Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1893-12-07
Willy HETTY GREEN.
PEG .JLiARITiss OF A WOMAN WORTH
$4,000, coo.

Sereiy ISatn In Dress, bot the Pcrsonil:.
easioe Of Shrcwdsess When Financial
fr.asactloss Arc Involved.
Not small Part of the fame OF Brook
Iyn can be laid to the credit Of the re-
marEablc women who have lived and
1--we now within; is bor1ers-womcu who
have taken rank and honce in almost cv.
cry walk OF life. II is a wen known fact
that very large proportion of the real
estate Of the city is held in the names Of
women. 1t is not . widely known fact
that the woman who is reputed to be the
richest in the United States lives in the
City OF Churches and right in the c!ss-
SIC section known as the heights too,
Her wealth is variously estimated ut
from 100000 to SCI, 900 900. and her
name Is Mrs. Hctty Green. Her name
and personality arc more familiar to
Wall street than they are to BROOKLYN
society. That is because Mrs. Green has
chosen to devote all her time to the man.
ipulation OK her fortune and has let so.
ciety get along without hey. Hetty
Green ut an Ihpetonga ball would Gre
ate a sensation indeed, but it is rot like
~ that such an occasion will ever be re-
corded by society writers.
Hosts OF people have brushed elbows
with shrewd and rather calm faced
woman, apparently SO years old. rather
short. wearing plain, old fashioned
shawl and :. bonnet SO far beyond fash
ions pale that no one would ever suspect
1t had been in it, even years ago. No
holy evlr h.r 1,.;@., ., .y,..c.
was not severely plain. and seldom has
she been noticed wien she did not carry
an old style and well worn black satchei.
Her appearance would never cause the
uninitiated to think that she was any
thing more extraordinary than an old
fashioned woman of moderate means
and simple tastes. who was on her way
TO the corner grocery or the bakery on
the bloc!; below. Yet, if money is DOW
eT. this same staid looking person is one
OF the most powerful human beings in
the country.
In an old fashioned house on 4 corner
in Pierrepont street Mrs. Green and her
daughter Sylvia have lived for several
years. The modest apartments they &C.
cupy are hired from a pleasant faced
woman, who keeps the house and who
has IN admiration for Mrs. Green,
which she does no: conceal. The rich
est woman in the United States has q
son, who has been spending some time
in Florida seeking 20 improve his health.
Mrs. Green has been a widow for many
years. and her daughter is about 60
years old. Since the death of her hus-
land Hetty Green has become finan-
cier Of unusual shrewdness. She has in
Dictated 10y her actions that she has small
faith in brokers, and that if she wants
anything done .he best way is to do it
herself.
The weather beaten satchei has carried
securities representing millions of dol
lars. 1t has knocked about Ncw York
and Brooklyn and o.her BiE financial
centers with precious burdens. and Het-
ty Green has always had tight grip on
it. She docs dot believe III spending her
money on things she does not want, and
rs she wants very little she spends but
little. Her children and her fortune are
the sole objects Of her sclicitude. Mrs.
Green is said to be very anxious to have
her daughter become one Of the leading
actors in the famous Four Hundred of
Manhattan island. Something of an-ob-
stacle in the way of this is the daughter
herself, according to report. Miss Green
is credited with caring as little for the
dazzle and newspaper noto-iety of Il So
cial career as her mother. She is q girl
whose tastes are quiet and to whom
dress is matter of little consideration.
Mrs. Green, by way Of foundation
for her daughters social debut. some
time ego settled large sum of money
on that young woman in government
bonds. The amount is stated to be
5000, 900.
Incidents in the career of this remark
able woman have stamped her as bold
yet cautious operator III stocks and Sc
curities. When the financial panic of
1884 occurred. Mrs. Green had large
deposit in q firm of Canadian bankers
named Cisco s. Co. of New York. In
formation reached her that the bank
was in an unsafe condition, and without
waiting to hear more she went to the in
stitution and withdrew her entire de-
post. The firm had no alternative. and
after paying her her money was COM
PEELED to suspend and finally failed COM
pletely. Hctty Green is the largest
property owner in the city of Chicago.
She holds title to block after block of
land in the business section, and her son
assists in looking after her interests
there. For many years she lived in the
western metropolis, and she spends much
of her time there when away from Brook.
iyn. -,ra Fhr = z --s..,i- -
Her characteristic bargain with ex-
Judge Henry Hilton is fresh in the minds
Of financicrs. The money which the
judge wanted SO badly is generally con-
ceded to have been used in buying out
the interest # his son. Henry G. Hilton,
in the dry goods firms of Hilton, Hughes
& Co. and Hilton Bros. He went to
Mrs. Green, or his lawyers did, and made
e,Ssquest fora loaa Of 81 ~. 900 in cash.
Mrs. Green was willing to lend, but in.
sisted on having q mortgage ON the mar
BILE palace at the corner Of Broadway