The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1916-07-04
HETTY GREEN

Hetty Green was the worlds most
remarkable mistress Of finance. The
fortune she left is close to 100000
000 The richest woman in America,
she lived almost as frugally as a shop
girl. Her home was wherever she
chose for a time to hang her little
black cape and bonnet, often in the
hall bedroom of some cheap boarding
house, Or in some remote and modest
fiat around New York.
Her eccentric extremes of economy
led to popular misconception of her
as "self-made woman" AS matter
of fact she was born. rich. In 1865
she inherited some $10,0O0,O00 which
accumulated upon itself until in fifty
years it had multiplied nearly ten
times. She also inherited family ira
ditions which had been pride for
three centuries, and which she was
anxious to perpetuate in her chill
Gren.
She was born on November II, 1885,
at New Bedford, Mass. This old mar
thine city was founded by her ances-
tor, John Rowland, Puritan who
came over in the Mayfower 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
nine millions, one million outright and
the income from the other eight, the
principal to be held in trust for her
children. 1t is forgotten that Hetty
Green, then Robinson, was 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 cabfare, she would pull a
pair of heavy wooden stockings over
her shoes and walk through the snow
to parties.
| She married in 1867. Her husband
was Edward H. Green, who was Unit
| ed States consul general in Manila,
where he had made fortune in the
silk trade. 1t is said Green, at a pub
| lie dinner, heard someone speak of
Hetty Robinson as "the greatest AM
erican heiress,' 'and straightway an
nounced his determination to marry
her. Before 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.
/ 1t was Hetty Green's ambition to
make her son, Edward Rowland
Green, the richest man in the .coun-
try. She put him through many Sc
we're tests to try out his business
qualifications. She finally sent him to
Texas where he eventually worked
himself to the front as railroad man
land fnancier. Since 1893 he has been
president of the Texas Midland rail
road and factor in many other in.
lterests. In late years he largely as
sumed the management of his moth.
Ier's property.
/ While never intensely religious
Mrs. Green was a frequent attendant
lat Quaker meetings, and only a few
years ago she, like her daughter, was
baptized in the Episcopal church.
4 She emphatically denied that he1
disposition was misery. During the
panic of 1907-08 she made loans which
tided over many wealthy New York,
Iers. Two years before the panic, il
was said, she had gathered in large
portion of her. money and was pre-
pared when the storm broke to lend g
helping hand, at good rate of in.
terest. 1t was sometimes intimatet
that upon her death the country
might be surprised at the disposition
she would make of her wealth.