Los Angeles herald., 1906-10-03
HETTY IS ANGRY
AND WILL MOVE
INDIGNANT AT ACTION, WILL
QUIT THE PLACE
Richest Woman Says She Doesn't Care
SO Much for $1,000, but That
Home Town Wants to Get
Rid Of Her
speeIal to The Herald.

Special TO The Herald
BELLOWS FALLS, VT, Oct. a.
Like an injudicious player In a poker
game, the Bellows Fails board of list
ers raised Mrs. Hetty Green, credited
with being the richest woman In the
world, $1,000 on her $4,000 tax assess
ment The board thought It was about
the right size raise. 1t was too much.
Mrs. Green's daughter, Miss Sylvia,
appeared in the village hardware store
early this morning and bought locks
and bolts to close up the old-fashioned
cottage on the brow of the hill with
It's view of the Connecticut valley.
Mrs. Green does not conceal her sor-
row over leaving the old homestead.
1t is here her children were reared,
and her husband is sleeping in the vii
lage churhyard.
when 1 fight there is usually a
funeral and 1t isn't mine, either" Mrs.
Green said today.
Bellows Falls Is mighty sorry the
board played such stiff hand. 1t de-
cided to make a record this year, and
up went the town list nearly a million
dollars. Heretofore Mrs Green has done
about as she likes in the assessment
game. Some years she appraised her
holdings at $4,000 and others, when
she felt particularly generous, found
100000 opposite her name.
The board, figuring on the million
dollar increase, took 1t upon itself to
confront Mrs. Green with the $4,000
raise. She made vigorous protest, ap-
pearing in person before the board to
tell them what she thought of the game.
The board decided yesterday that the
raise was about right and must stand.
Her Maid a Wonder
When a correspondent raised the clap
per on the cottage door today, Mrs.
GREEN'S maid responded. The maid is a
wonder. Her face is as imperturbable
as a cup of weak tea. She was telling
the scribe that Mrs, Green was in Bos-
ton, would not return in three days and
did not want to see a newspaper man
anyway, when Mrs. Green appeared,
You may say that this is not the end
of the affair" was Mrs. Green's COM
ment when told of the decision of the
board. 1T may be an act of proVl-
dence. 1t shows me that the people of
Bellows Falls do not want me here any
longer, and perhaps it is just as well.
wish to be let alone. l come here
after a hard years work in New York,
and l want to rest. 1t is not the $1,000
that 1 object to, for that is a pittance.
/ can get more than the additional tax
right out of my place"
Mrs. Green paused as if in mental
calculation. Let me see. The fire de-
partment wants my barn for its horses,
and man with five children wants to
rent the house. The board of listers is
mistaken if it thinks that by driving
me out it can get possession of my
homestead at low figure for library.
| shall never give it to Bellows Falls
for Carnegie library, for I do not APP
prove of such things with a string at
tachment."
Bellows Falls feels that it has lost all
hope of benefiting from the, immense
fortune of Mrs. Green on account of the
raise. 1t had expected a hospital, a
library or some kind of memorial.
Mrs. Green's Voice Softens
When this subject was broached to
Mrs. Green she said:
Il never trouble the future. | let
1t take care of ITSELF
Then her voice softened and she
added but everything think the
most of is here. 1t is my home, and
my husbands and it's associations are
very dear to me. 1t is natural to sup
pose that / shall remember these things
in my will. Now this tax matter again!
1t is the worry and. trouble such a
small amount causes that 1 object to-.
In managing an immense fortune and
keeping it busy there must be attend
ed to a, duty which God has given me
to perform. A vast system is required
and even a small change upsets the
system and necessitates much worry"
Mrs. Green received her caller in the
entrance hall, large and roomy apart
ment with a winding staircase. The