truth is, I believe God sent you to Adams to stand against a political power and give us hope.”
Sarah straightened her skirt and adjusted her hat, carefully gathering her words.
“Reverend Orvis, I came here to help my Father build his dream and then one day, I realized that his dream had become my own. I didn’t even know who Mr. Saner was the first day he asked to buy Papa’s building. But as I have washed the floors, and set the tables, I have watched the way Andrew Saner runs this town and the people. It did something to me. It made me determined. I don’t know if it’s because I am from the outside or if God just gave me eyes to see, but someone needs to stand up to this man. He owns the lives of these people and is slowly stealing their identity.”
She sighed and wiped a tear rolling down her right cheek.
“I’m not sure this stand has done any good. It has undoubtedly cost me everything I have, but given a chance, I would do it again. As Auntie says, God has something for Adams they just don’t know it yet.”
Thomas laughed.
Thomas stood pushing back the chair back abruptly. His long restless legs began to pace the floor. No one said a word. Reverend Orvis bowed his head and closed his eyes. They just sat in silence, waiting, with no idea what they were waiting for.
Then Thomas turned his bright green eyes to Sarah
“ Well, Miss Kunz, Sarah, I've been thinking of an idea for the last two weeks."
Auntie Sadie leaped to her feet, clapped her hands and cried,
“Glory! I knew Jesus would give you His thoughts. What did He say?”
Thomas shook his head and stroked his red sideburns. “Well, I don’t know whose idea it is, but it sure wasn’t mine. It just popped into my head two weeks ago Saturday, and I have been trying to sort it out ever since. I even sent a telegram to my law friends in Chicago to see if they could help.”
Sarah’s heart skipped a beat. She clasped her hands in nervous anticipation and again adjusted her hat and hair. Slowly she took a deep breath then exhaled. “I’d like to hear it, Thomas. What do you think?”
“Sarah, Have you ever heard of a telephone company?”
She nodded her head yes.
“Telephone companies are springing up all over this country now that Mr. Edison no longer has the patent on his invention. Investors are looking for ways to bring telephones to the railroad towns. They want to connect the towns to the outside world. Each town will need a switchboard. Over time the businesses will buy phones and someday even the homesteads will have them. The telephone companies come and string the wire and charge for the use of their phones.”
Sarah nodded again. She had heard about the telephone before she left Kansas City. The newspaper discussed the invention and its booth at a recent World’s Fair. Still, she wondered how a telephone could have anything to do with her and Sadie.
Thomas stopped pacing, sat down and leaned in. “Here’s my plan. I happen to know that the Chicago telephone company wants to bring their service to the entire plains region. They've been bidding for permission from the government. I contacted my friend in the city to find out if Chicago Telephone had made any progress.” He paused. “They have!”
“Sarah, Chicago Telephone is expanding all over Kansas, and they want to set up a telephone switchboard in Adams at the heart of Washington Valley. They need a building to do that in and they want to avoid the politics of small town bullies like Mr. Saner. I have proposed that they lease your building and set up the valley’s first telephonic center here right across from the courthouse.”
Auntie Sadie smiled wide but didn’t say a word. The decision was Sarah’s, and she would support whatever Sarah decided.
“So Thomas, you're saying that the telephone company would lease the Eaterie and use it as a center for their business? What would Sadie and I do?”
Thomas' face broke into a broad grin. “That’s what I liked about the idea. Telephone centers need switchboards to keep the phones running. They hire and train business-minded women to run their systems and maintain their telephones connection. They call them "switchboard operators" and they will teach you how to do it.”
He continued, “You can continue to live upstairs, I can still run my office, and you can operate the switchboard downstairs. Chicago Telephone will bring in a manager to work with the customers they gain throughout the valley.“
Thomas leaned in toward Sarah and looked into her dark blue eyes. He sat so close he could smell her lavender powder as he reached for her tiny hand.
Sarah released a deep gasp as big tears of relief flooded from her eyes. Reverend Orvis gave her his handkerchief and smiling poured himself another cup of tea. This was the best news he had heard in a very long time. He didn’t understand this new technology and he certainly didn’t know why anyone would want to use it, but if it could save Adams from being owned by one man, the Reverend was all for it.

