The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-03-19
MRS. PLANT INTERVIEWED.
TELLS WHY SHE SEEKS TO BREAK
HER LATE HUSBANDS WILL.


Like, She Asserts, to Care for .HIn,
oater TO Him, Work for Him, Nurse
Him in sickness and Now Seeks
Her Reward-Hopes to Carry Out
His Plans Tor Cbarity-If Her Suit
succeeds She Hopes to Build an
Ideal Hotel for Working Girls,
where They Can Get Bright, Conn
portable Rooms without Prison
Rules"
Lavinia Hart in New York World.
The case of Margaret ]. Plant is closed
and the widow of the late Henry B,
Plant, railroad magnate, anxiousiy awaits
The outcome.
II the court decides that Henry B. Plant
was not legally entitled to the Connecti-
cut residence he established three days
before his death the will may be contested
and broken in this state as its terms tie
up the fortune for nearly a hundred
years, with a view to making it one of
the greatest in the world
To Mrs. Plant was not bequeathed her
dover right, but an annual income of
$4,000 during her life.
Mr.. Plants Three Reasons.
For three reasons Mrs. Plant deems
this allowance wholly inadequate and
moves to set aside the will.
First, because she relinquished all
those pleasure which women usually seek
and devoted her life to her husbands in
terests, working with him to attain the
fortune he has put beyond her reach.
Second because she does not believe
in tying up a vast fortune which could
be utilized in lettering the lives of thou
sands.
Third. because she does not believe the
husband, who was devoted and straight
forward during all of their married life
would wilfully and in his right mind have
deceived her at the end, and she, there
fore for sentimental as wei as practical
reasons, wishes the court to remove from
his memory the stain which the last CO.
dicil leaves upon it.
Mrs. Plant is very sincere about reason
No 8. The loss of the great fortune
which ought to be hers does not affect
her nearly so much as the loss of ten
der respect for her husbands memory,
and the shock that he lacked confidence
in her Judgment and belief in her right
to share everything he had.
"All that a man has" MIS-. Plant said
Yesterday, lis none too much for a wife
who has cared for him, worked with
him, nursed him in sickness and choered
him in health All of this and more
did for Mr. Plant He was considerably
older than 1 and did not care for society.
I, therefore, stihed by own inclinations
and relinquished society, too.
He was devoted to his business, and
his home. These made up his life So
they made up mine. 1 saw to 1t that
nothing was lacking in his home"-Mrs
Plant glanced contentedly around the
rooms of her Fifth avenue mansion
and little by little l came to know
every detail of his business. studied
1 it. l realized he was an old man, and
/ it was only reasonable to expect he
would not always be able to handle his
! affairs.
THE people he had about him were in
terested for their own sakes, not his. Ho
realized the advantages of having a
business partner, impelled by love as we'll
as interest Mr.. Plant never built boat
nor hotel, nor a railroad, without first
talking the matter over with me-.
His Wife's SON His Adviser.
Together we worked over plans. un-
til l came to be quite an architect, and
often We discussed, until late in the night,
the advisability of buying up roads. Of
trying new appliances on locomotives, of
adding new comforts to trains, of in
creasiag accommodate in one place and
decreasing them. In others. There was
no business complication during all our
married life that Mr.. Plant did not bring
10 me to unravel
When his health began to fail, som.
SIX or eight years ago, it was a great
4 Soace TO him to realize that l could go
right ahead with things, and no time
| would be lost by his illness. Every day
drove him down to his ONCE, and
called ard brought him back. My wi ole
Iime my whole life was spent in devo-
uon TO his interests.
Often when we parted in the morning,
ne would trust the solving of some finan-
cal crisis to me- and usually had found
me soiuto on before evening, for l devel-
oped a good clear business head"
MRS. Plants eyes sparlxled over the busy
"reminiscences
enjoyed it." she said, for was al
ways too energetic for the idle sphere into
which / was born"
Yet Mrs. Plant does not look like one
OF the workers. She is dainty, refined.
gaclu' quantity beautiful, with a great
usai or reserve force and determination
uenlnd her affable features
II is not they who look most like
NOtKers'' she said, answering a dubious
NnHe who accomplish most. The woman
wy" le working genius does not waste
any or her energy in busting around and
making a noise. I doubt II any one out
e'Qe our own household knew how large
career.
IL was I who furnished all his hotels.
lu mat means a great deal more work
N1n II seems when you speak Of It.
was Just four years furnishing the Tam
ia bay Hotel, before It was quite COM
timc.
Supervised shipbuiIdinE.
=. could do rush work, too. proved
t' aSt when the Grand Duchess was being
sulI II had to be finished for a certain
l'e' ana just ten days before Mr.. Plaut
as taken i'll. II was a serious problem,
nc needed my attention and the ship
tsued u too. But managed all right.
10y morning | went down TO the ship,
'lut nd ng the work and rushing II
,,, msh' returning homo at 6, much 10
uuspands relief, and glying him
ns accounts Of our progress, Then
"a "alehed by his side and nursed him
''fough the night" ...
,., a. good deal OF a strain for a deli
hurtured womau2'
"any things that / undertook proved
ialn" said Mrs Plant simply "but
t' 10y reward Ia my husbands APP
'l9 Hueeess ana IN the confidence
lti in me and the respect hs show
u ms Judgment. ] considered that