The Washington herald., 1914-12-13

Mrs. Margaret Ash has worked for
Uncle Sam hfty-one years and found him
a kind 'boss. even If he doesn't PEN
sion his employees. She doubts II a bet
ter employer can be found anywhere, and
she shows her admiration for him by
declaring she viii continue TO work as
long as he wants her
1t is likely Uncle Sam VIII want Mrs
Ash on his pay roll for many, many years,
for although she is sixty-eight years old,
she is one Of his most efficient aids, and
is just as active in the performance Of
her duties as she was when she had been
working for him only quarter Of a CEN
> tury.
Mrs. Ash's first work for Uncle Sam
was helping to get out fractional cur
nency in the civil war, the paper notes
for 80 cents. Is cents, 10 cents, cents,
and cents. Her work today is counting
special revenue stamps for use in con-
nection with the new war tax.
The civil war was raging when Mrs
Ash went to work. II was November g.
lss3 and the times were stirring. Mrs
Ash then was only girl of seventeen,
a bride. But her husband went to the
front and she had 10 go to work Her
husband never came back, and SO she
kept on working. There was a little
daughter beside herself.
She Was Pretty and Timid.
Mrs. Ash was as pretty, they say. as
she was timid that day she first walked
up the broad flight Of steps into the clas-
sic stone entrance Of the Treasury De-
partment Necessity urged her as she
entered the big building, hope in her
heart and recommendations in her hand.
Director Clark was very busy. He
was directing the work of 500 employees
who composed the Bureau of EngraE-
ing and Printing. The force took upkall
the top floor OF the Treasury Depart
ment Building. Clark was, the first di-
rector of the new bureau. and it was
very natural that he was busy, espe-
.cially with a war in progress.
But Mrs. Ash won her way into his
Office and then into a job. In the first
place, there was a job in readiness, for
many extra employees were needed for
the rush work. Secondly. Mrs. Ash
looked as though she could fill the job
to nicely, and thirdly. her recon-
mendRtions corroborated her promising
appearance. So Clark told Mrs. Ash to
start in as a printers assistant.
She started in, and she hasn't finish
ed yet-that is, she still is working,
though half a century and a year have
elapsed. For fourteen years Mrs. Ash
worked as printers assistant. In that
time the girl Of seventeen disappeared.
thirty-one. The war had left her sad.
a widow. but there was a daughter to
work for and hope for and love.
After the fourteen years of assisting
a printer, Mrs. Ash was assigned to
running a perforating machine. In
those days the stamps were printed and
then perforated. SO they could be torn
apart. Now the printing and perforat-
ing is done at the same time. Mrs. Ash
often has wondered how many dollars
worth of stamps she has perforated.
She perforated for six years and then
was made counter.
Doing Same Work 81 Years.
She is counting today, doing the
same work she has been doing for
thirty-one years. Those who work with
her say she is just as careful and
thirty years ago. Her mistakes have
been remarkably few throughout her
service. and she is prouder OF her rec
ord than words can tell.
Secretary of Treasury McAdoo recent
ly took official cognizance of Mrs Ash's
long and faithful service in the follow
ing letter:
November II. :.
Mrs. Margaret Ash,
Bureau of Engraving and Printing.
My dear Mrs. Ash:
My attention has been called to your
long and faithful service as an employe
of the Bureau OF Engraving and Print
ing, and 1 wish to take this opportunity
Of congratulating and commencing you
upon your excellent record.
Very sincerely yours,
''W. G. McADOO."
Mrs. Ash is as proud of this letter as
she is of the photograph Of her grand
son, who has recently been graduated
from college and has started upon a life's
work in Chicago. Mrs. Ash has procured
an expensive frame for the photo and
she intends to procure another frame in
which to preserve the letter from Mr..
McAdoo. The letter, in its new frame,
will be hung on the wall.
Mrs. Ash is Of Irish parentage. Her
father was John Bruce and her mother,
Margaret Lowry, both OF Belfast, Ire
e. land. They were married in Belfast and
came to this country several years before
Mrs. Ash was born. She was born in
Baltimore January 81, 1876 and lived with
her parents in the Monumental City un-
til she was eight or nine years old. Then
she came with them to Washington and
studied at q public school located at