Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-07-17


grandfather were rich. The first idea that
I ever got of business was from my grand
father. 1 used to help him In his CORE
spondence. and I absorbed some Of his
business methods. Still. I had nothing
really to do with business until my father
died.
1T was then that you began your fight
with the lawyers. was IL rot?"
Yes" replied Mrs. Green. ut was that
fight that has made me business woman.
Gou see. the lawyers tried to swallow Up
the estate. / let them go along for time.
but l soon saw that l could trust only
myself. i was forced into the studying
up of financial matters, and had to take
everything into my own hands. 1 had to
learn step by step and at the same time
to fight my way in the courts. I have
been lighting for the last thirty years, and
have not finished yet"
Inherited Money is Only n Trust.
But 1 should think you would get tired
of it, Mrs. Green? 1 don't see how any
person can use more than the income from
million dollars. Why don't you stop and
enjoy yourself?'
Il don't know" replied the woman Of mil
lions Il look upon my property largely as
a trust 1 take care of it on much the same
principle that you would take care Of a
valuable animal were it left In your charge.
fou see. my father had the idea that the
money which one inherited should be given
n,
He thought that the person who Inherited
II had the full right to the use of the in
come but that he ought not to spend the
principal. This is the way have felt"
res Mrs. Green" said 1. But you have
greatly increased the principal You are
said to be the richest woman in America
How did you make SO much money. What
are the secrets of your successg'
Il do not think / am the richest woman
in America replied Mrs. Green 1T is
L / h1v va
investments and that Is all. 1 don't know
that my fortune is due to any fixed prin-
clpies L only use common sense. / buy
when things are low and no one wants
them keep them until they go up and
people are crazy to get them. That Is 1 be-
lieve, the secret of all successful business. -
The Best Invesiment.
Yes, 1 suppose 1t is" said 1. but the
thing of 1t is to know when things are
cheap. Where would you advise a person
to invest just now to get the most out of
his investment
Il would advise him to invest in the other
world was the quick reply. "All the other
Things that are offered just now are mighty
uncertain.
But don't mean heavenly Investments
said l. Il mean earthly ones. You are said
to speculate great deal in Wall street a I'd
to make money there"
That is mistake replied Mrs. Green
Il never speculate..I sometimes buy stocks
put buy them as investments and not as
spec ulations. L never buy on a Margin
When you buy 1 suppose you use your
own judgment do you not"'
Not altogether" was the reply. II ad-
wise with my friends very often. If they
are all against me l hesitate a good deal
before go in. / do the same as to my law
suits. If my friends and lawyers tell me
there is no chance for me l would rather
compromise than take the chance OF sue
ceeding by figkting.''
How One Rich Woman Lives.
The conversation here turned to Mrs
Green's capacity for hard work, and 1 ask
ed her something as to her habits She re-
piled:
Il don't believe there is any one who
works harder than l do. 1t takes all of
my time TO attend to my business. I get
up at O'Clock in the morning and i am at
work until late in the evening. 1 am very
careful of my eating. / use the best of
plain food but avoid knick knacks. 1 avoid
sugar and butter, for | believe they do not
agree with me. 1t is not on the grounds of
economy, but of health. Why, 1 have just
come from Chicago. While there stopped
at the best hotel In the city I could have
eaten ton at each meal and 1t would not
have cost me cent more, but 1 confined
myself to about three things. You see, my
interests are such that l have to travel
after. and every now and then l have
law suit to attend to. find that things al
ways go better when 1 am on the ground"
Her Quaker Training.
You keep very young through 1t ALL
Mrs. Green" said I. as 1 looked at her
bright eyes and noted the energy and vi
vacity with which she talked.
Yes, perhaps Il do" was the reply. You
see. 1 never worry about things. 1 am al
ways ready to fight for my rights, and
do the best / can every day as 1 go along.
After l have done a thing i let the matter
drop. My business seldom keeps me awake
at night. ] SLEEP well, and, as l have told
you, l eat carefully. 1 attribute my free
dom from worry largely to the fact that
am Quaker, and that my father brought
hand. He used to tell me that if l would
learn how to manage my brain / would
knew how to manage my fortune. l can
remember when l a very small child
and father noticed that l was out of sorts
about something he would say: 'Hetty
daughter. art thee angry? If I replied
yes, he would answer: Well, Hetty thee
must not speak for fifteen minutes At
the end of that time he would ask If l was
stil angry, and if l replied yes. he would
tell me not to speak for an hour. At the
end of the hour l might be told to keep
silent for three hours, and If proved still
contumacious, / was forbidden to speak
(y~Ss