Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-07-03


nurses.
Absolutely Helpless
For several weeks past Mrs. Green
had been unable to walk and had spent
practically all of her time in wheel
chair. The nurses occasionally lifted
her into her automobile where, prop
ped up by pillows and protected by
furs, the mistress of finance enjoyed
few afternoons in the park. Most of
the time, however, she sat in the wheel
chair at one of the front windows on
the parlor floor of her house and gazed
out into the park, motionless for hours
at q time.
Her son, Colonel Green, and her
daughter, Mrs. Matthews Astor wilks,
who were the only children had been
with her much Of the time and it was
recently reported that Mrs. Green had
turned over all of her financial affairs
to her sons charge.
Fortune of 100000, 900
Hetty Green was the worlds most
remarkable mistress of finance The
fortune she has left is close to
$10O,0O0,0O0. The richest woman in
America, she lived almost as frugally
as a shopgirl. Her home was wher-
| ever she chose for a time to hang her
little black cape and bonnet, often in
the hall bedroom of some cheap board
ing house or IN some remote and mod
est fiat around New York.
Her eccentric extremes of economy
led to populac misconception of her
as a self made woman" AS a matter
of fact, she was born rich. In 1865
she inherited some $40, 900, 900, which
accumulated upon itself until in fifty
years 1t had multiplied nearly ten
times. She also inherited family ira
ditions which had been a pride for
three centuries and which she was
anxious to perpetuate in her children.
| she was born on November 81, 1895,
at New Bedford Mass. This old mari
time city was founded by her ancestor,
| John Rowland, a Puritan who came
over on the Mayflower and who named
the place after Bedford, his family
home in England.
She was just 80 years old when her
father died suddenly. leaving her his
$9,000,O00, $1,000,000 outright and the
income from the other eight, the prin-
cipal to be held in trust for her chill
dren. 1t is forgotten that Hetty Green,
then Robinson, was a belle in New
York society. According to her own
stories, she often danced the whole
night through" Even then, however,
she lived in boarding house and was
so saving that rather than pay cab
fare she would pull a pair of heavy
woolen stockings over her shoes and
walk through the snow to parties.
She married in 1857. Her husband
was Edward H. Green. who was United
States consul general in Manila, where
he had made a fortune in the silk
trade. It is said Green, at a public
| dinner, heard someone speak of Hetty
Robinson as the greatest American
heiress," and straightway announced
his determination to marry her. Be-
fore the wedding day an agreement
! was signed to the effect that the wife's
fortune should never be drawn on to
meet the husbands debts or any OF
their joint expenses. He died in 1902
after having lost most of his money in
Wall street.
Miserly Disposition
Both Hetty Green and he did busi-
ness there for many years, but on
separate accounts. Old Wall street
men have told innumerable stories
about her closeness. One was how
she negotiated once for a special en-
| gine to take ner from PHILADELPHIA to
New York so that she might not miss
chance to make several thousand
dollars before the close of the Stock
Exchange. price was named by the
railroad company for an engine and
one car. After haggling few minutes
Mrs. Green made this final propo-
sition:
Take off the car and make it IS
less. I'll ride in the locomotive cab"
IhlS she did, and reached Wall street
in time to make a successful turn.
Dressed in simple and sometimes
shabby black, with little bonnet that
would stand lot of wear, the woman
of millions moved about in downtown
New York recognized only by the few
who had been initiated into the secret
of her identity. She never rode in a
carriage, and was never seen at the
theater or opera. Her abiding place
was usually mystery to the tax COL
lector, whom she admittedly lodged.
While never intensely religious, she
was a frequent attendant at Quaker
meetings, and only few years ago
she, like her daughter. was baptized
in the Episcopal Church.
She emphatically denied that her
disposition was miserly. During the
panic of 1907-0S she made loans which
tided over many wealthy New Workers.
Two years before the panic, it was
said, she had gathered in a large por-
ton of her money and was prepared
when the storm broke to lend a help
ing hand. at a good rate of interest.
1t was sometimes intimated that upon
her death the country might be sur
prised at the disposition she would
make of her wealth.