New Britain herald., 1930-04-18
BUSINESS WOMAN
 BATTLES FOR O||.
Threatens to Shoot if Mississippi :. Attempts Eviction


 with with Wall Street. She found an Indian Sultatn easy to reason with so what is there to worry about in her own bigheartcd Dixie?
 Thus reasons Ella RaWls Reader Today she faces eviction from land owned by the state of Mississippi. Governor Theodore GA Bilbo has or dered her to move. She still re- mains. She has been there for five years, drilling for oil.
 Keep away from this we'll or you will be shot" So reads a sign Mrs. Reader has erected near her derrick. 7 Guards and large dogs patrol the place at night
 This remarkable woman was called the greatest business woman in the world" in Everybodys Maga- zine in 1905. Joliet Wilbur Tomp- klns, writer, so described her. She was pioneer among her sex to enter business investment in q big way.
 After lifetime of battling the world, Ella Rawls Reader, at 57, is fighting new odds in Mississippi to-
 
 Peru or Juggling figures in London, but she believes the stake just as big.
 I'll evict her if she hits oil" Gov ernor Bibo says. "Shc has no con- tract. That has been decided in the courts. She's just squatter on state land.
 Mississippi will never let her take a barrel of oil off that prop erty."
 This ultimatum has not disturbed Ella RaWls Reader
 Ella Rawls Readers life has been a patchwork of adventures, treach- cries and successes. It was told in magazine articles at the time she was famous.
 Born in Morgan Springs, Ala, 1 Fills Rawls' inheritance was an ability to ride horseback well and 1 shoot straight. Her fathers health l failed in Birmingham and Ella made | Up her mind to retrieve the family i fortune in New York.
 Thus on Thanksgiving night, 1891, | brave and very young Alabama | girl arrived in New York with Sl635. For weeks Ella Rawls l heard business men tell her she lacked qualifications.
 Sherwood Seymour of the New | York Evening Post gave her the first break-addressn envelopes at s1.50 | thousand. He later introduced i her to Colonel Henry II. Adams. iron merchant, whose heart was touched by this tall southern girl, With the soft voice and determined | eyes. He saw her launched in busi- ness with q stcnographic office.
 Ella RaWls couldn't take distation but she could get business. On con- demnation proceedings for the East Croton commission she got a big stenographic job and prospered. In 1894 she was confidential secretary to New Iork's committee of 70, a civi organization.
 This clever stcnoGrapher was not content. She is not satisfied now. Today Ella Rawls Reader is firing boiler and urging on drilling hands in her determined efforts to bring in a producin goil we'll
 Her battle with J. Pierpont Nor gan and his Southern Railway oc- cured when Ella Eawls was A, She planned a line to connect Mo- bile with Birmingham
 By sheer persuasive argument she got 1 men to put up the money. Success was at hand when English bondholders suddenly leased a neces- sary ling to Morgan's interests. It was a death blow to her scheme.
 Ella Rawls Reader now looks back on that deal and says: No one lost a cent by the failure except myself"
 While in England Ella Rawls found tim etc secure railroad contract across the state of Johore India. X coffee -colored sultan had declined inducements, presents and jewels. London financiers were fighting for this plum, for wealthy concessions of tin mines would fall 10 the railroad builders. Ella Rawls met the sultan, shook his ringed hand and asked him for the contract. Three hours later Ella Rawls had a five million dollar document.
 Romance enters the story at this point. Ella Rawls met, on her re- turn from Europe. Athole Reader. who had just returned from South America. A whirlwind courtship followed and Ella Rawls Reader found herself in a mining advcn- ture in Peru
 While in Lima in 1904, Mrs Reader became involved in politics Calderon succeeded to the presi- dency and summoned Mrs. Reader to advise him. She recommended a fiscal agent. He selected her as her knowledge of finances and in ternational politics impressed this astute South American.
 Negotiations were cut short, haw- ever, by the installation of a new president. But these proposals had come to the ears of President Mo- 'ales of Santo Domingo. His coun- try was indebted. He wanted an adroit diplomat to solve the financial muddle. Mrs. Reader was his choice. On her return to New York she drafted a rough treaty William Nelson Cromwell, New York attor- ney, was admitted to the secret, for such it was to remain for the time. He was to be legal adviser to the fiscal agent. Each was to receive valuable concessions
 Before terms could be adjusted President Roosevelt heard of the secret pact. He opposed civilian in reference. A brief wire to Presi- dent Morales asked him to drop all negotiations and deal directly with the United States. Commander Dil-