The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-07
wAsHwOMAN BECOMES RICH.
Hogan work For $40 "A Year and Now
Has Hnlf a Million
From the chicago Chronicle.

From the Chicago Chronicle.
Mary Ann Bascombe of Stapleton, S. L.,
is one of the most remarkable women in
America. Born in a little frame house al
Gordon and Broad streets Stapleton, fif-
ty-siX years ago, she began life at u
years of age as maid of ali work, re-
ceiving as wages but SIS year; yet from
this humble beginning she has succeeded
through her own unaided efforts in amass-
ing a fortune of over 100000.
She lives in a modest house at the cor
ner of Gordon and Broad streets, Staple
ton on the site where she was born. My
maiden name was Mary Ann Melon
ough," she said to a reporter the other
day. My father was Thomas Melon
ough, a contractor, of Richmond county,
and during his lifetime l did not want
for anything. When he died | was stil
a young girl, but 1t was necessary for me
to find work or starVe, as he left us
very poor. At first 1 was paid only 81 a
week, but l put my whole heart and soul
into learning to do piece work until by the
time l was II years old l made on an
average of 81 a week. l saved a great deal
of money. For five years / worked as
factory girl"
Miss HcDonough was married before
she was 20 years old, but her husband
died after two children were born. She
then began work as washerwoman. All
the time she saved money and married
again She continued washing for wages
and invested her savings in real estate.
She was so successful that one of her
brothers intrusted her with his savings to
invest, and the investment yielded abund-
ant returns. She now has sixty-tive
houses and not one of them is incum-
bered by a mortgage.
BY her second marriage Mary Ann Bas-
combe has six children, so that she is the
mother of eight children, all of whom are
living.
she is a model landlord. Said she
''When a tenant comes TO me and says
Mary Ann ! haven't the rent this month,
l do not tell him to look for lodgings else
where, but l ask him If he has plenty to
eat in the house, or is In need of any
money When that man leaves me he no
longer looks upon me as his landlord, but
as his friend, and he win slave his fingers
to his bone when he does get work in or
der to pay me my due You see, am a
believer in the honesty of the poor"
Whenever a tenant needs advice he has
only to apply to Mrs. Bascombe. If a
father is in doubt as to what trade to APP
prentice his son or mother is uncertain
as to a career for her daughter Mary Ann
Bascombe settles the question. If a ten
ant has money to invest Mary AIMS adj
vice is invariably asked. She is not only
the landlord over her tenants, but she ex-
ercises a direct influence in their lives,
even drawing up wills and having their
lives insured. The insurance policy is
made out in her name with the under
standing that she will pay the examina-
ton fees and all the dues. When the per-
son insured dies Mary Ann collects the
policy, pays the funeral expenses, takes
out what she has advanced and RENTS
the balance to those entitled to it. In
paying dues on the lives of tenants she
has insured she spends about s. 900 a
year out of her own personal income