The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-11-13
ny JAMES b. MORROW.

ions have averaged sl,000.000. "Accumu-
lations" Is word she uses herself
In the meantime ner stocks and bonds
have grown in value The million a year
Is new mOney-interest and dividends,
otherwise cash in hand. and not the
phantom profits shown by an increase in
the market prices OF her investments.
During the forty-two years. therefore,
that Mrs. Green has been minding her
own business. unassisted. she has accu-
mulated S42.00O.e00 But she is worth a
good deal more.
The total sum Of her property. putting
II down item by item and giving il a
bankers appraisement. is S7O.OO0,OOO. She
her money. And all the time the incre-
mentatiOn OF that which she bought has
been sure and steady Mrs. Greer makes
10 plumbers in finance Her dollars al
ways come back, or can come back II she
calls them.
She has done better than most men.
her son said 10 me. He was neither hui
morous nor bosstfuI. On the contrary,
ne was honest and serious, speaking his
thought unconseiOusly, il seemed TO me.
@-AAN -4e-1 WI ACQ lAAElll anu uals No went
on 10 say, being a trustee, she holds.
Of the estate that was left to her and
which, unimpaired. she must leave to
others
Home from Texas.
The son. Edward Rowland Robinson
Green. six feet and four two years past
forty and bachelor. has come on from
Texas to help her The Others" who win
inherit the estate are himself and his
sister, Ned his mother calls him IN
Spartan affection and pride. Aside from
his millions, he Is a character Of I'M
common originality and interest
Looming above the crowd OF men In
the streets or the corridors OF his hotel.
he appears 20 look over the heads OF al,
seeing no one, gazing straight before him.
gray-eyed. specialized and heavy-faced, a
human fortress, stern II not frOwning.
and almost apart from the world. Ex-
ternally, he is hard man
Back OF his armOr. however. he is
cordial. very natural. and deliciously I'M
conventional He neither seeks nor
evades publicity, but goes his way IN can
dor and simplicity. In short. he is like
his mother. both in countenance and
nature. giving mis- opinions freely when
asked. and shTewdly measuring and ball
ancing the facts that come within his
knowledge
Before I asked him about his mother,
her astonishing success as a financier
and the principles she taught him while
he was a boy. I touched upon his pleas
uTes when away from banks. railroads,
and other kinds of business.
We he said. pluraliZing the prOnOun
as II he were an editor. have helped in
the development OF the automobile
Backing also had been given TO a
Texas aviator.
Fond of Baseball.
Il went up with him one day, Mr..
Green said. and was in the air for fifty
minutes. Airships will carry the mails
before long, Passengers over regular
lines will be transported later. / am
very fond of baseball" ne continued,
but am opposed 10 horse races. Racing
is the crooked trade of gamblers. and is
rapidly playing out in this country for
that reason. Gambling and specializing
have destroyed many promising young
men. II they had kept straight, they
might have been bankers
Have you any fondness for books?'
! asked.
why, yes" Mr. Green replied in a
tone Of voice that betrayed some per-
sunal doubt in the matter. Years ago
] got started in the pleasant pastime OF
collecting first editions. ! meant 20 get
about 100 and then quiet. Quite naturally.
! took up the art OF bookbinding.
man whom I hired TO make a catalogue
OF my library told me | had l5O0O vol
umes. Then 1 began buying books OF
reference. medical works among the
rest, costing from 50 to $50 apiece, which
/ loaned to professional men and stu
dents. including doctors. However, |
missed so many that 1 had to stop the
practice"
What else do you like?'
Mechanics and chemistry. When /
lived In Terrell. Tex. / got tired Of my
and sold it at a bargain 10
college for $4,000. But I soon got an
other. I experimental for years with
telegTaphy: also with color pho
Biography. When ! found, al last that the
green of trees and grass, and the red
yellow. and blue of flowers are really n
the eve and nowhere else, I ceased try
ing to catch them and put them on
glass. One young man to whom ! gave
an idea about burning letters and dates
on the corks OF bottles has made con-
siderable money. After all, l would
rather be in my laboratory, when I am
through with business. than anywhere
else"
Frank and Courteous.
Rarely smiling. talking gravely and
quietly. Mr.. Green betrayed no pleasure
in anything he said. He was frankly and
answering my questions,
having come in from a lawsuit that had
-. sr-,+
Without vanity, rock humility, elocution,
or acting. he told the quaint and enter
tanning facts pertaining to his llfe
Sometimes his mother was Mrs. Green"
Always. though he never said so, she was
the greatest woman who has ever lived.
Your grandfather. Edward Most Rob
inson." l observed. left yoss mother a
large fortune when he died. What was
his history and his business"
In 1860 he occupied the same relative
position in this country that John d.
occupies now. He was the
most conspicuous oil man of his day,
ships out for whales and pro-
ducing sperm OIL which was burned in
lamps by persGns who could afford a bet
ter illuminant than tallow candles He
left my mother S1,000O0O and the income
on 100000, which. by provision OF his
will, was put into a trust. Mrs. Green.
Of course. had personal control of her
own inheritance"
Had her father given her any special
in business?''
My grandfather had lived in New Bed
ford, Mass When he moved to New
York, his wife being dead, my mother
was his companion and kept his house.
he tried to teach her how to
protect her own interests. He was a very
able man and gave his daughter sound
that she has followed all her
fe."
You were born in London7"
After their marriage my parents went |
10 Europe. Ny father previously had |
lived in England and liked the country. |