Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1892-01-13
THE FAMOUS FINANCIER-HERB
IS HER STORY.


Mary f. III. g. Dow of Dover, New
Hampshire, has risen into considerable
prominence through having become
the President of horse railroad
which was i'll a bad way, and working
1t into a fourishing condition. Mrs.
Dow has lately retired from the Presi-
dency. That is the last act of very
Interesting story, the story of Yankee
woman whose characteristics entitle
her to the admiration and respectful
consideration not only of every Yankee
man, but of every one of her own sex
rs well.
Mrs. Dow was born on q farm
near the city of Dover in l849. Her
maiden name was Mary Edna Hill.
She was of the Massachusetts Puritan
stock. She was educated in Boston
and graduated with high honors from
q school there when II years old.
She at once began to teach, and for
several years served as assistant prin-
cipal of the Rochester, N. H., high
school. Then she went to st. Louis,
Mo, and there taught French and
German in an academy. The fact
that she was able to teach these
languages without having studied
them abroad shows the thoroughness
of her education in Boston.
While in St. Louis she became in
terested in amateur theatricals, and
participated in one entertainment At
a great fair held there after the war
for the benefit of wounded soldiers,
one of the other actresses being Miss
Nellie, the daughter of Gen. Grant.
Her next venture in life was getting
married. She came back to her old
home to do this, and the gentleman to
win her was George F. Gray, editor
and part owner of the Dover Press.
The Press was a profitable paper in a
thriving town. The lady had already
used her pen for the benefit of the press
and she at once became a companion in
business as well as one at home to her
husband. She could not only write an
editorial or news article; she could
contract with patent medicine man
for an advertisement at a rate that
would make him wonder afterward
where his wits had been, and on occa-
sion could estimate the price OF a three
colored poster or thousand pamphlets
of fifty-nine pages each. That was
| what she could do in the printing
office. At home she could cook din
| ner- either in the English, the German,
or the French style, and carve fowl
or roast to perfection.
Incidentally she occasionally sen,
special news dispatches to Boston
papers.
She was twenty-five years old wheI.
she married Editor Gray. After u
few years he died, leaving her with
three children to care for. She closed
up the estate satisfactorily, and found
that she had enough property TO live
on. She remained widow for five
years, and then married her present
husband, DIR. Dow, leading Dover
| physician. They went abroad i'm
mediately after marriage and remain
ed several years. When they returned
she undertook the management of hel
own property and that of her husband
leaving him free to practice medicine
without interruption. On their return
the Joint estates were worth 800 200,
4
after this she showed excellent judg
ment, and it is conceded that under
her management the value Of the join
estates has been doubled since sht
returned from Europe.
The most important financial even
of her life occurred little over veal
lago. Among the personal properties
which she had bought was block OF
stock in the Dover city street railroad
The road had been pretty poor enter
Iprise. On the one hand the people
lcomplained that the accommodation
iwere meagre and the fares excessive
1.-The stockholders complained that the
lexpenses were excessive and the divi
ldends meagre. The stockholders wer,
tired of carrying the corporation
Learning of this condition of affairs
boston syndicate of capitalists sent I
man to negotiate for the purchase o
the road. This was in the summer o
l1SS8. Mrs. Dow was out of tow
when the agent arrived, and did no
hear of the negotiations until, on he
return, she got call from the agent
who wanted to take the stock of he
hands. The price offered was abou
lone-third of what it had cost her. Mrs
lDow told the buyer that she woul'
Think about it. She did.
She decided out of hand that if tn
stock was so low as that, and "a tn
lBoston men could make money b,
buying the stock and improving tn
management, any other able BUSHES
man or woman might have to do TIN
same. If there was a speculation IL
ibuying Dover city railroad stock, sh
was going to have some of it. Sh
began buying right away. Where sh
could not buy she got proxies. Afte
a little the Boston men found tina
There was opposition on hand, and
spirited contest for the control ensued
Mrs. Dow worked so carefully, how
ever, that the run of business men Il
town expected the road to go to tn
Boston party, and they were general.
Glad of il, for i'm that event an enter
lDrising management of the road coul
lbe expected. The time for the annua
meeting came on. There was deal o
Interest in the event, though no excite
ment. because of the assurance of tn
Boston crowd. But when the meetin
WAS called Mrs. Dow walked into tn
room with a substantial working ma
iority of the stock in her satchel. Tn
BOSTON crowd was thunderstruck. 5
was everyone else.
Mrs. Dow announced that she was
candidate for the office of Pr"siden
If the other stockholders would like
come i'm out of the wet she would
glad to have their votes, but if the
didn't want to they could do otherwis
She should be elected in any even
Under the charter the directors ele
the President. The old directors we
horror-struck with the idea of woms
irving IN run horse railroad. 1t WI