Smyrna times., 1873-02-19
Sketch of Mrs. Gaines.

Mrs. Gaines is the great female character in
New Orleans. George Alfred Townsend gives
a sketch Of her in the Chtcago Tribune, as
follows:
She is a small, plump, bright-eyed woman,
and she has been the heroine of a very heroic
lawsuit, which she has personally conducted,
raising money for the purpose to the amount OF
halt a million, recovering nearly million, and
with all the probabilities in her favor of getting
million more. But if she were to get what she
would receive undcrother conditions than those
of democratic public opinion, she would possess
half the city of New Orleans in its most vaua-
BILE part, and be Il wealther woman than Miss
| Burdett Coutts, whom Wellington endeavOred
| to marry out Of cOvetOusness to her fortune.
| The home of this lady is in New York city,
but she spends much of her time in New Or
| leans, where she has strong friends and strong
enemies, almost equal in number. Her suit has
involved many of her intimate friends, from
whom she has borrowed money to pay lawyers
fees and court fees. Her second husband Gen
Gaines, believed implicitly in the merits of hel
case, and gave her two hundred thousand dollars
to fight it out. She has been twice married, anl
to excellent men both times and was told
there that the brother of her first husband ha(
helped her with nearly the whole of his funds
There is dash, plquance, and nlmbleness abOu
!; this woman which distinguishes her as one o
, the queens of her sex. She is said to be abOu
sixty years of age, but would pass for forty; and
! while her education is defective, she is natu
} raj authoress and lawyer, and can write a sting
ing brief, where sauce and justice are nike
; together.
Sheis just the sort Of woman to be identife
with New Orleans-prOvincialis ana cosmt
: pOltanism minghng in her as amongst many
: these old habitants. Her mother had marie
t French bigamist, and, discovering the ia
after she had reached New Orleans, presumed
e marry again the great Daniel Clarke, who VI
one of the wealthest men of the South. t
:. was one Of the earliest property holders in Ne
J. Orleans, and represented that territory
,. jefferson administration Clarke was smitt
1t with the beauty Of the French lady, and co
1t tracted a secret marriage with her-made secI
ID in order to anticipate divorce from his Fren
ID predecessor.
But while he was absent in Washington eli
in his relatives and connections, who had expect
Ill to get his money, told him that his wife was
ne faithful, and hired her lawyer to tell her that
ty marriage with Clark was not legal. Havin!
NJ natural affection for man, the French lady p
he posed to take third husband. This offend
"a Clarke, and it seemed to confirm the lies VIII
a had been said against this lady; and meant
,es his daughter was bOrn--the present Mrs. Cal
ter for whom he maintained affection, so ii
full while he let his wife slide, he gave very c
lk siderable sum of money to a man in w ilmi
I, | ton, Del, to be used and applied to the edu
set ton of his daughter, and at her maturity
lcr present her with the prlmcipal She has b
MP all the years of her maturity fighting
ne courts and the lawyers, and half OF !
yell Orleans.