The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-12-31
HOW CUBA GOT So
FROM HETTY GREEN
brooklyn Eagle.)

brooklyn EaSic.)
Hetty Green is supposed 10 be the rich
est woman in America. Yet Mrs. Green
Is not gene rally looked upon an eXtraV-
agant woman. A hall bedroom in an OBJ
scure boarding house amply fultills her
60 OF a home. Her meals are frugal
ana her gowns are not made by Worth.
@rs. Green's chosen boarding houses
are obscure, not especially because she
is fond of SeciuSiOn, but rather because
OF her desire to escape the attentions of
reporters.
If there is one thing on earth that Mrs
Green deteStS more than d reporter, II Is
another rf9Orte. They are the bane OF
her life, Tor they insist upon printing
things about her frugahty just because
sSc'- rich
'E7.e-a stories are sometimes more or
less interesting, but they are not exactly
of the sort 10 promote the entente cor
pOTterS.
man who has attempted to write about
the inner life of Mrs. Hetty Green has
ever allowed himself TO be hampered
ana bound down by a paucI5y OF facts
But here is one story about Hetty Green
which is absolutely true:
1t happened in Chicago in April, 1894
The CuDans we're struggling against great
odds to gain their freedom. \ committee
of loo prominent Chicago women was
formed 10 raise funds for Cuban hospitals,
Of w---cA Mrs. p. was secretary.
Mrs. +. took NJ her work with IN
bounded enthusiasm and energy. She
heard that Hetty Green was at the
Great Northern hotel 50 she decided to
solicit a small contribution for suffering
Cubans from t. richest woman in
She had heard tales about Mrs
Green 5 tTugality, so she fortified herself
both with sound arguments and pathetic
appeals she meant 10 OFerWhelm Hetty
with such a torrent of eioquence that she
COuldn resist the temptation to part with
some of her dollars. Or, IT worst came
10 worst she would talk until Hetty
would be glad to purchase silence with a
contribution.
Mrs. P. found Hetty in one of the big
bu@--es1 blocks she owns in CHICAGO.
experimenting the work of "A corps of
scrub women. Mrs. p. had fixed up
most elaborate plan of campaign.
SEa would Introduce herself first. of
course. and as her family is prominent,
that would secure a respectful hearing,
We would be all the more readily ac-
corded because Of her stunning costume
Hevir- thus carried the outer works
OF the enemy by storm, Mrs. =. proposed
TO follow up her advantage closely by a
whitening fire of unabridged dictionaries
Wei would not give Mrs. Green a
chance 10 say a word except at the end.
when she would family gasp:
Put me down for a thousand dollars.
1t worked 10 perfection up to the point
where Mrs p. after introducing herself.
had stated her business.
Then. by a brilliant flank movement.
49,. Green carried her assailant off her
feet. cut her off from her reserves and
then poured in a murderOus torrent of
small talk at short range
Hett- began with q circumstantial ac-
count OF her war on cOckrOacheS in the
old building of her many reVerseS and
final triumph. ending in a massacre of
e--c-- surviving cOckrOach.
She told the history of the dress she
- As it was. very ancient dress,
not built originally for Mrs. Green. the
tale required much time for the telling.
Than followed with a wealth of detail
- manner in which Mrs. Green had
trimmed her hat, and the marvellous
cheapness thereof.
From this, by a gentle and
transaction, the richest woman 81
81 NJ ntaH- n
taking up the biography of one at
This suggested a disquisition upon the
wc-thle~sraSs of hired help and the
means ombating il hit upon by Mrs.
Green. -'mbat suggested lawyers, and
lawyers called to mind numberless in
stances of the depravity and greed of
the whole cabOodle.
b this time Mrs P's head was
h---vo woman ,hat she was. she tried
again and again 10 stem the torrent OF
Mrs Green's el0duence long enough to
work II a word about the Cubans.
As a last resort she pulled ont a Gu
ban button. which she offered TO Mrs.
Green for 10 cents. the cash TO 90 TO the
Cuban hosc:taI fund.
The offer was SpuTned-
Mrs p. fed. The footmau had almost
TO carry her across the sidewalk and lift
her into her carriage
But the fresh air revived her. She
es(-f~ef- the coachman TO drive =. to the
Tribune office. called for pencil and paper,
w-Gto an account Of her two hours in
terview with the richest woman i'm Amer
lea, its object and result. sold the story
TO the paper at spacs rates, cred. ted the
Cubans with s. received for the story and
d-oT3 home with the serene conscious
ness Of having taken the last trick
One of the latest on Mrs. Green is told
by a business acquaintance. He met Mrs.
Green one day and noticed that she
looked very III. Upon inquiry he was
told that Mrs. Green was i'll
she explained that she has ordered two
boiled eggs for breakfast at cheap
restaurant that morning, and that. not