The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-02-17
HETTIE GREEN.
her Opinion Concerning Real Estate.
Finance and Benevolence.
From the Chicago Inter Ocean.


semblsd in Judge Collins court Yesterday
one in particular shone respondent,
although her garb was simple and he
utterance brief. This was Mrs. Hettie
Green. the richest woman in America. and
IoT THIS ana other reasons one of the most
celebrated even Of celebrities Mrs Green
lives In New York, or rather in BROOKLYN.
and she only takes occasional visits to Chi
| cago, although she owns a very fair portion
OF It's area. This time she came here
lncog," for she had a purpose to accom-
pllsh, aud she did not care to be heralded
with trumpets. or in any other manner.
Section 2li Cicero had been sold for less
| than what she thought was its value, and
she wanted to know the reason WHY. 1t
was not the dollars she wanted particularly,
| although they may amount to several hun
dred CT thousands, but to defend the prin-
ciple that thing should bring what it is
worth, she came 1000 miles from home.
Judge Collins was hearing arguments in the
lease of section 81 yesterday afternoon, and
that is what brought Mrs. Green to his
court. She arrived in Chicago last Monday,
and was driven to the house of a friend,
where she will remain during her stay in
this city.
HOW SHE LOOKS.
Nrs. Green shows her down-east origin,
| but she shows it nicely "a kind.
motherly-looking woman" one would
naturally say after looking at her. The
weight of her millions-fifty is the gener-
| ally credited number-have borne as lightly
on her apparently as the weight of her Sc
years. Her hair is Hinged with gray. but
no more; and her face is as free from
wrinkles, and her eyes as bright as though
1t were as easy thing to be rich as to be
poor. Her dress was of plain brown WOODEN
material, her cloak a quiet affair, her hat
modest and sensible, and her ornaments
simple but tasteful. A sealskin muff was
the only article of apparel approaching ele-
gance, but the effect of the whole costume,
with the smiling, cheerful lady within it,
was as far from current descriptions of the
New York press as it we'll could be. Mrs.
Green;was accompanied by the young man
Familiarity known as Eddie Green, to
whom she lovingly alluded as her ''dear
son" and if surface indications are to be
believed there is just as much affection ex-
isting between them as the newspapers
alluded to claim theri is dislike-and this is
saying good deal.
Reporters in the past have said hard
things of Mrs. Green, and she has no reason
to feel friendly toward the craft. but she
likes young men, she confessed yesterday,
and could not say nay in the matter of an
interview to the youth who had himself
presented to her on behalf of the Inter-
Ocean.
SHE MADE A BARGAIN,
however, personal queries were to be
avoided, and her private life was not to be
criticised
While the lawyers were hurting adiectives,
| quotations, and other verbal missiles at one
another, Mrs. Green talked to the news
| paper man. "Im 80 agitated over this
Cicero matter that [ can scarcely think of
anything else" said she 81 wanted to keep
possession of the section. and had intended
to make public park of the larger portion
of it, leaving lands on either side for rail-
road purposes. You know the land was
sold at masters sale for far below its
value, and this sale we are trying to set
aside. l inherited my interests in
this land from my father, and
it was ordered sold because of
the interest held in it by the Lyman
heirs. | was forced to consent to the sale.
but decidedly object to its being sold for
less than it's value. Its purchase by the
Grant Locomotive Works was a specula-
ton as they only intended TO use twenty
| four of the GAL acres for their plant.n Mrs.
Green was decided in her remarks con-
corning the locomotive works, and limited
| at legal proceedings more violent than usu-
ally come before Judge Collins.
"How much am I worthsn she said in re-
spouse to question. 81 don't know. Not
] quite $50, 900, 900, as you say, but consider
L
in the United States, and have bank stock
| and lots of other valuable things besides.
| The rise in Chicago land values has benefited
me immensely, and think there is a further
| increase in store.
lam NOT SELLING
any property myself, and don't intend to
for some time at least. Bank failures make
one fearful, and | find for an investment
there is nothing like land"
After break for moment while she lis
tened to the rafting of the hot shot of the
oratory of one of her lawyers, Mrs Green
| continued: 81 am a very happy woman.
The Lord has blessed me above others, l
know, and think l made good use of my
| opportunities My charities are large,
| although give without ostentation Why,
l have endowed over a hundred churches
and established fifty schools, and benevo-
lent objects absorb large portion of my
income, and Eddie will continue the good
| work after | am gone" Mr.. Green smiled
and nodded as his mother turned to-
ward him. and the bargain was made
''Do l like Chicago? That l do" said
Mrs. Green, "and Eddie is so infatuated
with the town THAI l expect he will make
his home here permanently. We have such
large interests here that he could well de-
| vote his entire time to their supervision. |
may in few years locate here myself"
Being asked whether she would build a
house and entertain in style commensurate
with her financial standing. Mrs. Green
made explanation of the simplicity of her
habits by saying: ~ am Quaker, and my
early training disinclined me toward pomp
and show. My family has been
WEALTHY FOR FIVE GENERATIONS.
and we need make no display to insure
recognition Of our position"
| Mrs. Green thought the worlds fair
would surely come to Chicago, and her an
ticipations of profit from this event, in adj
vanced land values, led her into quite an
enthusiastic discussion. 81 will not i'm
prove my Chicago property Immediately"
said she. But Eddie will look after that,
and one Of these days all my acres and
blocks will be improved When 1 once
begin will not stop until all the work is
| completed"
Nobody knows how much land Mrs.
Green owns In and around Chicago. Her
rent roll tells only portion of the story, as
the larger part OF her property is unim-
proved. Estimates vary from So, 100000 to
! S7000,000, but as none of the land ever
comes on the market, its value, as its ex-
tent, remains an unknown quantity.
1t had not taken Mrs. Green long to make
the talk recorded above. She is rapid
speaker, uses good language and talks to
the point. The lawyers were still at work