The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-18


same principle that you would take care of
a valuable animal were it le5 in your
charge You see, my father had the idea
that the money which one inherited should
be given over undiminished to the next gem
GRAFTON. He thought that the person who
inherited it had the full right to the use of
the income, but that he ought not to spend
the principal. This is the way 1 have
felt
Yes, Mrs. Green" said I. 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 success?"
Il do not think I am the richest woman
in America" replied Mrs. Green. ut is
true I am rich. l have been blessed in my
investments, and that is all. I don't know
that my fortune is due to any fixed prin-
ciples. 1 only use common sense. 1 buy
when things are low and no one wants
them. 1 keep them until they go up and
people are crazy to get them. That is, 1 be-
lieve, the secret of all successful business. -
Yes, suppose it is" said 1. but the
thing of it 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"
II 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 I, Il mean earthly ones. You are said
to speculate a great deal in Wall street and
to make money there"
THAT is a mistake" replied Mrs Green.
II never speculate. 1 sometimes buy stocks,
but 1 buy them as investments and not as
speculations. 1 never buy on a margin"
when you buy L suppose you use your
own judgment do you not?"
mot altogether" was the reply. IT adj
wise with my friends very often. If they
are all against me [ hesitate a good deal
before l go in. l do the same as to my law
suits. If my friends and lawyers tell me
there is no chance for me 1 would rather
compromise than take the chance of sue
ceeding by lighting
HOW SHE LIVES.
The conversation here turned to Mrs.
Green's capacity for hard work, and I
asked her something as to her habits. She
replied:
II don't believe there is any one who
works harder than 1 do. 1t takes all of
my time to attend to my business. 1 get
up at o'clock in the morning and I am at
work until late In the evening. l am very
careful of my eating. l use the best of
plain food, but avoid knick knacks. avoid
sugar and butter for L 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 l stopped
at the best hotel in the city. 1 could have
eaten ton at each meal and it 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 a
great deal. 1 have my property to look
after, and every now and then I have q
law suit to attend to. l find that things al
ways go better when L am on the ground. -
you keep very young through it ALL
Mrs. Green" said I, as looked at her
bright eyes and noted the energy and vi
vacity with which she talked.
Yes, perhaps / do was the reply. "You
see, L never worry about things. 1 am al
ways ready to fight for my rights, and ]
do the best can every day as l go along
After 1 have done a thing I let the matter
drop. My business seldom keeps me awake
at night. 1 sleep well, and as 1 have told
you, 1 eat carefully. 1 attribute my free
dom from worry largely to the fact that ]
am a Quaker, and that my father brought
me UP teaching me to keep myself we'll in
hand. He used to tell me that if 1 would
learn how to manage my brain 1 would
know how to manage my fortune. [ can
remember when I was a very small child
and father noticed that 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 I was
still angry, and if L replied yes, he would
tell me not to speak for an hour. AT the
end of the hour 1 might be told to keep
silent for three hours, and if proved still
contumacious / was forbidden to speak un-
til the next morning. This taught me self
discipline. learned to hold myself in
check, and the result is that 1 can now
use my brains to the best advantage. ]
have had much experience in courts and
with lawyers. They can't make me lose
my head, and their questioning does
not annoy me-"
HETTY AND LAWYER CHOATE.
81 think the lawyers know that they
can't worry me-" Mrs. Green continued.
You remember now Choate catechised
Russell Sage about the cost of his clothes
Sage ridiculous. would like to have seen
him attempt that with me. If he had asked
me about my clothes L should have said
Now, Mr.. Choate, if there is anything !
have on that you think Mrs. Choate wants
or needs, 1 will go into one of the ante
rooms here and take it off and let you
have it. All that L ask is that you leave
me enough so that L can get back home
without Anthony Comstock or the police
getting after me- / don't believe ne would
have asked the question twice. L can't see
what business it is of Choate's what I wear
or what Mr.. Sage wears, and it seems to
me that such questions are rather imperti-
nent, to say the least"
your fight with the lawyers has been a
long one, Mrs. Green" said I.
Yes, it has" was the reply. Il have had
an awful time, and no one can realize how
much have been prosecuted. Why, if l
were asked whether / would prefer TO have
my daughter go through what have gone
through or be burned at the stake over
there in front of the City Hall, l would
say: Let her be burned There is no
place in the world where women can be
prosecuted as here. America heresses
have q worse time than the Indian widows.
The widows of India can burn themselves
on the funeral pyres of their husbands.
If they are rich they ought to be happy,
for it saves them lots of trouble. As for
me. have been robbed all my life. I have
had my daughter so injured by the brutal
ity of a lawyers assistant, who threw her
-,