Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-08-08
WOMEN OF WEALTH.
The Handsome Fortunes of Pio-
 neers' Wives and Daughters.
Kansas City Ladies Who Count Their Pos sessions by Millions-How the Coates Estate Was Founded-The Marsh
 and March Fortunes.

sessions by Millions-How the Coates
 Estate Was Founded-The Marsh
 and March Fortunes.
 There is an extravagant saying here that the fool who three years ago stuck one hun- dred dollars into real estate easily pulled out fortune, writes Olive Pendleton from Kansas City, Mo, to the Philadelphia Press. If this be true it is equally certain that the legitimate wearer of cap and bells as soon parted with his quickly acquired fortune. Men and women, too, who made their mon- ey by lucky turns of the wheel were, in many cases, led into all sorts of absurd ex- travagances, and their property, burdened with mortgages, has reverted to the origin al owners. Western real estate mon say, however, that women are much less apt than men to lose their heads when great and unexpected wealth overtalzes them. Possibly they have fewer temptations.
 One of the richest people Tn Kansas City Is 6 woman-Mrs. Sarah W. Coates, who came from Lancaster County, Pa. She was a Chandler by birth, and came with her hus- band, Kersey Coates, to this region in 1855. She is of an educated Quaker family, and began life as a school-teacher. Her hus- band was educated for the law in the office of Thaddeus Stevens, and when first seen by her was riding in an OK cart on his fa- ther's farm.
 After the war Colonel Coates purchased | twenty-acre tract of Missouri farm land, paying about $2, 900 fori That tract is now part of Kansas City and is now worth prob ably $10,0O0,0O0. It lies in a populous quar- ter ot the city-the West side-and has lo- cated upon it our largest hotel, the Coates | House, as well as the Coates Opera-House, | the homestead and the mansion built by MT. 1 Coates in 1894. Many a wiseacre then shook his head sadly over the folly of those 1 ~.sl cred a little daft with investments" that didn't pay, and when the story went abroad that he had borrowed money for his bridal trip amusement at his expense grew all the merrier. In early days, while Coates in bis shirt sleeves looked over the territory and saw with broad vision that Kansas City, not Leavenworth, was to be the me- tropolis of this valley, the wife economized at home, looked thriftily after the children and the loose ends, and making for this daring pioneer the best of wives. The woman who found it easy to live on S1, 800 year, and who might now spend S1, ,500, GOO & year if she chose, is still simple in her tastes and unoStentatious in her manner o1 life. At her husbands death Mrs. Coates chose child's share of the estate, valued. modestly at $3,00Q0O0. She did this with the power of willing it to whom she pleased.
 She has three children, two of whom arc
 
 sonal fortune of S, 100000, of which they will be absolute mistress. One of the great heiresses has just come of age. They are both well-educated and cultivated, and simple in their tastes lik their mother.
 One of the most romantic homes about Kansas City is Dykington Park, which oe- cupies five acres on Independence avenue
 The house is Queen Anne structure, with
 large, airy rooms, grand music hall and 1 of
 are superb and well wooded, with vista
 of the river through the trees. Here resides
 Mrs. Amanda H. Marsh and her family. , The young ladies, bright, talented girls, were schoolmates of Mrs. Cleveland. The
 estate Is estimated between one and two
 millions. It was said at one time that the
 Marshes had property in every State in the
 Union, but this report arose from the fact
 that the father brought Tennessee money here, and had beside property ip Louisiana. The Marsh home is delightfully."- refined : abode. The ladies, Misses Georgie, Kate ) and Willinore, are clever horsewomen, and
 may be seen any evening cantering down l tho avenue. Unlike the traditional West = ern milllonaires, these people are unosten-
 tatious, eschewing diamonds in pubhc l places and showing refined taste when 0 occasion demands display.
 The vicissitudes of fortune in this world, = which often gives a healthy appetite to f those who have no money and denies to the
 millionaire the blessing of good digestion
 are aptly illustrated in the life of Mrs. liar.
 riet March, another very rich Kansas City
 woman Her youth was long and bitter struggle against poverty. Her husband was given a town lot for wages, but it was y considered a poor bargain for him, as no one ? wanted to buy the lots. Some years
 later MT. March died, leaving, besides his
 wife, one child, a daughter. These two Ia
 bored and lived on for years in love and
 poverty. One day new railroad came t< : Kansas City, bought the old lots for a very
 large sum of money and Mrs. March be y came rich woman. Her daughter, how 2 ever, soon died, and with her last breatf $ all the happiness went out Of the lonely I mothers life. Mark the satire of fate 2 Since then every thing she has touched hai turned to gold. A few weeks ago she re
 fused S2OO,OO0 for 8 single piece of busi ness property It is said she would resign .' every penny she has to regain her lostchild ,< Fortune has come to her too late to do he . any good.
 g In a smaller way there have been nun ' Der of successful women in the West wh'
 have sailed triumphantly through sea Q ,. trouble. Not few have retired from busi z ness; perhaps they were content with les than would have satisfied moro rapaciou sS sister. A few school-teachers placed thei 
 3 earnings in now valuable property so tha 'A they no longer wield the ferrrle. heart N the other day of two milliners, now re 2 tired One cleared s28, 900 in one year, qui S business and doubled the money in real es "a tate options. Another, who began with s3 stock of $50, by pioneering in matters Q 'S taste, so to speak, was able to retire wortl :. S2OO, 900. She is living now in Los Angeles ' Southern California. Another sparkalnl - black-eyed woman, who, when deprived o S her husband, went to taking boarders, ha.
 streak of luck in the location of a bel ], line" near her home. Shc had sense enougl z. z. to drop the boarders and sell out. She i 8 now worth about $5O, 900, gotten together D.
 ventures in real estate
 K , Strange to say, Western women ar c: noted for holding on to money when the
 once get it.
 o Discovered by Photography.
 "We hear" says Inuention, "of an in
 genious applicatiou of photOgraphy made q