The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-09-11

lows Fails, Vt.-SmaII economics
of Hirs. Green.
From the New York World
In the peaceful obSCurity of Bellows
Falls, Vt, there is resting this sum-
mer an elderly and simple gentleman,
the unknown husband of a well-known
woman.
He is Mr.. Hetty H. R. Green.
You know that name. There is a
smack Ct money about it-as much as
If 1t were Long Green or Greenbacks.
Mr. HettY Green is the husband Of a
hundred millions. But for all that his
better 80 pr cent is the richest woman
in the world, Mr.. Hetty Green is almost
as far from that vast fortune as a
diVekeeper IS from the pearly gates Of
paradise.
1t Is no great thing in his case to
have married a female mint. 1t does
not mean a fine steam yacht or a palace
at Newport. 1t does not even signify
an occasional supper at the Waldorf
Astoria. There is no Lucullian impor-
lance attached to the position OF Mr..
Hetty Green in any way whatever No
horses and carriages, no purple and fine
linen go with the place. If Mr.. Hetty
Green had married the daughter of a
country parsOn, he could not have mar
ried less, although he might have mar
ried more.
Once upon a time MIR Hetty Green
had another name. Then it was in the
heyday Of the China trade, when Hong
kong and Shanghai were flushed with
money. In those days, far back in the
sixties men went down to the Britt sh
Island OF HOngkOng to meet among
other men a dressed, self-pOssess-
ed, active chap, liberal and fond of
the best
This man they called Spendthrirt
Green. Now he is merely Mr.. Hetty
Green. In those days MIR. Hetty Green
had
MONEY OF HIS OWN.
The China trade was making mil
llOnaires Of many. Every ship that
sailed eastward to San Francisco bore
in its hold vast stores of silk and tea
and opium, cargOes that meant thou
sands to the names upon the mani
tests. Mr.. Edward Green-that's an
other name for Mr.. Hetty Green-sigp-
ed many of these documents. He was
also able TO sign his name to other pa
pers-checks, for instance, and to
amounts up into six and perhaps seven
figures.
In those days Mr.. Hetty Green did
not have to talk earnestly to his wife
when he wanted a new pair Of shoes or
a new box of linen collars. In those
days Mr. Hetty Green probably had
around the World-that is, if he saw
fit to walk. In HongkOng, however,
Mr.. Hetty Green was not a pedestrian.
He did not have to walk.
In the latter part of the sixties Mr..
Hetty Green fOrsOOk HOngkOng and
homeward sailed for America. He was
a made man then. To use fash es,-
preston, he had money to burn. He
could have used up a whole box or
matches IN that way and still have
enough left to light the gas when he
got home HOngkOng had grown tame.
He had Outlived the club and the gov
eminent balls and the rat-like Chinese
ponies that ran around for cups. He
had tired Of gO-dOWnS and cOmpradOr
talk and ship sailings first-chop teas,
raw silk and all the rest. Thus Mr..
Hetty Green came home to flash
radiantly upon a statd New England
people. New Bedford was a great town
when Mr.. Green got back. The oil-ships
were coming in with fortunes in then
casks, cOastwise, cross the seas, round
the world and home again. Hetty Rob
inson's papa had a finger in many OF
these casks Of oil Every time a ship
came in the old New Bedford whaler
went to the bank with a grip-sack full
of money That's how Hetty Green to
be caught the habit
The d8shing man from Hongkong
found favor in her eyes. Up to thar
of life. 1t charmed her. Right here it
may -be said that long ago she got over
this. But then it was all new, and Mr.
Green-Edward Spendthrift then-w1s
so attentive that naturally they were
married.
That was July II, 1857
Thus Mr.. Edward Green became Mr.
Hetty Green, husband Of Hetty How
land Robinson. heiress
Two children were born to then-Ed-
ward and Sylvia. For a long while Mr..
Green lived IN to his life of the past.
Then something happened, and he be-
gan to live it down. Wall street they
say, turned the tide Of existence, so
that it swept away from aff1uence and
luxury down. down, down to the u.-
cankering simplicity Of today. Mr.
Hetty Green, as they whisper now IN
Bellows Falls,
TRIED TO RUN THE MARKET
one way when the market desired to
run the other No man can do this
successfully. A few dozen Cinnamon
have tried the trick with an invariabIe
result. Some Of them. when it was an
over took the train and went home.
A few walked. Mr.. Hetty Green how
ever, did not have to walk. His mil
liOnaire Wife assisted him to leave that
Waterloo Cf Wall street somewhat NOR,
eXpeditiOusy.
While they lasted, Mr. Hetty Green's
investments were spectacular, they say.
Once wealth beyond the Nightmares of
his wife seemed within his grasp. But
to clinch it he needed just a few more
thousands. Mrs. Hetty Green had them,
and others beside. But no, Mrs HetUy
Green was not seeking excitement con-
duciVe to the gayety of the spheres.
No Wall street chimeras for her Mr.
Green did not get his thousands, and
the echoes Of his crash upon the mar
ket resQurded even unto HOng-kong.
That was the last Of Mr.. Hetty Greer.
in Wall street. In place OF the man.
Wall street got the wife. 1t got also
grief and groans and experience. Mrs.
Hetty Green had marked things for her
own, and wherever she nicked a notch
on anything it was hers, while some
one went and shed tears.
Sometimes they see her now irudging
through the street a few hundred
thousands or million or so In a news
paper parcel under her arm. Once she
walked into her brokers' with $3.50 OOu
wrapped up in a morning paper Dor
rOwed for the occasion. 1t would no;
do, you know, to waste even a paper,
Good heavens" shrieked the man
when Mrs. Hetty unrolled her burden
upon his view. Did you walk through
the streets with all that money"
Certainly" said she, "the walking
is excellent"
Madam" said he gravely, "some day
you will be knocked down and murder
ed in broad daylight for your money
/ implore you, take a cab"