The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1898-01-18
WEALTH. AND ECCENTRIC.
Mrs. j. @, Aver Was the Idol OF the
Parisian Drcssmakers and Shop
IleeDerS

Mrs. j. @, Aver Was the Idol OF the
Parisian Drcssmakers and Shop
Keepers.
Mrs. James G. Aver, of Lowell,
Mass, who died short time ago in
Paris, was notable character. She
was born in Medway, Mass, on Dec. l5,
1876, and she had therefore passed her
I lst year. Her maiden name was
Josephine Mellin Southwick. Her
father was Quaker and large manu-
facturer She knew james G. Aver as
child He was clerk in a Lowell
drug store, who had saved a little
money, and who started in business for
himself. he manufactured a cough
mixture and advertised it in the local
newspapers. He was the pioneer in
the patent medicine business, and it
grew rapidly. Before long the Ayers
preparations were known all over the
country When James G. Aver died,
in 1878, he left "a fortune Of $l5 ,00O, 900.
Mrs. Aver first went to Paris about
1850, and except two or three summers
spent in this country she remained
there ever since, making infrequent
and very short visits to New York.
For years she had large suit of apart
ments in the Hotel Continental.
| mn the beginning, says the New
VI * World, she attracted attention
| by /her expenditures. she had reti-
nue. ol servants. She employed den.
list who visited her daily. She had a
physician to look after the members OF
the family, while she herself consulted
specialists, to wnom she gave enormous
| fees.
The milliners and shopkeepers from
one city to the other regarded her as
their hest customer. She was ileeced
right and left, but she never objected.
She would buy 5000 worth OF gloves at
d time, and there gloves cost not more
than third rs much as they do in New
York.
She established kind of salon in
the hotel, sort OF Bohemian gather
ing, ard steadily assaulted the houses
OF those whose positions were establish
ed. For q long time the exclusives
would have none OF her, but gradually
she made her way. Her wealth and
her entertainments battered down bar
rier after barrier.
or course there was great deal Of
talk about Mrs. Aver getting married
again. AT one time no fewer than
! three princes were aspirants for her
! hand.
+ About six years ago Mrs. Aver had
a social position which warranted her
| in leasing the mansion of the Due de
: Mouchy, one OF the finest and most ex-
pensiye to maintain in Paris. 1t was
9 completely refurnished at an enormous
8 expense AID Mrs. Aver installed her
G self in it with a retinue of carriages
, and SPLENDID horses.
8 Mrs. Aver entertained lavishly, more
x extensively, perhaps, than anyone else
in Paris.
y AS the years went on she dressed
II more gorgeously and wore more Jew
t elry than ever. Whenever she ap-
g peared in public she was pointed out
e and the shopkeepers worshipped her
l. Mrs. Aver did much TO give the
IS Parsians the idea that Americans
g have inexhaustible supplies OF money,
3 and that they are willing to throw ii
!? away.
e she did everything possible to hide
% the effect OF time. She passed hours
each day In the hands OF the masseuse
of and the hairdresser, the. dentist, tn.
)f physician, and the great number o.
rs persons whose business 1t Is to repel age
D. She wore the most youthful gowns, anC
ut her entertainments became more anC
" more spectacular.
If Mrs. Aver never entertained people
,e In her great house. There was NJ
d. room, for the reason that every apart
In ment was filled with her old gowns OF
n dressmakers' dummies. SheE neve
i'd threw away gown that she had worn
We but always pres ,rved it carefully as
of she purposed wearing it again.
as Nobody knows how many costume
by Mrs Aver wore each year-more tina
en- any woman In Paris, 1t Is said-'-ad 8
ny the immense hotel was taken,
he the gowns. II.