The record-union., 1894-02-03
THE RICHEST WOMAN.
She Buys Diamonds But Never
Hires a Cab.
''Hetty'' Green, the Shrewd Walt
Street Operator, Her Strange Court
ship and Marriage-Am bilious of
Seeing Her Son the Wealthiest Man
fu Anarfoa
In America.

ship and Marriage-Ambitious of
Seeing Her Son the Wealthiest Man
In America.
The sharpest woman in Wall street and
the richest woman in New York is Mrs.
'Hetty" Green. She is now about 30, and
her wealth, frugality, shrewdness and
eccentricity form never falling themes for
the brokers in Wall street IN their odd
moments. Born Harriet II. Robinson,
she claims New Bedford as her birth
place. Her father, Edward Morton Rob
inson, is said by the New York Herald
10 have been a keen-witted and frugal
Quaker, whose inheritance from 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 success. With an older brother he
started a mill for the manufacture OF
satinets, and later opened house in
Providence, r. l. Subsequently he en-
gagged in the oil trade, his wealth increas-
ing steadily from year to year, and in
Rowland of New Bedford, who was eX-
tensively engaged in whale fishing and
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
1ather-in-law's death was speedily fol-
lowed by that of his wife, an event which
swelled 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 a member of
the firm of W. T. Coleman & Co., ship
ping merchants of New York. There
fore he spent much of his time in that
city, and watching the trend OF specula-
tion in Wall street, he became convinced
that there was money for him there, pro-
vided he was cautious and sagacious.
He therefore became Spectator IN
stocks, and his operations were attended
with so much success that when he died
he left an estate valued at S9.0O0,0O0.
Former associates of his recall him as
man grasping and avaricious IN the ex-
treme, but in whom boldness was adj
miraDly combined with caution and who
fulfilled all of his contracts to the letter.
HARRIET's EARLY LESSONS IN ECONOMY.
The childhood of his daughter was
W =
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 to 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
rule were spent in New York, and there
are many gray-haired beaux who remem
Der her as a buxom and beautiful society
belle. in whose wake followed train of
eager suitors. During these visits to the
metropolis she stopped at boarding
house on Twenty-second street, to the in
mates of which she gave frequent and
salutary proofs of her economy and fru-
gality. Her dresses were plain and simple
and often out of date; she had no regard
for young men who wasted their sub
stance on flowers and gorgeous rainent,
and rather than pay cab hire to go to
party she would pull pair OF heavy
stockings over her stout shoes and gayIy
tramp it through the snow, pulling the
stockings off when she got there and
spreading them on the hatrack TO dry.
But she was chaperoned by the Grinnell
family, with whom she was connected on
her mothers side, a fact which meant
much in those days, and gave her admlS-
sion into the most exclusive circles. She
attended nearly all the balls, parties and
concerts in which swelldom was inter
ested, and was much sought after. A tall
and prepossessing blonde, she was noted
for her animal spirits and her brllllancy
in conversation. The uncle of Fred Geb-
hard is one of those whose hand she re-
fused at that time, and he is said to have
had plenty Of company.
Mrs. Green's career as belle ended
about the time the war began, and there
after her habits and mode of living as
closely resembled 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 were 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 hazard
Gus investment 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 the transfer, involving
millions, she attended to in person, and
travelled all over New England inspect
ing and buying up town and farm mort
cages and searching for any other invest
ment that promised safety and regular
returns. Soon after her fathers death
her mothers maiden sister also died,
leaving her an estate amounting to
$1,000. O0O For this estate Miss Robinson
carried on a long and stubborn contest in
the courts, and i'll the end her efforts
were successful. However, 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.
HER FUTURE HUSBANDS LUCKY MIS-
TAKE.
Miss Robinson did not marry until she
was nearly 20, and when she did her
marriage was arranged on a purely bust
ness basis. The lucky man was Edward
T. 4 hnnr a how
In Bellows Falls, Vt, but had sought and
found a fortune at Manila, the capital of
the Philippine Islands. He was seven
teen wears a resident of Manila, and as an
exnorter acquired during that time
fortune of over million. lie was only
few wears the senior OF Miss Robinson,
and when in the early sixties he located
in New York and in due time became a
snitor for her hand he was strikingly
handsome man. But he had other than
purelv physical charms TO commend him
to the maiden of many millions. There
Is an ancient legend to the erect that on
certain ST.. Valentines Day MI. Green
bought a valentine to send TO his sweet
heart, but by one of those mistakes that
sometimes happen addressed and sent
her the wrong envelOpe-one that con-
tanned instead of a valentine recelpteu
bill for a cheap suit of clothes. The mis-
take proved a lucky one. Miss Roolnson
was delighted with this inaovertent eVl-
dence of her suItor's economy IN expend-
iture and promptness in payment; there
after he was encouraged in his woolng,
and in due time they were married. But
helore this event occurred an antenuptlaI
agreement was duly signed and sealed.
By this contract MIR. Green agreed that
his wife's fortune should not be liable for
his debts and obligations, or for any of
their Joint expenses. In other words. he
agreed TO support his wife as though she
were without means OF her own, and to