Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-01-04
BISHOP WARRBNS BRIDE.
THE ROMANTIC CAREER OF YOUNG SEWING
MACHINE AGENT.

"A D'hN'Ag C'lsi uthDhAbuy DtGs - hh9h
Bishop Henry w. Warren, of Atlanta Ga,
was married to. o.day to Mrs Elizabeth S. IiT,
in Evans chapel in this city. The ceremony
was performed by Bishop Simpson, Of Phila.
delphia, assisted by the Rev. DIR. II. d.
Moore and the Rev. DIR. L. Cranston, Of Deu-
yer. Notwithstanding that 400 invitations
had been issued the wedding was an unos-
tentatious one. The ushers we're Secretary
of Stnte Edwards, II. c. Lowre, Truman
Bogue, and Prof Low of the Denver Uni
versity. A reception was held at the resi-
dence Of the bride after the ceremony, aud it
was attended by upward Of 300 people.
About the year 1869 young, prepossess-
ing, modest and determined girl alghted
from the coach in Denver one morning She
was, perhaps, q years Of age, and it was ev-
ident to those who met her on the occasion
of her advent in that then rather vociferous
town under the mountain shadows that she
had gone west with the intention Of growing
up with the country, as she evinced a remark.
able degree of independence. softened how
ever, by strong wOmanly qualities, which
soon established her high in the esteem of all
with whom she came in contact. She at
once made her mission known by canvassing
the business portion Of the city for an eligi-
BILE location in which to open store, and
finally succeeded in securing a room previ.
pany in the building owned by the proprietor
of the Rocky Mountain News, and next door
to the News publication office, in Larimer
street. The adventuresome young lady had
gone out from Chicago as the agent of the
Singer machine company, and among total
strangers and with but her own shrewdness
and strong stamina to back her, proposed to
win her support. It appears that when
mere infau: she, with several brothers and sis.
ters had been left without parents. Rela.
tives had brought the children up in some
obscure town in Illinois, and when arrived at
mature years the girl had struck out for her
self in Chicago, by securing position as in.
structor in the Singer Office in that city. Her
duties were TO follow up local agents and
teach purchasers of machines how to operate
them. Finally the company decided to es.
tablish the Denver agency, and she applied
for and was given the place, not without
some misgiviDgs on the part OF the company,
but she had displayed remarkable business
tact they were satisfied to at least let her
make the attempt. How well she succeeded
in the now and trying field is well known to
every old citizen of Denver, and in fact, to
nearly every one VINO lived in northern Colo
RADIO at that time. With energetic men in
rival establishments to contend with. to open
new stores and appoint local agents in remote
towns, there being then not q rod Of railway
in the territory TO keep her own general
business going, and at the same time main
tain reputation in a locality where then it
was difficult for a single woman, without fam
lily support, to do so these all tried her to
the utmost, but she rose superior to all the
petty and great obstacles, and was soon re-
spected far and wide, as it was conceded she
had the right stuff in her, and that, of all
things, was the one great factor in winning
guppega in thoga daya in Cplorado
Among the foremost-if not the foremost
cattle raisers in Wyoming in those days was
Mr.. l. W. Ilif. His herds were numbered
by hundreds OF thousands aud his ranges in
Wyoming and Colorado were widespread
BY some chance-he being a widower at that
time-he met the young sewing machine
agent on one Of his visits to Denver Court.
ship followed, and it was not long before
sewing machines were abandoned for family
cares. She became Mrs. Ilif and Cheyenne
became her home for a short time. Now the
wife of a millionaire, and removed from the
cares aud vexations Of business life, and at
best a hard struggle for support, Miss Ilif
displayed in a supreme degree those high
womanly qualities which had, under former
trials, brought her so successfully through.
In 1876, when United States Marshal ShAffen.
burg of Denver was sent TO prison for irreg.
ularities in Office, Mr. and Mrs Ilif bought
his palatial home and removed TO Denver.
Here soon afterward, Mr.. Iliff died leaving
his entire and vast cattle interests to his wild.
ow and his two sons, minors. Instead OF
laying aside these new cares by disposing of
her herds Mrs Ilif at once assumed these
fresh and great responsibilities, and became
one of the leading le-dealers Of the Unit
ed States. From the moment she assumed
charge of this trust fortune has followed ev-
cry venture she has made, and her income
has steadily rolled in at the rate of from SlOO,.
900 to $500, 900 year. II quite naturally
followed that she should be sought in mar.
riage by adventurous and others, but she has
up to the present steadfastly adhered to her
determination to remain single rather than
become united to some one who sought her
money rather than herself. 1t is to be pre-.
sumed, therefore, that the good bishop of At.
lAnta who has now made her Mrs Warren
bias conviued her that a consort, not riches,
was his sole purpose. Since her widowhood
Mrs. lifts interest in the Methodist denom-
ination grew very strong, and she had re-
peatedly expressed a determination to her in.
timRte friends to devote a large portion of
her wealth at the end to the church cause.
The Singer sewing machine people have
never forgotten the young lady who made
that bold strike out into the far west, and
have always taken every opportunity that
presented itself to pay her great respect and
attention, although their interests were sew
cred when the cattle king came along and
claimed her for his bride. Shortly after her
husbands death Mrs. Ilif went to Europe,
and during her long tour the Singer repre-.
sentatves in every great centre were instruct.
ed by the home company to seek her out and
do everything in their power to entertain her
during her stay there.
These are but skeleton facts in the roman.
tic life of the once poor girl who is now one
of the richest women in the trans Missouri
region or in the entire west for that matter
who by her own industry and native worth
stepped up from poverty to the possession of
fortune estimated at above 10000, 900.