The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1906-08-18
FIRST MONUMENT
Erected to q Woman in the
United States.
The Story Of Margaret Of New
Orleans.

| In one of the falreSt parts OF the
city of New Orleans, at the beginning
of one of it's finest streets, is u unique
monument. But one word is inscribed
on it. That word is Margaret" The
monument is on a trianguIar-shaped,
grassy plot named by order of the City
Council Margaret Place." 1t is noted,
also, as being the first monument TO
a woman erected in the United States.
The monument is an interesting one.
A short, plump woman is seated upon
an old splint- bottomed chair it's legs
wrapped about with cloth reaching
to the floor, as you may have seen
a kitchen chair in some old fashioned
kitchen. The dress is plain, every
day calico dress. 4 crocheted sack,
faithfully represented by the sculptor's
chisel, covers her ample shoulders.
Her hair is combed back tight from
her full, round forehead, and is fast
ened in a close coil at the back. Her
face is strong and kindly. BY her
side, and leaning confidingly against
the woman, is a child, an orphan, who
looks gratitude into the face of the
woman, a face that one looks at with
admiration.
And what did Margaret Haughery do
have the honor of the FIRST monument
ever erected to Il woman in this coun-
try?
There is not much to tell" says
Grace King in her New Orleans, the
Place and the People," and yet the
story is as sweet and simple as love
Irish emgrants, died in Baltimore of
yellow fever, leaving their infant,
named Margaret, upon the charity OF
the community. A strong young Welsh
couple, who had crossed the ocean
with the Irish cmigrantS, took this
little orphan and cared for her as il
she We're their own child. They We're
I3aptists, but they reared her in the
faith of her parents, and kept her with
them until she married Il young Irish
man in her own rank in life. Failing
health forced the husband to remove
to the warmer climate of New Orleans,
and finally. for the sake o. the sea
voyage, to sail for Ireland where ne
died. Shortly afterwards Margaret, in
New Orleans, lost her baby TO make
Il living she engaged as laundress in
the ST. Charles Hotel. This was her
equipment at 20 for her monument.
The Sisters of d neighboring asy-
lum We're at the time in great straits
to provide for the orphans in theft
charge, and they We're struggling des>
perately to build n larger house, which
was daily becoming more necessary to
them. The chldless widow, Margaret,
went to the superior and offered her
humble services and a share in her
earnings. They We're most gratefully
accepted. From her saving at the laun-
dry Margaret bought two cows and
opened Il dairy delivering the milk
herself. Every morning, year afte.
year. in rain or shine. she drove her
cart the rounds of her trade. Return
ing. she would gather up the cold vic-
tuals which she begged from the hO-
tells, and these she would distribute
among the asylums in need. And
many IL time it was only this food that
kept hunger from the orphans. 1t was
during those deadly periods of the
great epidemic, when children were or
phaned by the thousands. The new
larger asylum was commenced and in
ten years Margaret's dairy, pouring It's
profits steadily into the OK 4h.,uuer. was
completed and paid for. The dairy wa.
enlarged, and more money was made
out of which an infant asy1um-hel
baby house. as Margaret called twas
built, and then the st. Elizabeth Train
ing Asylum for grown girls. With all
this Margaret still could save money
"One of her debtors. a baker. failing
she was forced to accept his establish
ment for his debt. She therefore
dropped her dairy and took to baking
substituting the bread for the milk cart
She drove one as we'll as the other, and
made her deliveries with the regular
ity that had become as characteristic
as her summer bonnet was She fur
nished the orphan asylums at so low
a price and gave away 80 much bread
in charity that it is surprising that
she made any money at all. but every
year brought an increase in business
and an enlargement of her original es-
adjustment. which grew in time into
a factory. worked by steam. 1t was
city. and Margaret, always sitting i,
the open doorway of her ,lIice and al
ways good humored and laxative. be.
came an integral part Of the business
world about her. No one could pass
without word with her, and. as Il
was said no enterprise that she en-.
dorsed ever failed she was consulted
} as an infallible oracle by all, raga
mullins. paper boys, porters, clerks
even by her neighbors. the great mer
chants and bankers, all called he
Margaret and nothing more.