Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-11-14
RIcla WIDOWS IN NEW Yonk.
The Women who Have Plenty 0f
Money, bsst NO Husbands.
Iew York Correspondence Hartford Post.

New York Correspondence Hartford Post
New York at present contains a number of
rch widows, who. though now out of town are
still within our direct line Of population. One
of these is Mrs. Paran Stevens. widow of tho
opulent landlord The latter was of New Eng
land birth, and had a rare faculty for hotel
keeping. He had several establishments Of this
kind In the eastern cities, and made them profit
able while other landlords failed In 1871; he ba
came interested in the erection of a LARGO
house, OF which Amos r. Emo was pro-
prictOr. and which has become WILDLY
known as the Fifth Avenue hotel Here
he was remarkably successful. and at
Ms death his estate was upward of a million.
MIS-. stevens. in view of her great wealth Was
soon received into good society. but did not
reach line highest ton until she succeeded in
ulhih@ the RUSSIAN prince who was here with
ms meet This was awonderful feat, and occa-
stoned great dissatisfaction with many old
laiiilies: VINO were annoyed at the rapid adj
vance of a paryenue. Mrs. Stevens. like Mrs.
Leo Hunter lin Pickwick). carried off the prize.
ana the duke escorted her daughter to the thea
Ter. and she afterward married a British fortune
hunter. who gave her title i'm exchange for the
money her father made IN tavern keeping. Mrs.
stevens is now at Newport. and under all these
circumstances is received into the best circles
MRS. A. +. STEWART.
This woman who is the richest widow In the
Union, Is q native of this city, and was born in
humble life. Her brother, the late Charles
Clinch, considered himselffortunate to get berth
in the custom house, where he gradually became
an expert. and was retained longer than any other
official. She married Stewart while he was
keeping petty retail store. and they began
housekeeping under very humble circumstances.
When Stewart got on in the world one of the
indications was in the fact that he and his wife
took board at the Aston house. which then was
the finest hotel In the city. Mrs. Stewart now
occupies the grandest mansion. with but one
exception, in America, which during her visit
10 Saratoga Is IN the care of a family Oftrusty
servants. The apartments for the latter
indeed. are more elegant than anything the
Stewards had during the first ten years of their
married life.
RELIGIOUS ASSOCIATIONS.
Mrs. Stewart has for many years been men,
Der OF st. Marks church, but she was kept on
such short allowance by her husband that she
could not assist in any of the benevolent opera
lions of the society. Her parsimOny at last be-
came proverbial, but it is now evident that it
was solely due to the hard-hearted husband
Since his death she has shown some liberality,
though by no means to that extent which
might have been expected. Mrs Stewards
property is estimated at $4,000, OOO not in
Guiding the palace she occupies. which cost
million The taxes on this building were last
year $4,000. and this year may be q trifie less
England, OF which country he is native He
could there mention the remarkable fact that
lady In ms congregation was engaged In build
ing cathedral as monument for her husband.
Such things have seldom been done, even in the
old world.
THE COMMODORES WIDOW.
This lady is the youngest of all the rich
widows, and has thus far had the best chance
Her life has been somewhat eventful. She is an
ola acquaintance of the Vanderbilts. and was
married early, but not happily. According to
report, she obtained divorce and then snp-
ported herself teaching music During the war
she was in the SOUTH and was aided pecuniarilv
py the commodore At its close she came
north, and, as the commodore soon afterward
became WidoWer, their marriage was natural
consequence. Mrs. Vanderbilt Is under so. She
has Legacy of $500, 0CO, being at the rate of
SIUO.OO0 year for her married life and the in
tefest on this is equal to 81 900 week. She
can now marry to suit herself She has lonm
been an admirer of Deems the preacher, and
this influence led the commodore to endow the
Nashville college. She attends the Church of
the Strangers. where Deems breaches, his tenets
being much the same as those held by the Meth
odIstS he has the free use of the church for
life, and therefore cannot go into itinerancy
Another rich widow is Mrs. NJ O. Roberts,
who, after three years of married life, was left
with dover in an estate of &c, 900 600 She still
occupies the house built by her husband i'm 9Th
avenue. and has rare gallery Of pictures. Re
port at one time connected her name with that
OF the President. but there are at present no
indications OF a matrimonial character.
THOSE OF LESS NOTE
might here give some interesting names of
a circle each worth from S250,0O0 to double
that sum, but it is hardly proper to attract
fortune hunters from other places to this city,
Every rich widow will be sought for as long
as any hope may exist. Some time ago one
OF this class, whose husband had been sue
cessful merchant, was surprised by call from
a well-knOwn lawyer from the center of the
state. His card was sent up. but she declined
an Interview, being well aware that he came on
a matrimonial errand. which she was determined
not to encourage But however attractive their
case may be. experience has shown that il is not
always safe to marry these rich widows Aaron
Burr tried it. but the bride Mime. JumeD soon
turned him out of the house. Charles O'COnor
also married widow of some property MRS
McCracken), but a separation soon took place.
ana the famous lawyer gave his wife separate
establishment as long as she lived A number
oil similar instances could be given did we have
space for this interesting subject
MATRIMONIAL. INSTANCES.
While speaking on this subject wish to say
plainly that 1t is not my intention to reflect on
widows after the fashion of the "Pickwick
Papers" So many of our best men have mar
ried widows and found them the very best
wives that this point Is past argument For in
stance, Washington: Jefferson and Franklin
VIII IIidiicu d WHO" the names being SeVerally
Mrs Curtis, Mrs. SHELTON. and Mrs. Read The
photographer Johnson, and also the philanthro-
pist Howard each married widows who were
many years their senior, but they lived very
happy and Johnson never ceased to mourn his
departed ''Tetty." Aaron Burrs wife was
widow (Mrs. PrOvost and as long as she lived
his fortune was on the ascendant Their married
life appears to have been happy. but, as In the
case OF Jefferson, it only lasted ten years
(IlDEB XOUrrH M S,nVgsa.U