The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-05-03
FEMALE VANDERBILT.
Anecdotes of the Richest Wo-
man in America.
Az ECCENTRIC CHARACTER.
rortv Millions, and Only Nine to Start
With-Her Birth, Inheritance,
Courtship and Marriage.


Green will always furnish subject, and
ills a very new broker, indeed, who
does not know a great deal to tell about
her. Stories of her vast wealth, her
wonderful frugality and her great
shrewdness can be heard in any Wall
street office, with occasionally an anec-
dote to prove her generosity. Such
anecdotes as the latter, however, are
looked upon with suspicion, and the
narrator lays himself open to mistrust.
Mrs. Edward II. Green. born Harriet
H. Robinson. and Familiarity spoken of
As Fettie by the brokers, is distinguish
ed above all as the richest woman in
America. She is also the smartest,
from Wall street standpoint, and at
least as eccentric as any, her strong
points being her avarice. This FORUM
ate woman, who owns from thirty-fve
to forty million dollars in her own right,
was born forty odd years ago in Bed
ford. Her father, Edward Morton Rob
inson. was born in South Kington, on
the farm since owned by Governor VIM.
Sprague. His parents were James and
Mary Atmore Robinson, and from them
II
money, handed down through long
line of New England ancestors. He
was true to the family traditions, as
his daughter has been after him, and
his many business ventures were mark
ed by unvarylng success.
With his Oldest brother, VIM. A. Rob
inson, he started small mill in Wake
field, +. l., and went to manufacturing
satinetS. Next they opened a house in
Providence, under the firm name OF
William A. Robinson e. Co., e. M. Rob
nson taking charge of the business
there. Shortly afterward E. NJ. Robin
son went into the oil business, and forty
FIVE years ago he married the daughter
of Gideon Rowland of New Bedford,
who was engaged very extensively in
whale fishing, and was very wealthy.
Thus brought into close contact with his
iather-in-law's
SHIPPING INTERESTS,
He was quick to see that money was to
be made in ships, and at once got at in
terestin shipping himself. Before very
long it was said that E. N. Robinson
was the largest whale ship and mer-
chant ship owner in the country. A
few years after their marriage his wife
died. His fortune being now increased
by half the wealth of Gideon Rowland,
he enlara ed his business still more and
became a member of the firm of VIM.
T. Coleman & Co., shipping merchants
in New York His affairs brought him
to this city a great deal, and in going
In nd me- fnh
craze for speculation. he made up his
mind that if a man were cautious
enough to speculate only when sure of
winning, there was more money in
specializing than anything else. Into
speculation he accordingly went, and so
well did he exercise the family traits as
to swell his fortune to the respectable
figure of $4,000, 600, at which sum it was
estimated at his death. Old business
men who hourished in his time speak of
him as man penurous in the extreme,
holding out for the last cent; cautious
and Sagacious, but always turning over
his money, and bold in his operations
when convinced that he was right.
Meanwhile Hettie had been born, and
had reached young womanhood in time
to inherit the joint estate of her mother
and father. She was an only child, and
being brought up with her father IN
surroundings of the strictest simplicity
and economy, had imbibed the princi-
pies which made him rich, and inherited
with his millions the qualities necessary
to keep and increase them. Her early
life was spent in New Bedford, with an
occasional trip to New York in the gay
winter season. She was well connected
IN this city, being related on her
mothers side to the Grinnells. During
her visits here she stopped at the board
mg-house in Twenty-second steet, and
put in practice the economical ideas she
had eSpoused.
Friends of her youth. whoshave seen
her millions swell and grow. delight to
tell her of the early development of
traits which have marked her whole
career. How she did not like young
man who sent flowers or wore expen-
slye clothes or jewelry, and how on
winter nights, when others with only
million or two in the world would reck-
lessly pay $5for cab togo to party she
would pull a pair of coarse stockings
over her stout shoes, and tramp 1t
through the snow in her healthy print
I'VE fashion, pulling the stockings OF
on the hat rack to dry. Ladies tell also
--SA IA CooOo hCAO
SIMPLEST AND PLAINEsT,
And often behind the season.
But Miss Robinson was usually as
smart as the smartest business man in
the room, or smarter. Her form was
elegant and graceful, her eyes were
bright and sparkling, and she would
dance as lightly as anybody-when some
one else paid the piper. Besides all
these attractions, there was something
IN the thought that the hand which LAID
me stockings out to dry could draw a
check for two or three millions, ana get
me money, Miss Robinson ola not
lack admirers, and had all the fun she
wanted during her early days IN pontely
refusing gentlemen who knew now
much she was worth, and longed TO
But walking to parties and turning
away suitors were only unimportantln-
eldents in Miss Robinson's life busl-
ness was the great thing, and from the
t.lne her fortune became her own, her
thoughts and energies were devoted 10
Tue hest - n LARGER Her