The morning news., 1893-12-03

the New York end Of the big Brooklyn
bridge. A plainly dressed, severe looking
woman, of middle age, carrying black
leather reticule, slowly assembled the
steps from Park row. and approached the
ticket window. The nickel she had drawn
from her purse in some manner, slipped
through her fingers, fell to the floor and
rolled away among the crowd. The wOm-
an darted after it, and after a lengthy
search recovered il, and returned in
triumph to the window. The smile on the
faces Of those who watched the
search would have broadened into laugh
had they known that the anxious
owner of the nickel was Mrs. Hattie
Green, the sharpest woman III Wall street
and the richest woman in New York
Mrs. Green is one Of the characters of
this big town. She is now about 80, and
her wealth, frugality, shrewdness and
eccentriCity form nCver-faillng themes
for the brokers in Wall street III their odd
moments Born Harriet II. Robinson,
she claims New Bedford as her birth
place. Her father, Edward Morton Rob
inson. was a keen-witted and frugal
Quaker whose inheritance from a long
line Of hardy and prosperous New Eng
land ancestors included habits of close
and pinching economy and strong and
abiding love of money. From the first,
all of his business ventures were marked
with unvaryiug success. With an Older
brother he started q mill for the manu-
facture Of satIuets, and later opened a
house in Providence, h. l. subsequently
he engaged in the oil trade his wealth in
creasing steadily from year TO year, and
in 1889 he married the daughter Of Gideon
Howland, of New Bedford, who was eX-
tcnsively engaged in whale fishing, and a
man Of large means.
Noting the large profits accruing from
his father-in-law' S shipping interests, he
lost no time in investing his money in the
same field, and in few years was re-
puted to be the largest whale and mer-
chant ship owner in the country. His
father-in-aw death was speedily fol-
lowed by that Of his wife, an event which
swellod his fortune to the extent of half
the wealth Of Gideon Rowland, and en-
abled him TO again greatly enlarge his
business. He now became member of
the firm Of W. r.. Coleman & Co, shipping
merchants of this city. Thereafter he
spent much of his time in New York, and
watching the trend of speculation in Wall
street. he became convinced that there
was money for him there, provided he
was cautious and sagacious. He, there
AOit. UGNdlIC Il itC hiGtOL III otDbho. anu
his operations were attended with so
much success that when he died he left
an estate valued at $1,000, 600 Former
associates of his recall him as man
grasping and avaricious in the extreme
but In whom boldness was admirably
combined with caution and who fulfilled
all Of his contracts to the letter
HER EARLY CHILDHOOD.
The childhood of his daughter was
mainly spent in New Bedford, and among
the Lessons early impressed upon her mind
were economy and simplicity in daily life
and the value and virtue Of money. She
was thus prepared 10 hold and increase
the Joint estates of her father and mother
when in the course of time they passed
into her possession. AS she approached
maturity her winters as a rule were spent
in New York, and there are many gray
haired beauX who remember her as
buxom and beautiful society belle, in whose
wake followed train of eager suitOrs.
During these visits to the metropolis she
stopped at a boarding house on Twenty
second street, to the inmates Of which
she gave frequent and salutary proofs of
her economy and frugality. Her dresses
were plain and simple and often out Of
date; she had no regard fer young men
who wasted their substance on flowers and
gorgeous raiment, and rather than pay cab
hire to so to party she would pull pair
aof heavy stockings over her stout shoes
and gayly tramp it through the snow,
pulling the stockings off when she got
there and spreading them on the hat rack
to dry But she was ChaperOned by the
Grinnell family, with whom she was con-
nected on her mothers side, fact which
meant much in those days and gave her
admission into the most exclusive circles
She attended nearly all the balls, parties
and concerts in which swelldOm was in
terested, and was much sought after
A tall and prepossessing blonde, she was
noted for her animal spirits and her bril-
Hancy in conversation. The uncle of
Fred Gebhard is one of those whose hand
she refused at that time, and he is said to
have had plenty of company.
Mrs. Green's career as a belle ended
about the time the war began. and there
after her habits and mode of living as
closely resent bled those of her father as
age and sex would permit. Gradually
the love of gain became the absorbing
passion Of her life, and all her thought
and energy was devoted TO increasing the
fortune which came to her by the death
of her father toward the close of the war.
shipping seemed to her a hazardous in
veStment and one difficult to watch. so
she sold her interests therein. and for the
time being invested the proceeds in
bonds, mortgages and similar securities
All the details of this transfer involving
lulliions she attended to in person, and
travelled all over New England inspecting
and buying up town and farm mortgages
and searching for any other Investment
that promised safety and regular returns.
Soon after her fathers death her maiden
sister also died, leaving her an estate
amounting to ~, 900, 600 For this estate
Miss Robinson carried on a long and
stubborn contest in the courts and in the
end her efforts were successful. How
ever, popular sentiment in New Bedford
was with the other contestants in the
case, and she has never revisited her
birthplace since her aunt's fortune passed
INTO her possession.
BAD MANY sUITORs.
have said that as society belle Miss
Robinson rejected any number of suitors.
She did not marry until she was nearly
80, and when she did her marriage was
arranged on a purely business basis
The lucky man was Edward A. Green.
de had once been a poor hoy in Bellows
Falls, Vt, but had sought and found a
fortune at Manila, the capital of the
Philippine Islands He was seventeen
years resident of Manila, and, as an ex.
porter, acquired during that time a for
tune OF over million. He was only a
few years the senior Of Miss Robinson
and when, IN the early Sos. he located in
New York and in due time became a
sultor for her hand. he was a striJ5iprlv
handsome man. But he had other than
purely physical charms to command him