Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1918-01-25
81 YEARS CLERK,
WOMAN LIKES II
FEDERAL GMPLoYg At CAPITAL
TELLS LlFE-sToRY
Attributes Health and Ensroy 4
Simple Llfs-Rsads Much.
sleeps Little.


Washington, D. c. Seated In q
large leather arm chair In big rit-
tingroom lined with books In he Id
soms covers. surrounded with d, W.
era. the tributes Of friends. anC .
cozy lamp on q reading table. n %
Elizabeth r. Hyde. q clerk In the .ls-
partment OF the Comptroller of he
Currency. told how she has struge ed
nfty-two years to get from $500 IN.
nually to $1,000. with never . cVm'
plant.
Before coming to Washington In
December, 1864" said Miss Hyde. II
taught school in Brattleboro. IT,
where was born July s, 1881. re-
gan teaching when was Is years I'd.
and taught in several towns In Ma a,
chpsstts. a. well - my home town. At
that time ! had no idea Of ever com.
ing to Washington. but one Jay
Charles II. Field, q prominent attor-
nsy. wrote telling me he had obtain
Cd place for me In the treasL y,
and to come to Washington - o. on
a. possible.
80 just one year before the elise
Of the Civil War, came to this tity
10 take up my work In the trsasu ~.
whore have been for nfty.two ye; rs.
started at $780,"
Miss Hyde remembers clearly he
assassination OF Prssirent Line Din
and the CONSERVATION It caused.
u saw President Lincoln's bcdy
carried into the White House from
the windows Of the treasury, after he
had died In the house on TIE tn
street." she said. Il saw the grG nd
review Of the Northern troops by rhe
President, which lasted two days.
Returning to the topic Of her prog
rsSs In the treasury. Miss Hyde 81 i'd:
1T took me twenty years to get up
to $1,000. ! never asked for an in
crease. preferring my earnest effk rts
and good record to speak for th M
selves. At that time (1ssI) I was do
ing work which should have CON-
manded q higher salary. and was told
20 by the chief Of the division. but
! did not get the higher salary"
Five years later" continued Miss
Hyde. II was promoted to s1,40o. 7 nat
was in 1889. As the years rolled on
! expected an increase at any mo-
ment, but 1t never came. You can
imagine my surprise when was in
formed that had been promoted to
$1,000"
Miss Hyde stopped . moment to an
swsr q knock ut the door, and q maid
handed her q large box Of caram els.
She placed them on the table and
smiled her appreciation"
Miss Hyde will be So years ole In
July. Her voice 10 stu vigorous and
her hand. steady.
What do ! attribute my good
health and energy TOT" Miss Hyde
asked In response to Q question. why
I believe It Il because I lead q most
simple Life. ! never 60 out, prefer ing
to nit here and read. You see what q
large library I have"
She pointed to bookcases Allsd
with books.
Another remarkable point Miss
Hyde made was the fact that abe
never goes to bed before IL O'Clock
and gets up at In the morning. Il
find that ] don't need more than ave
or six hours sleep. and never get I'D
feeling bad" she said.
When asked II she would Like to 70.
tire and take q rest she said
mo, would rather continue work
ing. ] have always loved my work.
and It has always absorbed my entire
attention. Now that am all alone In
the world, would not know whs. to
DO without 1t. Ny niece In Borton
has repeatedly asked me to give up
my position and live with her, but
would rather stay here"
Miss Hyde comes from q hardy
family. Her father. she says. Lived
to be SS years old, and her mother So,