The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1892-04-28
MRS. FRANK LESLIE.

Frank Leslie party to Winston Salem
will remain bright memory so long
as any of them live.
/ learn that it is Mrs Leslie's inten
ton to give special illustrated arti'
cles in later number of her Popular
] Monthly, that will doubtless be as in
teresting to its more than hundred
thousand of readers as was the visit te
herself and friends.
Remembering the bright sparkling
eyes of the more than 800 teacher:
and pupils of the Academy, as they
stood grouped In front of the chape
platform while listening to Mrs. Frank
Leslie. to Mr.. Wilde, to Mrs. GriswolC
and Mr.. Tufts, it has occurred to me
that all Winston Salem would like tc
know something of the great enter.
prises that lady manager. Therefore
| send the following sketch which was
first published in the New York Daily
Graphic in March 1888:
20 ] "This is the story of beautiful
woman of business. It is the tale of 9
rich woman who inherited only debts
and an opportunity. In six years she
has paid the debts and made gold
mine of the opportunity. Her name
is Frank Leslie, and she is the widow
! and successor of the man who founded
: the great publishing house of Frank
Leslie. It was not enough to found
this house. 1t must be perpetuated
So Frank Leslie married his wife, and
of all the world he alone understood
the full significance of his marriage.
She was to set up the monument be
died in raising. His last words to his
wife were: "Go to my office, sit in my
place and do my work till my debts
are paid She did more. She made
her fortune
"Mrs. Leslie came down to her hus-
bands Office the day after his DEATH
and black care perched on the chair
behind her. No one woman, not a
reigning sovereign, has ever been call
ed to face mightier tasks. Her hus-
bands affairs were in the hands of an
assignee. He had contracted $780,
600 of debts to place his publishing
business on a paying basis, and hav-
ing placed it there he died But not
before he had been forced to make an
assignment and sacrificed all he had
to meet memorable demands. The
creditors had agreed to accept the dis
charge of their debts out of the pro-
ceeds of the business. Leslie's death
seemed chance to absorb the busi>
ness. Only his widow and heiress
stood between them, ana what they
saw was about to become a magnifi-
cient property. And her position was
insecure and ambiguous through a
suit that lad been instituted to break
to break her husbands will.
at was an odd sort of heroine to
step into such a breach that came
down to the deserted office on that
winters morning. A woman mex
perienced, luxurious, with no more
knowledge of saving money than of
making it, a Louisiana Creole Of
French extraction by birth, a woman
Of society by habit, of letters by choice,
and of misfortune and suffering by
circumstances, she seemed little likely
to Withstand the sinister forces against
her. She proved to be a sort of com
mercial Joan Of Arc With nine law
suits on her hands she found time to
master the details of the business.
"1n the midst of her struggles came
a sortie from the enemy. 1t was sharp
and bitter. The creditors made upon
her what they conceived to be an i'm
possible demand. Alarmed at the
energy, self-reliance and enterprise
which threatened them with a pay
ment of their claims, and a consequent
Illustration of their designs on the bus
mess. they agreed to crush her by a
single blow. They called for $4,000
to be paid in ten days, on penalty of
forfeiture. She was in a terrible posi-
ton. As yet she had no standing in
court. She had no ready money, and
nothing to mortgage, for the property
was still in the hands of the asst nee.
She knew the serious danger, the al
most hopelessness Of her position. She
thought, but vainly. Dear old DIR.
Deems,who knew of her troubles, pray
ed. And then a curious thing hap
pened.s
"a boy in the art department of
Frank Leslie's publishing house lived
in Brooklyn, and among his acquaint-
ances was rich and charitable woman
named Eliza Jane Smith. Frank
d Leslie had given this boy his chance,
and he felt deeply for his benefactor's
widow. Suddenly he said to himself,
"Why not talk it over with Mrs.
Smith," He interested his friend.
She called on Mrs. Leslie; she volun-
teered to lend her $4,000 is
the power of human sympathy. Mrs.
Leslie had five years in which to Fay
the loan; but the first installment fall.
ing due on November LIST, she paid the
entire amount with interest on the
last day of October-that is to say, in
, FIVE months-out of the profits of the
business.
.And this is not page out of a
child's story~bookl
sSince that remarkable incident.
Mrs. Leslie's career has been one
uninterrupted prosperity. She has
built up a magnificent business. and
her income is fully 100000 year.
Some of her cleverest letters from
abroad have been written during days
of arduons sight seeing land nights of
long receptions. In London, in Paris,
in Rome, in Vienna, in Berlin, in Ma
drid, she is still at home and among
friends. She lives when in New Yo.k
at the .Gerlach She works there
harder than ever, writing for the syn
dicates as well as her own publications,
and dressing and dining and playing
my Lady Beautiful through it all.
She II a rare instance of voluntary