The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-02-21
STORIES OF HETTY GREEN.

Economy in Settling Damage Suits and
Wash Bills-Tricked by Lawyer.
Some new stories of Mrs. Green's
shrewdness are printed in the New York
Tribune. Her son Edward owns and man.
ages railroad about 200 miles in length
running into Waco, Texas. The railroad
runs through a safeguarding country,
and for several years Mr.. Green has
been subject to petty law suits on the
part OF the people having cattle killed by
the cars. The railroads are not fenced, it
being cheaper to pay for cattle killed than
to fence in the track. Cattle are really
worth only about So head on the plains
,,of Texas, but whenever the railroad was
sued for killing stock the company would
be mulcted about $50 head.
"A year ago last summer q droyer got
into deep water financially and offered
to sell his entire herd to the company. Mr..
Green bought it. 1t was at this time that
Mrs. Green was in Texas, and learned
from her son of the price of the cattle
killed by the cars. She advised buying the
stock. The cattle were then turned loose
on the railroads land and allowed to
multiply. While Mrs. Green was at Waco
a man who had had "beef" killed by
one of Mr.. Green's locomotives threaten
ed to bring suit for $50.
Let me fix it," said Mrs. Green, when
she heard it and taking b. complain
ant out to her sons herd told him to pick
ont low d take It along. The man
reluctantly did so, ard Mrs Or en-
tramped back to Waco delighted. This
custom has been followed since that time
at saving of time, law suits and legal
expenses to the company.
Repairs were being made q year ago
on one of Mrs. Green's buildings in
Broad street, New York. She kept tab"
on every man and the way he put in his
time. One morning a painter was five
minutes lite.
You're around pretty early, arn't
you, Mrs. GreenW the man asked.
You're just right. I'm around early"
she responded, her cold gray eye fastened
upon his. IF l didn't watch you all the
time you'd soon be owning this building
and I'd be doing the painting" The man
was never late after that.
A tricky lawyer worsted her last sum-
mer. In company with Mrs. Green's Chi
cago lawyer, he called on her at the
Chemical bank. Her Chicago lawyer
was in to consult her about an important
lawsuit. The New York lawyer asked
the privilege of borrowing some of the
papers in the case, claiming to have a
case on hand similar to it. Mrs Green
lent him the desired papers with the
written stipulation that he was in no way
her lawyer. This was agreed upon. Then,
Through the Chicago lawyer, who thought
his New York friend ali right, the latter
Twas kept informed of Mrs. Green's move
Iments. One day as she was about to leave
her boarding house in Brooklyn for Chi
lcago on important business the lawyer
appeared with a bill for 81 900 for legal
lservices.
Il don't owe you a cent" said Hetty.
Pay it, or I'll get out writ preventing
you from leaving the state" said the law
lyer.
| She thought of her Chicago mortgages.
I'Ill give you 500 to let me CO." said
Ishe. The offer was accepted and she got
a receipt in full for all legal services.
The laughable thing about this lawyer
was that he actually had the audacity
to do the same thing again the following
month as Mrs. Green was again starting
for Chicago: She gave him $25 the second
thine. He tried it u third time and failed.
Then he sued her for $4,000 for alleged
Illegal services, but before the suit came to
trial he was chased out of the city for
fraud.
To her washerwoman she said recently
I"You needn't mind washing the tops of
my skirts Wash only the bottoms, where
the dirt shows, and" said she, when
)you make out your bill be sure and deduct
Ione-half on the skirt, as l will not pay
for unnecessary work" The washer
woman thought it was joke, but found
1.-THE next week that there was no joke
about it. The deduction had to be made.
One of her lawyers was sick last sum
mer in his house far up town. She went
to see him every day. Learning that
lseltzer and milk had been prescribed for
him, she hunted up dealer in Forty
second street, whose settler was said to
be the best in the city, and herself car
Iried two heavy bottles of the water TO
the sick lawyer.
She will help any one who can enlist
the sympathies other son Edward. He has
a hobby for helping young doctors. On his
representations Mrs. Green let over $751;
1000 without security to six young doctors
in this city, and then she got patients for
many of them. She will exert Just as
much of her shrewdness in buying an
apple as she does in the purchase of q
building. The main thing with her is not
to pay more than the thing is worth 1t is
a part of her professional code to buy
Everything as cheap as possible,