Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1872-12-31
NEW ORLEANS NEMESIS.
George Alfred TOwnsend's Sketch
of mrs. GA mes.


From the Chicago Tribune.l
Mrs. Gaines is the great female char
acter in New Orleans. She is a small,
plump, bright-eyed woman, and she has
been the heroine of very heroic law
suit, which she has personally conducted,
raising money for the purpose to the
amount of half million, recovering
nearly million, and With all the proba-
bilities in her favor of getting million
more. But If she were to get what she
would receive under other conditions
than those Of democratic public opinion,
she would possess half the city Of New
Orleans in its most valuable part, and be
a wealthier woman than Miss Burdett-
Coutts, whom Wellington endesvored to
s1arry out Of eovetousness to her for
tune. -
The home of this lady is in New York
city. but she spends much of her time in
New Orleans, where she has strong
| friends and strong enemies, almost
Naual in number. Her suit hGs involved
NV of her intimate friends, from whom
sae ,Sas borrowed money to pay lawyers
fees I'D court fees Her second hus'
hand a. .'ueral Gaines, believed Implicit
Iv In in he M .Fits OF her case, and gave her
g9oo oo0 n Il 'Sht il out. She has been
twice married and to excellent men
10th times: and | was told there that
lie brother of he" first husband had
beIned her with nearly the whole of his
finds There is a dash, piquanee and
nimbleness about this woman winch DIS,
tingnishes her as one Of the queens OF
her sex. She is said to be ABOUT siAly
years Of age, but would pass ior Iorly'
and. while her education is detective,
she il a natural authoress and lawyer,
and can write singing brief, where
sauce and justice are mixed togetner.
tShe is Just the sort of woman TO pc
identified with New Orleans-provln-
cialism and cosmopolitanism mingling
in her as among many of these old
Lnbitans Her mother had married a
French bigamist, and, discovering the
fact after she reached New Orleans, pre-
sumea to marry again the great Daniel
Clarke. who was one of the wealthlest
men of the South. He was one OF the
earliest property-holders in New Orleans
and represented that Territory IN Jeher-
SON 8 Administration. Clarke was smit-
ten with the beauty Of the French lady,
and contracted secret marriage with
ber-made secret in order to anticipate
a divorce from his French predecessor,
Rut. while he was absent in Washington
Civ his relatives and connections, vhn
had expected to get his money, told him
that his wife was unfaithful, and hired
her lawyer to tell her that her marriage
was not legal. Having a natural attec.,
tion for man, the French lady proposed
N take a third husband. This offended
Clarke. aud it seemed to confirm the
| lies which had been said against TINS
lady: and meantime bis daughter
was born-the present Mrs; daiaes =
sor whom he maintained affection, SO
Nat while be let his wife slide, he gave
" sry considerable snm OF money to q
nan In Wilmington, palGware, to be
nsed a nd applied to the education ct his
Jonqbter. and, at her maturity, to pre-
sent her With the principal. Thus the
hanks of the Brandywine, where lIaiay-
cite Thomas, Harry McComb and your
humble correspondent spent their youth,
Lecame the playground of the iuture
Mrs. NIninb6. ms NeNy N~ =
t;arv IN the State, and never whipped
white people at the post the custodian
of the baby saw no business reason why
he should not squander her money. ne
Ala sauander it, and history has made
,o mention OF the innumerasle iried
Chickens. roast capons and deviled
crahs which this unfaithful guardian de-
vonred out Of the Inheritance oi the
bSbe in the woods. A Mr.. Cro1ssdale'
Who il the best journalist in Delaware,
sometime eco collected the story OF MS;
Gaines childhood in Wilmington, and
it wss published, over another NAME IN
the Galaxy Magazine.
When the guardian had squandered
all the money, and both his liver and
conscience we're disordered, some iaini
recollection OF her childhood inspired
| dream ia the little ward.
She dreamed that her father was an
other person than the man she called
/ father. that he vas rich and alive IN q
| distant State, amongst negroes, ,molasses