The Washington times., 1911-11-02
FORTUNES SAYEDBY
SEARCH OF Waste
BASKET CONTENTS
Two Women Guard Treas
ury Office Refuse, Re-
claiming Valuables.
OLDEST GOVERNMENT
JOBS YIELD REVENUE
mo Scrap Too Small to Be Scanned
J 4 in Check on Carelessness
OF Clerks.

strangest Of many strange govern
ment positions are those in the
Treasury Department Of Mrs. Mary
Warren and Miss Kate Shea, known as
the ypfficial waste basket guardians
Finding money and valuable papers
in the refuse from the offices OF
Treasurer Lee McClung is the peculiar
vocation Of these two women. For
years they have picked over contents
Of the Treasury waste paper baskets,
and desk litter, finding and saving
thousands Of dollars for Uncle Sam.
and most expert have the two women
become In finding small fortunes in the
office refuse.
"If I had all the money have found.
/ couldn't spent It in q lifetime" said
Mrs. Warren today.
A package Of bills, in small denom-
inations, worth $4,000 is the largest
single ''find" the waste basket search
ers aver have found. For saving this
sum, Mrs. Warren earned q raise In
salafy. But Mrs Warren and Miss
Shea. It 10 said. save each week what
they cost the Government in q month.
For forty years Mrs. Warren has
searched the waste paper In her hunt
for lost valuables. Miss Shea has been
her assistant for ten years.
II Originated "Searcher's" Office.
Mrs. Warren. when sixteen years old
was appointed as charwoman in 1870
when General Spinner was United
States Treasurer. She frequently
found money and valuable papers.
resulting finally In, her appointment as
official searcher of refuse of the
: Treasurer's office.
Iny 1901 the work became SO heavy
that Miss Shea was appointed assistant.
room of the Treasury building base
ment, where they examine many pounds
Of waste paper daily.
most ss SsPf ths irsaas @ csiof GSta
Clerk Warner. Of the United States
Treasurer's office, pays to the women.
They find M.nnra money nr.,tt.s. CHECKS. drafts or
kndf are the final safeguard OF the
Greasurer's mall" says Chief Clerk
Remittances from national banks, ex.
press packages money sent for re-:
dsmption. constgnments Of oonds, and
postal savings bank correspondence are
the ands In the envelopes. packages.
,Eanh envelope Is torn apart, every
nook and Granny searched, and every
1paekAge is torn to bits. From 1000 TO
1000 envelopes each day are examined
y.
FOR burning after their inspection, saw
Ang the clean paper for sale.
H Paid to Be Honest.
Z Frequently we md checks and drafts
kor large amounts" says Mrs. Warren.
1--WE also find pennies. dropped frum
The coin room. Important letters and
almost every conceivable article have
been found in the litter. Once found
$50 personal money of q clerk, and had
p reward forced upon me.
But we are paid to be honest" said
Mrs. Warren, stating that every ar
ticle found is turned over to Chief Clerk
Warner.
! Mrs. Warren. telling CT her biggest
fhpd"-that Of $4,000 in cash. said:
y. found the money in a big express
box, all In small bills-quite a bundle
1T was about Z o'clock at night. was
20 excited over 1t couldn't 60 home,
and didn't know what to do with the
took 4 upstairs gTSe clerk * VINO os'
1t. now dead, was kept on the anxious
tSsn dSs tyaes waes * mSns1
him. The next month was promoted.
Both women say the work of tearing
np the envelopes and diging through
srduous. my fingers . get SO sore sore so@s ONE
times that / can't even button up m,
waist. and have to get help" says Miss
Shea, and hard callouses on the hands
of both women, are mute testimony !,
the painstaking work.
Mrs Warren Is widow and reside.
at 1915 Fourth street northwest. Sh,
was born and raised in Washington
where she has educated a family o
four children by her own efforts. He
birthplace is the present site of tn.
War Department. Miss Shea lives at
l. street northeast.