The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-16
HEIRESS, 10, FOUND
In LONELY CABIN
Daughter of III. w. Putnam,
Who Left $50,0O0,OO0,
Sought Sixty Years.
HELPED BUILD Il HERE
Adopted When Parent Went
West, She Has. Shaved All
Her Life.


WAvEnLEy. Ohio. Oct 10. - An old
wooden house perched on the side of an
Ohio hill. She stood with her weather
Leaten. age furrowed face peering from
beneath a voluIninous sunbonet. Her
lands, stiffened with the toll of seventy
sears. pressed nervousy against her
lent body.
BE you from, the city," she asked.
The visitor answered Eyes; are sou Mrs.
Richardson"
That's me-" the old woman inter-
rupted. I'm Aunt Mary" Her voice
dropped to a whisper as her watery eyes
looked through the patched screen door
toward the automobile waiting in the
dusty road.
Have you brung the million dollars"
she asked.
A horses neigh filled the tiny house.
Standing with it's nose pressed against
the kitchen door was q white mare.
The visitor explained he had brought
no million, but had come to talk to Mrs.
Richardson about her being discovered
after q sixty year search as tho daugh-
ter and heiress of Henry W. Putnam,
San Francisco millionaire
The story the visitor had heard was
that Aunt Mary was the long lost
daughter of Henry w. Putnam. who
died in San Francisco in 1915. leaving on
estate estimated at t50,00O,0oo. The es-
tate had accumulated from royalties on
wire inventions--a safety pin, a bottle
fastener and O score of other successrul
devices. The father also was said to
have been one of the buifiers Of Brook
lyns elevated railroads.
Went West In 1910.
In 1S49 Putnam, heading West TO
make his fortune. had left his year
old girl Mary and her twin sister in an
orphanage in New Orleans. He had
taken his son, Henry, Jr.. with him. In
stead Of hunting gold along with the
California forty-niners Putnam bought
two springs and supplied water to the
citizens of San Francisco, laying the
foundation for his fortune.
Grown rich his fortune increasing
daily. the inventor started his hunt for
his daughters. Mary had been adopted
by a family named Lewis and disap-
peared. Her twin sister had become Mrs.
Gilbert Wallace and had diod. The son
had become Henry W. Putnam Jr. After
The inventors death Mrs. Wallaces
grandchildren moved from Redondo
Beach, Cal. TO Ohio. BY coincidence
they established themselves near Mrs.
Mary Richardson's tiny farm. Aunt
Mary's relationship was established. And
word finally came from Henry Putnam,
Jr, that he was coming TO call upon his
sister, whom he hadn't seen for seventy
years, to share his fathers estate with
her
Aunt Mary laughed and began apol-
tny oil I'd hA
condition OF her little spicls and span
parlor.
I'm that upset" she went OF. Last
week Icy Gregg, that's my niece by
marriage. got the letter. saying l was
heir TO 100000 and my long lost
brother was coming to see me, and a
lawyer from Syracuse was going to
bring the money. Ny father was AR
Putnam. the great inventor you know"
Aunt Afary's eyes blinked with tears
Working for Seventy Years.
IT'S all Gods doins. every bit of It.
And I said TO Idy to think that your
Aunt Mary is the daughter OF the man
who invented the safety pin, and me-
buyfn' them all my life for my three
children, dead these thirty years. and
for fixin' the curtains in the parlor and
never knowin'-and here i been work
in for seventy years, ever since was
taken out of the orphanage in New
orleans by Nav Lewis. And here /
been workin' away till my old bones arc
tired out and my feet heavy, and all
tho while Mr.. Putnam, the great in
ventor, was my father. and the millions
OF dollars pourin in from all the safety
pins that were sold all belongs to me-"
Aunt Mary shook her head and raised
her eyes TO the cracked ceiling of the
little home.
Well" she resumed, III been living In
this house for twelve years. Mr.. Richard
on, my second husband. bein' dead going
on seven. and before that was iivin in
Meadow Run and in Monmouth and in
other places. And 1 was always work.
ing yes. sir"
Aunt Mary looked at her gnarled
hands.
working day and night since I was
girl knee high TO a grasshoper But
| saved UP enough money to buy Polly
after my husband died. / amt ever
pitched old Polly up. / guess II wouldn't
10 to hitch her UP. she bein' nigh as old
rs ! am. But she's been great COM
fort ] amt goin' to give her TIP for no
automobile when I novo her over to tho
Greggs. my nieces ny marriage"
Aunt Mary sighed and her eyes grew
vague.
Millions" she murnured. 'Ill put
EN- in the bank and I'll buy Polly new
harness ana may build her a stable with
proper stall. She amt got proper
stall now
A chicken clucked outside
There I so dreamin again." Aunt
Mary smiled. Its good thing tho
chickens keep on laying eggs instead of
moonn' like mo-" She rose spryiy from
her rickety chair and the rtibbers tied
around her feet Tapped across the
Kitchen floor.
-Four eggs" she said. returning. But
az was sayin, millions, all from safety
pins
Aunt Mary held a safety pin In her
pony fingers and looked ut it with awe.
ITO think IL was my father, Mr.. Put
nam, who invented this. Yea, sir, been
dreamir' az night what was goin' 10
10, and fust OF all I'm goin' to build a.
new church after a get Polly her stali.
been going 10 the Christian Union
church ct Given Station for come on
venty-ninc years, and I'm goin' 20
tuild big new one here.
mo, sir, won't spend q penny Of
H. foolish, not a penny" The voice
rallied of. Polly, the white mare, was
II the kitchen door again. Aunt Polly
.un,ped suddenly to her feet.
'Tsakes alive" she cried. its past
lime 20 take Polly out to Craze. and
hsre I be taikin' away with work 10 do.
Just q minute. Polly"