The bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-11-23
NEGRO WOMAN'S MANSION

To own a country estate on the
banks of the Hudson has been the
dream of many New Yorker. 1t is
a dream come true in the cast OF
Mrs. Sarah j. Walker, the city's
wealthiest Negro woman, says the
New York Times. Mrs. Walker, or
| Nine. Walker, as she is more gener-
allv known, has built $25O,0OO home
at Irvington. Twelve years ago she
was a washerwoman, glad OF chance
to do any ones family wash for S1.5o
a dav. Her friends now acclaim her
the Hetty Green of her race. They
say she has cool million, or nearly
that.
Ground for the Walker dwelling
| was broken eight months ago, and a
| large gang of workmen have been
kept busy ever since. Although the
house is nearly complete it will not
be ready for occupancy for several
months. When it is finished it is to
he one of the show places on the Hud-
son.
To say that the village, when the
reporte was verified, was surprised,
would be putting the case mildly.
"Does she really intend to live there,
or is she building it as speculation"
the people have asked. 1t may be said
for Nine Walker that she intends to
make Irvington her permanent nome,
and is preparing to furnish the house
in accordance with her tastes.
Although she has made money m
her hair-tonic business, she has also
made it through good investments.
She is the owner of considerable real
estate in this state, the west and the
south. Until recently she owned
$4,000 home in the northern part OF
this city. She has made gift OF TINS
home to her daughter. What wealth
is hers. she says, has been acquired
through perseverance, persistency, ana
| hard work.
Nine. Walker is preparing to en-
terrain her friends on a large scale IN
her new home. She will have as her
COMPANION most of the time her daugh-
, ter, Mrs. Leila Walker Robinson, as
ISOLATED with her in business.
'I was born fortynine years ago."
she said in speaking of her life, was
| married at IA, and was left widow
at 20 with a little girl to support. II
1 have accomplished anything IN lite
| it is because I have been willing to
work hard. I never yet started any
! thing doubtingly, and l have always
believed in keeping at things with
vim. When little more than twelve
wears ago, I was washerwoman, l
was considered a good washerwoman
| and laundress. l am proud OF that
fact. At times I also did cooking, but
work as I would, seldom could make
more than $1.5O day. l got my
start by giving myself a start. 1t IS
often the best way. l believe IN push
and we must push ourselves.
81 was at my tubs one morning with
a heavy wash before me. AS bent
over the washboard, and looked at my
arms buried in soap-suds, said to
myself, what are you going to- do
when you grow old and your back
gets stiff ? Who is going to take care
of your little girl?' This set me to
thinking, but with all my thinking l
couldn't see how I, a poor washerwo-
man, was going to better my condl-
ton.
"Now comes the part or my story
that may sound strange, but it is the
absolute truth. One night l had
dream, and something told me to start
in the business in which I am now
engaged. This did. I went to Den
yer, Colo, and began by business car
eer on a capital of S1.25. l began, OF
course, in a modest way. made
house to-holse canvasses among peo-
pie of my race, and after awhile
got going pretty well, though l nat
urally encountered many obstacles and
d;scouragements before I finally met
with real success. I do not believe in
taking chances, and have never play
ed the stock market. I am not a mil
lionaire but I hope to be some day,
not because of the money, but because
could do so much then to help my
race"
Nine. Walker was a member of the
Negro committee that visited Presi-
dent Wilson several weeks ago to pro-
test against the St. Louis rioting. She
is paying the expenses of six stu
dents at Tuskegee institute, and she
is assisting Negroes in other institu-
tions to get an education.-Regist
and Leader.