“For I know the plans I have for you. Plans to prosper you and to give you a hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
Through the winter and into spring, Sarah repeated her new favorite verse aloud each day. Her whole life had changed twice in the last two years, but she hadn't given up. She had seen it through, and in the end, God had something better than if she had planned it herself.
Next door, Marco’s restaurant was filled day and night with Saner employees. Slowly, but surely, the restaurant became just another Saner tavern. Wives often stopped Sarah on the street and told her how much they missed her food, especially her pie. Families rarely went into Marco’s. Within three months of his arrival, Saner had argued with the Kansas City chef and Marco had left town. It was no surprise. Mr. Saner liked to run things his way and was rarely open to suggestion. The loss of the Eaterie was felt by decent folk all across Adams, but Sarah gave it little thought. She was moving on.
Sarah signed a contract with the
Chicago Telephone Company for the lease of her building. Just one week after learning of the opportunity in her upstairs sitting room.
In addition to the telephone business, Thomas took on a partner, expanded his practice and rented the rest of the mezzanine floor.
The four months of winter sped by and by March; Sarah would begin learning a whole new trade. She and Sadie would travel to Iowa for training in July. Until then Chicago Telephone had sent them large leather bound manuals for early study.
With more time on her hands, Sarah connected with a group of like-minded women who lived throughout the Washington Valley. The group called themselves the Women’s Temperance League, a group of women who planned to take back their towns, one community at a time.
Auntie Sadie continued to make herself available to the needs of others. From helping the sick to baking bread for the hungry, everyone in Adams was convinced that Sadie Kunz was a saint through and through.
Sarah treasured the memory of the evening in the sitting room. She would never forget the moment that she truly met her God. On that day He gave her hope, and He gave her love. In that instant when Thomas took her hand and looked at her with his beautiful green eyes, she knew he was a trustworthy man. Thomas was a man in which she could put her faith. He was a man like Papa.
Thomas and Sarah had become inseparable. She looked to him for direction, and he looked to her for support. She loved his fiery Irish temper, and He loved her German stubbornness. Together, they were a match made in heaven.
In April 1890, Thomas surprised Sarah on the steps of the Little White Chapel as they left the Sunday service. Like a giddy little boy, he ran down the first three steps ahead of her, bent down on one knee reaching his hand upward toward hers.
Taken back, she stood rooted to the step looking down at him.
"Sarah, he said. I want to ask you before God and men, will you..will you please be my wife? I love you Sarah Kunz, and I want to spend my life gazing into those deep blue eyes."
Silently, behind Sarah, Reverend Orvis, Sadie, and the congregation peeked through the windows and the doors, waiting for the answer that was sure to come.
Sarah giggled.
"Why Mr. Calloway, what took you so long?" She laughed and skipped down the stairs toward him. "I love you too Thomas. Yes, yes, I will certainly be your wife."
It happened so suddenly; she hardly knew what had hit her. All she knew was that Thomas Calloway, the quiet Irishman with his runaway freckles, bright hearty laugh, and sparkling eyes, was the man she wanted to spend her life with. A life spent together, in Adams.
A loud chorus of congratulations and hallelujahs burst from behind the doors. A celebration of spring had begun!
Resurrection Day
Life is filled with seasons. The season of winter, eventually turns to summer, if that is, you can survive. On a glorious June morning, Sarah Elizabeth Kunz walked down the aisle toward Thomas Michael Calloway.
The same aisle which had held her Mother’s casket, that cold winter’s day was now sprinkled with pink and yellow prairie flowers picked for this special celebration. Reverend Orvis performed the ceremony and all three of Sarah’s sister’s sat in the front pew wiping their tears. Today was a glorious day. A new beginning. A resurrection.
Auntie Sadie stood beside Sarah as the matron of honor. Her new burgundy calico accentuated by an ivory lace jabot at her throat and a bustle in her back. This gentle ensemble softened Auntie's complexion and made her appear years younger.
To Sarah, there could be no one else by her side. Sadie has seen her through thick and thin. She had shared with her faith, so alive, that Sarah could not help but be ushered into the presence of Jesus in her time of need.
Sarah chose an ivory, high-necked wedding gown made with layer upon layer of floral lace, a big satin bow and a short swooping train of layered flounce. Simple but elegant Sarah had loved it from the moment she saw it in the Sears and Roebuck's catalog.
