Mexico weekly ledger., 1900-05-31
County Missouri Thursday May 1900
MRs, HETTY GREEN,
The Richest Woman in the Country
Written Up in the Ladies' Home
Journal by Mr.. Leigh
Mitchell Hodges.

Leigh Mitchell Hodges, formerly |
city editor OF the Mexico LEDGER,
now New York representative Of the
Ladies' Home Journal, has most in
teresting two-page article about
Hetty Green In the last number of
that publication. The following are
extracts from the article referred to:
HETrY GREEN AT WORK.
At the farthest end of the long,
narrow room, over Ia the corner by a
window, in the Chemical Bank, New
York, Hetty Green, "the richest
woman in America has her desk.
When the dozens OF bookkeepers
come and take their places they form
Q human screen, behind which she ie
|completely hidden. When anyone
calla W see har--and sho sees mnst OF
those who do call--she comes 10 the
brass grating near the assistant cash
ier's desk aud carries on the CONVEX
sation as II shs wsrs n prisoner be-
hind golden bars. She never opens
the little door, All day long she Is in |
and out OF tRe bank. Sometimes she
carries little satohel in which val
uable papers are slowed. frequently
che Is recognized by one 10 the long
line Of depoeitors. Theu there is
whispered word on the part of that
one, and line OF heads is turned to |
watch her until she walks out Of the |
door. Bat her plain dress and heavy |
veil serve well their purpose, and 1t
is not often that she 10 recognized. II
she has time at noon she stops In any
restaurant convenient to where she
is and hurriediy eats little. II not,
she goes without that littleE There is
no lull In her day until after dark.
She is always among the last to leave
the bank, and among the first to be
there Of mornings.
HErrY GREEN AT HOME.
Hetty Green, "the richest woman
In America" lives modestly in two
small flats In a brick block in Hobo
ken, New Jersey. There are two
electric push bells at the door, under
each Of which one finds the name, 80,
Dewey" Mrs. Green prefers that
the public should not know where
her home is situated, and she uses
this name because her pet dogs name
is Dewey, and she commonly calls 1t
eCutie." The parlor is in the lower
suite, and is a little larger than
good sized closet. A coach, small
table and three chairs are the furnish
ings and the ornamentation is quite
as simple. Mrs. Green lie a rapid
talker. Words seem to come to her as
easily as dollars. She is witty, too,
and these gifts, with her remark
able memory and pleasant voice,
make her an excellent conversation
alist. Her daily routine is more ee-
we're than that Of any other living |
millionaire, perhaps. She rises early,
eats a light breakfast in the little din
ing room OF the Hoboken fat, and
hurries on to the ferry. 1t Is only
a short distance from her home to the
ship and she always walks, be the
weather what 10 may. Her husband,
B. H. Green, who is seldom seen or
heard Of, is an old man, almost so,
and somewhat of an invalid. The
upper one Of the two Oats is called
his, and there, In plainly furnished
sitting room, he sits day In and day
out while his wife is in New York
looking after her financial affairs.
When she comes home In the evening
1t is always late-she sometimes
reads to him.
SECRET OF HER SUCCESS.
HettyGreen was recently induced to
talk TO a writer for the June Ladies'
Home Journal of her business meth
DDS that have won her sixty millions
Of dollars or more. The secret Of her
success is worth knowing.
81 don't believe in speculation as a
rule" she says, "and 1 don't specu-
late as much rs people think. When
offered 30 many shares Of stock at so
much l buy one share and send out
to see what 1t will bring. II it's good
advance / buy the rest. If not,
don't. This was my plan when l
used to deal In horses. would get a
days option on horse, and see what
1t would bring before buying 1t. I
attribute my success chiefly to the
rule Of always buying when everyone
wants to buy. There's q price on
everything have. When that price
is offered l sell. never buy any
thing Just to hold on TO It. Not muchl
And l try to steer clear OF Wall
Street. Anyone who hasn't a whole
fortune to back his deals had better
do the same. 1 do everything with
all my mind. II there Is q lawsuit on
hand 60 Into every detail of 1t with
my lawyer. It's the same with every
thing else"
The most conservative estimates
place Mrs. Green's wealth at geo, O,000,-
600, but 1t is probably more. She,
herself, won't discuss the matter, ex-
cept to say that 1t is overestimated.