The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-08-30
THE LATE MRS. FAIR.
story of Her Early Life Told by a
Sister.

New York Letter.
Mrs. Elizabeth Brunnell, of Union, n. J.,
has told the story of the childhood and
girlhood of Carrie Smith, her sister. who
became the wife of Charles L. Fair, the
San Francisco millionaire.
She wasn't like the rest of us" said Mrs.
Brunnell yesterday. "All of us were work
ers, but Carrie Gid not like to work. She
used TO read a great deal and had a way of
making us do things for her. She was al
ways particular about her clothes. l re-
member when she was a little thing she
always looked sweet and clean and pretty,
while we girls didn't care so much about
our appearance.
"She exasperated my mother a great deal.
for mother was a most industrious woman,
and finally she sent Carrie away to New
ark, where my sister Sarah had a boarding
house. Carrie waited on the table and
firted with the boarders and did fancy
work for a store"
The mother and sisters toiled along in
New Jersey for five years after Carrie went
away. They heard from her but seldom.
Rumor had 1t that she was an actress.
One day Carrie came home to the humble
cottage at Newmarket, \. j.
Carrie remained for a short visit. Her
brothers and sisters went to see her. They
were anxious to ask her questions concern
ing her prosperity, but something in her
manner bade them halt.
The next time Carrie Smith went away
it was for a longer period than had marked
her first step into the world. She tired of
New York and went West. In Chicago she
was known as Maude Nelson and Maude
Ulman. In Denver she was known as
Maude Thomas. In San Francisco she was
known by all these names. as well as by
the name of Maud Corrigan.
"All at once her letters ceased" saws the
siste and we did not hear from her for
quite a spell. Then she suddenly appeared
at home again. She said she was going TO
Paris. We saw something in the papers
about Charlese l.. Fair. a dissolute young
man from San Francisco, going abroad
with Maud Nelson, and thought maybe II
might be our Carrie. But we didn't ask
any questions.
"She stopped in on her way back. and the
next we heard was that she had married
Charlie Fair. She wrote and told about il.
She said he was a hard case, but that she
intended TO make a man out of him. and l
guess she did. She had 4 way about her
Carrie habitat made men and women do
as she wanted them to.
Now. what 1 liked about Carrie was
that when she married Mr.. Fair and came
10 New York she did not forget US, and she
was not ashamed of us, even il we were
Netherland and kept me there for DAYS. /
was out of place and knew il, but that
didn't bother Carrie. She took me among
all those fnely-dressed people just the same
as if | had on my silks and satins and ola
monds, and nobody said anything about il.
After her marriage she reformed Mr..
Fair. Then he got a lot of money from
one of his sisters for being a good man for
about il. Whenever they were I'm New York
she used to SEND over for some of us and
board Us at those great hotels. She would
come down here. too, and visit around.
Carrie was here a few months ago. when
she went 10 Europe with Mr.. Fair. She had
grown 10 be a fire. big woman, and was as
pretty as she could be. She told US that
Mr.. Fair had won more than a million
dollars in a lawsuit and that they were
! going TO live In a mansion In New York.