The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1883-08-10
A Plucky Woman.


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 remarkable
on record. Ii involves the title to NIL
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
wears since Daniel Clark, handsome
polished young man, who had been Tor
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 81 America.
In his rounds he met French beauty,
and fell in love with her. This woman
name was Zulime Carrier, and at the
time she was living with a Frenchman
named La Grange, CLARK met her.
Whether she was married 70 La Grange
or not is 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
to live with Clark. The supreme court
of the United States has decided that
she was privately married to Clark,
and that She was merely La Grange $
mistress.
in 1906. seventy-seyen years ago, MY
ra Clark was born. She was the only
child Zulime Carrier bad by Daniel
Clark. AT this time Clark sent LuIime
TO New Orleans, and acted rs baehe-
lor. 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
DR., Gardette, and lived with him until
he died. But while Clark would haze
nothing to do with the mother he took
GOOD care of the child Myra Clark
was well educated by him, and was
treated by him as daughter He went
again into Indian trading at New Or
leans, and amassed an immense for
tune. In 1913, just seventy years ago,
he died, and 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 pennlesS, 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 hotly
contested. and Mr. Whitney died be-
fore it was tried The widow contn-
ued to prosecute the suit. Shortly al
terward she married Gen. Gaines, aud
he entered into the case as warmly rs
herself The case was tried at New Or.
leans. Ii was lost II was carried TO
the supreme court at Washington 1t
was again lost In 1892 it seemed
hopeless fight, and at this time Gen.
Gaines died, But Myra Clark-Gaincs
was not discouraged, and shortly after
this time she discovered will executed
BY her father certifying that Myra was
bis 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 az Washington, and here,
in 1861 she obtained judgment con
hrming this will and giving her the
whole property left by her father ard
the rents thereof for the past thirty
years Then the war broke out, and
Justice va, again delayed. Since then,
She has, think, received something
from 'he city, but nothing 10 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 Il
lifetime