Thomas stood at the altar in his best dark suit with a burgundy satin vest and dark blue ascot. His red hair was tamed for the occasion and his sideburns trimmed to perfection. Beside him, Reverend Orvis tenderly patted his shoulder nodding his head with approval.
Thomas' face beamed as he looked into Sarah’s eyes. Dear Sarah. She had restored his faith in God, for he had seen her faith in action. Sarah's hope, her determination, and her perseverance were all part of the beautiful gift that she was. Gently, he took her hand and said, “I DO.”
The bell over the little white chapel rang out across the courthouse square. Down the stairs, hand in hand, Mr. and Mrs. Calloway entered downtown Adams as man and wife to the celebratory shout of family and friends.

Thirty days later, Mrs. Thomas Calloway and her dear Auntie sat together rocking back and forth. The hours passed slowly on a steam engine train. Sadie and Sarah were finally on their way to switchboard training in Des Moines, Iowa. 350 miles from Adams, Kansas. Railway travel was challenging in any weather, but in the summertime, the heat was almost unbearable.
Telephone switchboards were initially run by young boys who were thought to have a quick intellect and fast reflexes. Unfortunately, boys also had a love for pranks and cursing which made them wholly unacceptable for live phone contact.
In 1879 the first woman telephone operator was hired by the Boston Telephone Dispatch. Her name was Emma Nut. Emma was followed by her sister, Stella and the two became the first women to operate a telephone switchboard in the United States.
In most cases, a switchboard operator had to be unmarried between the ages of 17-29 and was expected to possess a prim, even toned voice and lots of patience. Long arms were especially prized to reach distant phone plugs in a hurry.
In the prairie states, phone companies weren't quite as strict about their operators. Since Sarah and Sadie lived right in the building, both were approved to train as the first operators.
Sadie took Sarah’s hand in her’s and whispered “Girl, I have been praying. I think something is coming our way. I don’t know what it is, but I feel a dark cloud a coming. I have been asking Jesus to guide us on that day. “
Sarah turned to look at Sadie. She knew better than to laugh. Auntie’s "knowings" were far too accurate to wave away and dismiss. Sarah swallowed hard, “Is it, Thomas? Do you think something is going to happen to Thomas?” She paused, “Or to us. Do you think something is going to happen to us on this trip?”
Sadie shook her head. “I don’t have any way of telling. But inside my belly, I think something in Adams is just not right. “
Sarah nodded. She hated to think of a shadow on the horizon when the last few months had been so glorious. She and Thomas had begun the process of truly finishing the upstairs rooms and making a home. Thomas and Sarah would continue living above their business and Sadie would continue to stay in her room.
The process of creating a home brought Sarah incredible joy. Each piece of furniture, each wall covering was chosen with care. She longed to create a happy home with Thomas. The kind of home that Momma had given Papa.

Training days in Iowa were busy. The job of a switch girl was no easy position. Each woman was expected to work 10 hours each day. They had to speak slowly and clearly and follow a system of vigorous rules.
As the phone system grew within Washington Valley, each woman would handle hundreds of calls a day. It was long, physical work that required practiced focus for hours at a time. They learned to anticipate frustrated and confused customers who didn't understand the new technology.
As an operator, they would need to maintain calm at all times and lead their customers through the calling process using a minimum of words and phrases. Telephone connections meant that operators needed concentration and accuracy day in and day out. Sadie and Sarah would work different parts of the day assuring there would be someone at the phones both day and night in case of emergency. Sadie and Sarah practiced terms like “number please” and “thank you; I will
connect you now.”
Also, the telephone operator's appearance was of prime importance. Adams Telephone Dispatch would bend the rules on Sarah’s marriage and Sadie’s age, but they were still supposed to adhere to strict dress restrictions. They would be the face of the telephone in the Washington Valley.
The switchboard itself was a technological wonder. It consisted of a high-backed panel with rows of holes, each with a corresponding number. Plugs with long cords were pulled from the base of the desk unit and connected to the appropriate hole. In this way, a connection was made.
The operator then had to manually switch a front key to speak to the person on the other line, once completed, she would then flip the back key to ring the other phone. Sadie was a natural, and her quick wit gave her an advantage that Sarah did not possess. Sarah struggled to learn the difference between switches and plugs, but by day three of the training, she was gaining ground.