The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-12-15
A GROUP OF GOLDEN WIDOWS

choice food, goodly raiment and an oc.
casional duke or prince for their woman
kind, wear themselves out, body and
soul, early in the fray, and when they
reach middle age, calmly betske them
selves to a land where there is no more
work.
Extremes meet in New York, and the
richest widow in the land lives Just
about five blocks from the poorest widow
I ever heard OF. There may be poo rel
in the world. but if there are L should
hate to know about it.
10 Mrs. William X. Vanderbilt is ac-
credited the glory of owning more m oney
than any other widow in town. She has
eight sons and daughters, and their
wealth com bined exceeds $780, 900, 900. In
her own right she has an immense for
tune, which is to go some day to her
youngest and favorite child, George Van
derbilt.
Mrs. Elliott +. Shepard, Mrs. Wander
bits eldest daughter, has been u wido W
for three years. She lives in one corner
OF the great Vanderbilt mansion on Fifth
avenue, extending from Fifty-tirst to
Fifty second street.
Mrs. Shepard has more than $50, 600. 600,
anu tn6 DeSl DOItluu VI her income Is
spent in the splendid charities originated
and operated by the Vanderbilt family.
Her especial pride is the Margaret Louise
home, which she has given to the self
sustaining women and girls of the coun-
try.
Mrs. Harry LIE Grand Cannon is the
youngest of all the society widows. She
is only %, and Is as fair to look upon
as when, five years ago, she came from
the west ana won the heart of the popu-
lar young cotillon leader. Mrs. Cannon
Vas Miss Elizabeth Thorn pson. and she
Inherited good many millions from the
Brush estate, of electric light lame.
Just few blocks up Fifth avenue from
Mrs. Cannon's artistic home lives the
handsomest widow in New York society,
Mrs. Samuel Colgate, who was Cora
Smith of New Orleans. Mrs. Colgate 10
tall, slender and graceful, with an ex-
Quisitely modelled head and a face good
to look upon.
She has not Iona passed 80 and has
Is, 200. GOO to add to the fortune of her
beautiful face.
Mrs Ward MoAllister will continue to
make her home in this busy city, hut
few will benefit by her presence, tor hers
Is one of the faces we never see. She has
long been an invalid and never accom-
panied Mr.. McAllister into the social
life which was SO very much part of
his very exlsteuSe. Miss Louise McAl-
uSGer LOOK ner HlOtuer olaCe ana en-
tertained for her father and was always
his companion and chum.
Mrs. William Aston is one OF the rich
est widows in America. She has lust
moved into the magnificent palace her
son built on upper Filth avenue. Mrs.
Aston is rich III houses. She owns one
In Paris, where she spends the spring
months; a palaces at Newport for Jnly
ana August, and "Ferhcliffe, the coun-
try home at Rhine beck, on the Hudson,
which she visits in the early autumn.
returning to her New York home when
the horse show sets the social ball roll
Ing In November of every year.
Mrs. Kingdom, the mother OF Mrs.
George J. Gould. Mrs. Biockholst Cut
ting, Mrs. Joseph W. Drexel and Mrs.
Fred Wilson. Freddie Gebhardt's sister,
are eronp of women with dollars to
right of them, dollars to left of them and
dUllars just all around them.
\ They have go d time In their own
peculiar nway. MIS-. Kingdom seems to
lind her greatest happiness in the royal
good time her daughter, Mrs. Gould,
.Aanares to have. Mrs. Cutting is entire
~ devoted to her two sons, Brockie and
Wrinkle. Mrs. Drexel is a superb musl-
clan, with three daughters who are
Adopts on the harp and piano. The mu-
sicales Mrs Drexel gives in her splendid
home on Madison avenue are world
famous.
Two of the most interesting widows in
New York are Mrs. Ulysses Grant, wife
of the ereat northern leader, and Mrs.
Jefferson Davis, wife Of the president of
the Confederate states. Mrs. Grant owns
q magnificent home on the fash Iona BILE
west side near Riverside park. The halls
parlors and libraries are filled with re-
ninders of the distinguished general.
There are battle pictures hung with tat