The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1893-12-02
PEeuLIARITlEs OF A WOMAN WORTH
$6o,ooo,ooo.
She Is Old Fashioned In A ppesranoe. g.
verely Plain In Dress. but the Personii1-
cation Of shrewdness When Financial
transactions Ara Inxolxed.

that the woman who is reputed to be the
richest I'M the United States lives in the
City of Churches and right in the clas-
sic section known as the heights too.
Her. wealth is variously estimated at
from 100000 600 to $50, ,000. 900, and her
name is Mrs. Hetty Green. Her name
and personality are 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 Of her fortune and has let go
ciety. get along without her. Hetty
Green at an Ihpetonga ball would Gre
ate a sensation indeed, but it is not like
ly 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 a plain, old fashioned
shawl and bonnet so far beyond FASH
ions pale that no one would ever suspect
it had been in 1t, even years ago. No
body ever saw her with dress which
was not severely plain. and seldom has
she been noticed when she did not carry
an old style and well worn black satchel
Her appearance would never cause the
pninitiated to think that she was any.
, thing more extraordinary than an old
fashioned woman of moderate means
and simple t,.stes, who was on her way
to the corner grocery or the bakery on
the block below. Yet, If money is pow
er, this same staid looking person is one
Of the most powerful human beings in
the country.
In an old fashioned house on a corner
in Pierrepont street Mrs. Green and + =
daughter Sylvia have lived for several
years. The modest apartments they oc-
cupy are hired from a pleasant faced
woman, who keeps the house and who
has an admiration for Mrs. Green,
which she does not conceal. The rich
est woman in the United States has q
son, who has been spending some time
in Florida seeking to improve his health.
Mrs. Green has heen q widow for many
years. and her daughter is about 20
years old. Since the death Of her hus-
band Hetty Green has become fnan-
cier of unusual shrewdness. She has in
dicated by her actions that she has small
faith in brokers, and that If she wants
anything done the best way is to do it
herself.
The weather beaten satchel has carried
securities representing millions of dol
lars. 1t has knocked about New York
and Brooklyn and other big financial
centers with precious burdens, and Het-
ty Green has always had tight grip on
it. She does dot believe in spending her
money on: things she does not want, and
as she wants very little she spends but
little. Her children and her fortune are
the sole objects Of her solicitude. 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 IN OBJ
stacle in the way of this is the daughter
herself, according to report. Miss Green
is credited with caring as little for tho
dazzle and newspaper notoriety Of 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 a foundation
for her daughters social debut, some
time ago 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 IN 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. Hetty 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
lyn. s.
Her characteristic bargain with e1-
Judge Henry Hilton is fresh in the minds
| Of fnanciers. The money which the
Judge wanted 50 badly is generally con-
ceded to have been used in buying out
the interest OF his son. Henry G. Hilton,
| Ia the dry goods firps Of Hilton. Hughes
q Co. and Hilton Bros. He went to
Mrs. Green, or his lawyers did, and made
| . request for q loan of 81 $50 600 in cash.
Mrs. Green was willing to lend. bnt in
sisted on having mortgageon the mar
ble palace at the corner Of Broadway
and Chamber street. New York, the
Stewart buildin~. which, with the land,
Ii supposed to be worth -, ,OOO. 900. She
would take no other security. and after
two months search of the title the lar
rest mortgage ever given on i single piece
&C property in New York was recorded.
But Judge Hilton needed the money be-
fore the search had been concluded. and
after he had placed in the hands Of Hetty
Green title deeds representing $l5 - COZ, ,O09
worth 81 property she advanced him
$500. 900. Ard in addition 70 this the
shrewd speci,lator forced him to sign q
paper agreeing fhat che should hold the
deeds until the naortgaGe wae executed,
Brooklyn Isis