The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1882-12-20
A SUCCESSFUL WOMAN.

Some weeks since a thin, tail, nevous,
energeticlooking woman With white hair
and pallid complexion, dressed in goods of
fine texture, but of bizarrs and awkward
cut took the Boston steaIre r for Norfolk,
Va, She was escorted tc the boat by a
gentleman who seemed kindly disposed
toward her, but she started ON her journey
alone. It was her inter ton to make
somewhat extensive tom Of this country,
but the anxiety and diseaae which had been
exhausting her vital energies for months and
years past were not such Is to be overcome
by mere change of seer 8. At Washington
she fell Sick and ON last Friday died. The
doctor said the cause of Der death was con.
sumption of the blood. tier.. Benjamin F,
woman, for whom he ha acted as counsel
in numerous law actions. ordered her body
to be embalmed and sert to Houlon, Aroos-
took Co., Me. Her name was Helen M.
Macdonald, and her clreer strange one.
She came to Boston years ago from Lowell,
Mass, whittier she had previously gone
from her down-East home. During the first
period of her residence here she earned o
modest living by ,lresn-making. Finally
she devised an article of feminine use known
as dress protector. This, at the sugges.
ton of friends, she hal patented in Septem.
Der, 1874, whereby for seventeen years she
became entitled to the full and exclusive
privilege of making and vending the contriy-
ance. 1t became very popular for Tina,
so much SO it would appear that other
parties began to manufacture it and supply
the market without paying royalty. Miss
to the United States courts for protection.
From time to time various suits against
other dealers have been undertaken, until at
present she has pending III the United States
Circuit Court located in Boston some thirty
eight actions, in which all the prominent dry
goods houses in Bostonappear as defendants
Some of these have la.ely been compromised
and a settlement effected to the satisfaction
Of Miss Macdonald. Gen. Butler has OPP
peared as her counsel The contests at law,
however, have been very prolonged and
sturdily contested In many cases on &C.
count of his mul.ifarious engagements the
general tss not bem able to personally
attend to the matter, and then Miss Macdon-
ali has gone into the court and conducted
her own case with singular acumen and
ability. She has thus earned the soubriquet
of 1.-THE woman lawyer" In fact, for the
past five years she has done little else be-
yond attending the courts and study up her
cases. She has lived for a long time at No.
Winter street, occupying four rooms in
the upper story, which are elegantly furnish
ed. She has led very secluded life, having
few acquaintance and no intiIrates. Her
only relatives known 10 be living are sister
In California aud another sister with two
daughters at Houlton, Me. Miss Macdonald
had the reputation of being very generous
hearted, and many stories are told of the
kindly way in which she has often relieved
distress. She was a woman of numerous
eccentricities. 1t is thought that the care
and ceaseless anxiety attending her suits did
much to undermine her health. IL is said
that some two years since she made will,
leaving the bulk of her property to her
nieees at Houlton, of whom she was very
fond. Boston Gl0se.