Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-03-22
MRS. READERS CAREER
Woman Diplomat Who Figures
 In Santo Domingo Dispute.
BEGAN AS A TYPEWRITER GIRL.

ScAturcb IcAn now Sne won SuCs
 cess In Big Enterprises-Not Afraid of Any Kind of Work-How She Was Befriended by Roosevelt When He Was Governor.
 This is the life story of Mrs. Athol B. Reader, woman diplomat and anna zon captain of finance, as she told it recently to Miss Frances Maule of the New York American's staff. Her mar rative is remarkable because of the extremely modest estimate she puts on her own extraordinary achievements. Miss Maule says:
 I heard from her own lips the story of the rise of America's first woman diplomat and fnancier from a timid little southern girl looking for work in New York to the adroit manipulator of gigantic enterprises, who only miss- ed becoming the dictator of all Santo Domingo's fiscal affairs through con- tracts and concessions for assuming Santo Domingos financial liabilities by so trivial thing as the premature be- trayal of her plans to the United States government.
 1nstinctively one looks for a new type in woman who has done such new things so surprisingly well. In Mrs. Ella Rawls Reader one finds only an exceptionally sweet, wholesome, sympathetic, cheerful, amiable and good looking young woman.
 Mrs. Reader betrays instantly nat ural, abounding. interest in all sorts and conditions of life. Nothing is too trivial, too commonplace, too dull, to escape the attention of her inquiring mind. One could almost say that she was childlike in her honest, whole some, sweet simplicity. She has in marked degree that open heartedness and friendliness of the southern peo- pie. She speaks with decided south ern accent - the accent she carried away with her from the little village of Marion, Ala, when she came up north to seek her fortune some ten years ago. She looks to be about thir- ty years old.
 She Is woman who is not used to failure. She snatched the concession for the Johore railroad from under the very noses of some of the sharpest financiers in all Europe and America. She captured the contract for the Lon don tube from q dozen keen contract ors. She travelled through the Andes, accompanied only by native guides, and made her mines success where other peoples mines had failed. She built up gigantic business out of nothing but girls courage, brains and industry. A bagatelle like the betrayal of her plans for capturing the fiscal affairs of country does not greatly trouble her. t&| Rhn sd jbglAA
 She told her story in the pretty lamp lighted parlor of her sisters home in New York while her sisters children tumbled about her knees, now and then receiving tender caress.
 T have no children of my own," she said in explanation. "and my sister lends me hers. If there is one subject in the world on which I am not abso- lutely rational 1t is children. My sister has five. but honestly think should Nike to have fifty.
 You see, I'm not really so remarka- ble as you people all seem to think I am," she said, stroking the hair of the youngest toddler at her knee. Every thing I have done has just come sim ply and naturally in the regular order of business. I don't think I have dis played any marvellous powers beyond ordinary determination and industry and perseverance. I've always known what l wanted and gone after 1t with the intention of getting 1t, and in most cases I've succeeded. I do not believe I possess any occult powers; I'm just an ordinary, normal, hardworking busi- ness woman, with a real love for tho world and everything that is in it.
 Eve never been able to see why a woman should not have as good busi- ness opportunities as man if she does the work required as well as a man. In this Santo Domingo affair I could not see why I shouldn't have the con- cession if I could manage the affairs of the island as well as any one else. Of course. however, when I was a young girl these ideas were not gen. erally current in the south. When wanted to go into business for myself I had to come up north to do it.
 "I had plenty of friends here, but l did not want to go 10 them. was proud. and wanted to carve my own i way. I made up my mind that there was no sort of honest work that would not accept in order to get my i start.
 Tt wasn't particularly easy to get that start. You see, I really was moi fitted for anything. My mother had made it a rule never to be strict with us about going to school. and I'm afraid that I spent as much of my time out on the river with my fish line or in the woods with my gun as in the schoolroom with my books. Therefore even my edIcation was not all that could be desired in strictly technical
 matters.
 However. one day I went into the business office of a certain newspaper ! here in New York and asked for work : The business manager asked me what ' could do. I told him I would do any thing from sweeping out the office tC writing editorials. He sent me to set bsu ,,-;so aos aS .bo anproxo-J .,F mo