New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1883-08-22
A Piuck1 Woman.

A Washington correspondent says:
For the last fifty eight years this In
domitable woman has fought her rights
in the courts of the United States.
Her case is one of the most remarka BILE
on record. 1t involves the title to mill
lions of dollars of property in New Or
leans, and will probably not be finally
settled as long as the city can legally
fight against it. 1t is now eighty-two
years since Daniel Clark, :. handsome,
polished young man, who had been for
some years leading the life Of an Indian
trader in Mississippi, came to Philadel-
phia to spend the winter. Clark was a
gay fellow, and he took in all the pleas
ures Of the then metropolis of America.
In his rounds he met II French beauty,
and fell in love with her. This woman's
name was Zulime Carrier, and at the
time she was living with q Frenchman
named La Grange, Clark met her.
Whether she was married to LII Grange
e. motifs one of the points in question.
The defendants claim she was his legal
wife. At any rate when Clark met her
in 1905, she left La Grange, and went
10 live with Clark. The supreme court
IF the United States has decided that
she was privately married to Clark,
and that she was merely La Oranges
mistress.
In 1906. seventy-seven years ago, Ny
ra Clark was born. She was the only
child Zulime Carrier haG by Daniel
Clark. At this time Clark sent Zulime
to New Orleans, and acted us a bache-
Tor. He engaged himself in marriage,
and formed other connections produc-
ing other offspring. He denied the fact
that he had married Zulime, and when
she came back and pushed the case in
the Philadelphia courts, she was unable
to succeed. She finally took up with a
DR., Gardette, and lived with him until
he died. But while Clark would have
nothing to do with the mother, he took
good care of the child. Myra Clark
was we'll educated by him, and was
treated by him Us y daughter. Hewent
again into Indian trading at New Or
leans, and amassed an immense for
tune. In 1913, just seventy years ago,
he died, and Il will was produced show
ing that all Of his property was left to
his mother and the city of New Orleans
Myra Clark, then only seven years old,
was apparently penniless, and the ex-
ecutors took charge of the estate.
When Myra grew to the age of 20 she
married Mr.. Whitney. and then she
began to contest the will. She claimed
she was the only legitimate daughter of
Daniel Clark, and that his property
was hers. The claim was at once holly
contested, and Mr.. Whitney died be-.
fore it was tried The widow contin-
ued to prosecute the suit. Shortly af-
tcrward she married Gen. Gaines, and
he entered into the case rs warmly Us
herself. The case was tried at New Or
leans. 1t was lost. 1t was carried to
the supreme court at Washington. 1t
was again lost. In 1852 it seemed a
hopeless fight, and at this time Gen.
Gaines died. But Myra Clark Gaines
was not discouraged, and shortly after
this time she discovered q will executed
by her father certifying that Myra was
his only child and creating her his sole
heir. Upon this will she again went
before the courts in New Orleans. She
again lost. She again appealed to the
supreme court at Washington, and here,
in 1861. she obtained y Judgment con-
tirming this will and giving her the
whole property left by her father and
the rents thereof for the past thirty
years. Then the war broke out, and
justice was again delayed. Since then,
she has, think, received something
from the city, but nothing in compari-
son with her rights. She is now II
years of age, and will be perhaps the
richest woman in the United States if
she ever comes into the property for
which she has so pluckily fought for a
lifetime