Evening star., 1951-04-22
Personalities and Impressions
BY Jessie Font Eyons

This city's first public stenog-
rapher and woman notary public,
Miss Lydia Mantle Fox, at 90, still
uses her portable typewriter ex-
pertly, keeps UP with her short
hand and supports herself with
her around-the-clock notary serv-
ice in her home at 2215 Washing
ton circle.
There is surprisingly little gray
in her hair: her hearing and sight
are remarkable, and so is her
pluck, for she was handicapped
nine years ago by a fractured hip,
which caused her to be bed-ridden.
She completely ignores her infirm-
lty in the pursuit of her profession.
Her numerous clients do too, after
their first gasp Of astonishment.
The saga Of her life, recorded
primarily she says because / am
the Oldest living member Of my
family" is set down in her book,
Eighty Years Plus" which cov-
ers the years 1861 to 1945.
While she was teaching school
in Oswego, N. Y. in 1881 for two
dollars and a half q week she was
intrigued by the new business
methods being taught by the Chat
fee Shorthand and Typewriting
Institute, the first of its kind in the
United States. On completing its
course she went to work for the
st. Lawrence Manufacturing Co.,
which was engaged in making of
agricultural machinery. In her
new job she was paid So per week.
Here she attracted the attention
of Henry w. Doubleday of the
patent firm of Doubleday and Bliss
OF this city and consultant on the
patent rights of her employers in
Oswego. If she would come to
Washington, she would receive $50
a month with increases up to $65
and SIS. If she stayed with the
patent firm for a year.
Met Clifford Bergman.
There were no labor laws
then" she reminisced. II worked
early and late for that salary
with no time off except Sundays,
Thanksgiving Day and Christmas.
Then came an opportunity to do
secretarial work for Represent
ative Springer of Illinois at the
Capitol, with whole new world
of broadening opportunities OPEN
ing up for me-" 1t was during this
period that she met the late Cliff
ford Bergman, whose talents as
a cartoonist were just beginning
to be recognized.
In her secretarial work at the
Capitol, Miss Fox met the great
and near-great in its legislative
bodies. She recalls that no con-
gresSional appropriation was then
made for assistants. members
having to pay for 1t out Of their
own $5.000-a-year salaries.
AT one time I worked for three
men who were to become Cover.
norS Of their States-La Toilette
OF Wisconsin, Blount Of Georgia
and John Lind of Minnesota" she
told me. II always felt a partic-
ular glow Of satisfaction when ]
was commended by the scholarly
Senator Henry Cabot Lodge o.
Massachusetts," she said.
Miss Fox was secretary for John
Sharp Williams for years. OF his
f1stlc encounter with another
member on the floor of the House,
he said to her: What would he
have me do, when I was called
a liar Appoint a day to de-
bate it?"
Started Hotel Service.
o. g. Staples of jefferson
County, N. Y, manager of the
National and Willard Hotels, and
later owner of the Riggs House,
was responsible for the next step
in her secretarial career. He sug-
gested that she set herself up as
a public stenographer for his
clientele, a then totally unheard
OF service for hotel patrons in
the Nations Capital. While she
worked at the old Willard Hotel,
her office was in its long sitting
room. At the Riggs House, where
she stayed for five years, her
office was in the reading room