WOMEN FINANCIERS OF AMERICA.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume L, Issue 9002, 26 January 1906, Page 2

WOMEN FINANCIERS OF AMERICA.

It is well known that American women are the most independent in the world, and boldly invade every branch of industry, even those formerly thought the exclusive domain of men. America is probably the only country in whose commercial capital one will find' women financiers as a matter of course — stockbrokers, bankers, Teal estate agents, and so on.

The success of these women is altogether astounding, owing to the intense earnestness with which they threw themselves into the necessary commercial detail; and quite apart from firawicrafl geniuses like Mrs- Cnadwick, who could persuade the most conservative of American bankers to advance her vast sums— on one occasion amounting to one million pounds -sterling on the forged signature of Mr Andrew Carnegie, and that without the least question — there are scores of women who have plunged boldly and independently into the financial world of New York, and amassed large fortunes by their own judgment and close application to the work of their office.

One of tne most notable of these is Mrs Reader, who not many years ago was a humble typewriter girl, but is to-day one of the leading financiers of. New York, withi a big down-town office of her own, and co much power in the diplomatic and political worlds that she has had quite extraordinary influence on> the somewhat turbulent finances of the island Republic of San Dominga.

SAVED BY THE STENOGRAPHER.

AnotEer remarkable instance isi Miss Sophia Beck, who was also a young lady stenographer in the office of the Storey Cotton Company, an enormous concern which was also interested in the Provident Investment Company, but which, failed sometime ago. Miss Beck, however, when her principals failed, actually took charge of the whole gigantic business, and co manipulated its tangled threads that a clear hundred thousand pounds was saved for the creditors.

But still more remarkable is the case of Miss Millie o'Bryan, of Cripple Creek, the famous mining centre in Colorado. This young lady, like nearly all the successful women financiers of America, had her ambition fired and ideas put Into her head by serving a little while in some important office as a shorthand typist.

During the recent great strikes in Colorado, when the miners and the military were practically at war, the astute Miss O'Bryan acquired various intereste in mining properties for the merest song, foreseeing that when law and order should be restored the reaction would come, and stocks would go up with a Bound, particularly in tne case of genuine properties.*

Truth to tell, however, Miffie- O'Bryan owes much of her success. to the valuable tips she received during her employment as stenographer ; but her success, far fiom contenting her, only spurned Her on to more ambitious effort©. Quite recently she organised the Teutonic Mining Company, and is at this moment its reguarly elected president. The claims belonging to this mine adjoins the famous "W.P.H." where ore of fabulous richness has been discovered. The same young lady is likewise president of the Gold Bond Consolidated Company of Cripple Creek, also of the Amalgamated Gold Mining Company, which owns 120 odd. acres on Battle Moun-. tain, Colorado; and she has besides many valuable interests in Nevada and California.

RAILWAYS BOUGHT AS TOYS.

But "EKe two most important women financiers of America, are Mrs Hetty Green and Mre Ann Weightman Walker. slre Green is a truly remarkable woman, who has amassed a fortune of over sixty million dollars, and put to rout unscrupulous lawyers and people who nave attempted to get the better of ncr in all parts of the country. "1 have made my money by judicious investmente," Mrs Green, declared recently, "and not by speculation; only fools speculate."

Mrs Green- is probably the only woman in the world who can afford to buy up ■whole railways to amuse her son. ' Some years ago she wrote out one cheque at the Chemical National Bank, in Broadway, New York, for the entire price of the Texas Midland Railroad, and turned it over to her son, Mr E. H. R. Green, who now lives in Dallas, Texas. "Ned is a good boy," Mre Green remarked to the present writer, "and I have entrusted him wifh the management of all my property ■west ol Buffalo."

Mre Green's enormous fortune — which she has made herself, xemember— -is distributed, as she says herself, "pretty wel l everywhere that money can go and bring back something." And yet this woman Is living in a shabby flat over in Hoboken, New Jersey, Jot which she pays less than a pound a week— four rooms on the third floor! SKe has a horroT of aU the things the average rich American woman adores, suoh as motor cam, jewels, lovely frocks, horses and carriages, a box at the opera, and so on. Mrs Hetty Green, allows herself just one personal servant, anil she has TSeen known to bring her own lunch, to her business headquarters, near the New York General Post Office.

FEMININE CONTRASTS.

And her neighbors at home— *yen in the same house with her— are humble clerks, artisans and typewriters. Jusfc before »he rented her present flat she had another at five pounds a month,- But- moved' away on account of the notoriety attaching to her refusal to pay- an eight-shilling dog license on -the pet of her daughter Sylvia. Above all things, Mrs Green 'deleeite publicity of any kind, and she does her shopping under the came of "Nash," which name is also on her doorplafce.

At Her summer home an Bellows Falls, Vermont, this enormously -wealthy -woman will have no certains to tie windows and hardly any furniture at aU beyond the Forest necessities. The result is that Bervanto will notstay with her, and €he big,

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oid-fafihioneflkcolonial home is fast falling into neglect. A vastly different woman financier, as regards her personal tastes and predilections, is Mrs Weighfcman Walker, whose flat at the Hotel Renaissance costs £3000 a year and is replete with luxury to a startling degree. This flat, remember, is quite a small set of rooms, and among Mrs Walker's servants will be found a French chef at £500 a year and several chauffeurs for Iher many automobiles, besides coachmen, footmen, maids, and so on. Totally unlike Mts Green, Mrs Walker loves beautiful horses, French' frocks, diamonds, and the like. She likes to surround herself with interesting persons, and ' positively abhors eccentricity in any form. The only thing the two women have in common is an intense love for business life and amazing skill in high finance. Mrs Walker has ransacked the markets of the world for Oriental rugs and oSjecte d'arfc for her hat, which is also fitted with most elaborate burglar and fire alarms, while private detectives are employed to guard her person day and aught.