Evening journal., 1893-11-04
Willy HETTY GREEN.
PEcULlARlTlEs OF A WOMAN WORTH
$eo,ooo,ooo.

cation of shrewdness When Financial
Transactions Are Involved.
Not a small part Of the fame of Brook
Ign can be laid to the credit of the re-
markable women who have lived and
live now within its bOrders-women who
have taken rank and honor in almost ev-
cry walk of life Il is a well known fact
that very large proportion Of the real
estate of the city is held in the names of
women. 1t is not a 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 clas-
sic section known as the heights too.
Her wealth is variously estimated at
from $40, 100000 to $50, 100000, 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 theman-
ipulation Of her fortune and has let So
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 30 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 it, 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
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 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 n corner
in Pierrepont street Mrs. Green and her
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
son, who has been spending some time
in Florida seeking to improve his health.
Mrs. Green has been a widow for many
years, and her daughter is about 20
years old. Since the death Of her hus-
| band Hetty Green has become a finan-
| cier of unusual shrewdness. She has in
dictated 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 a 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 solcitude. 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 OBJ
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 notoriety of So
cial career as her mother. She is a girl
whose tastes are quiet and TO whom
dress is a matter of little consideration.
Mrs. Green, by way of a foundation
for her daughters social debut, some
time ago settled n large sum of money
on that young woman in government
bonds. The amount is stated TO be
} $5,0OO,000
Incidents in the career Of this remark.
able woman have stamped her as a bold
yet cautious operator IN stocks and Sc
curities. When the financial panic OF
1884 occurred, Mrs. Green had a large
deposit in a firm of Canadian bankers
named Cisco d Co. Of New York. In
formation reached her that the banl
was in an unsafe condition, and without
) waiting to hear more she went to the in
stitution and withdrew her entire de
posit. The firm had no alternative, an(
I after paving her her money was com
, PEELED to suspend and finally failed com
t pletely. Hetty Green is the larges
e property owner in the city Of Chicago
Q She holds title to block after block o
land in the business section, and her sol
assists in looking after her interest
, there. For many years she lived in tn
western metropolis, and she spends mucl
is Of her time there when away from Brook
e Ign.
Her characteristic bargain with ez
q Judge Henry Hilton is fresh in the mind
d Of financiers The money which tn
II judge wanted so badly is generally con
% coded to have been used in buying on
( the interest Of his son, Henry G.. Hilton
, in the dry goods firms of Hilton, Hugho
~ & Co. and Hilton Bros He went t
"a Mrs. Green, or his lawyers did and mad
a request for loan of 81 100000 in casl
/ Mrs. Green was willing to lend, but il
m sisted ON having a mortgage on the maj
ID bic palace at the corner Of Broadwa
1t and Chambers street, New York, tn
Stewart building, which, with the lane
AZ il supposed TO be worth $3,OOO,OOO. 81
~ would take no other security. and aftt