A BEIDE OF £10,000.000.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13235, 21 July 1906, Page 2 (Supplement)

A BEIDE OF £10,000.000.

THE WORLD'S RICHEST WOMAN.

A LUCKY DIPLOMAT. , The romantic match which Miss Bertha ; Krupp, :.the/: sole; proprietress* of the worldrenowned iron and steel works at Essen, is about to contract with the young diplomat Herr von Bohlen-Halbach is exciting unusual interest in Germany, where the career of the young heiress has been followed with sympathetic attention. ,

: It has long been known that Miss Krupp is the most desirable matrimonial prize in Europe. She is sole proprietress of the Krupp Works, and, indeed, of the town of Essen with its 250,000 inhabitants.

, The Krupp Works employ upwards of 40,000 men and contain about 3500 steam engines, 1500 furnaces, 500 steam cranes, 200 steam Hammers, and -'several dozen Bessemer converters. Apart from the bewildering maze of iron and steel works at Essen, Miss Bertha. Krupp owns 547 iron mines situated in different countries, three coal mines, and numerous quarries. ■•-,>'/The factories and the whole town of Essen are lighted by gas and electricity works belonging to the Krupp firm. The Krupp Works contain within their boundaries more tlnitU fifty miles of railWays, 100 miles of telegraph 1 wires, and 200 miles of telephone wires. Miss Bertha Krupp is absolute owner of her kingdom, for the 40,000 workers toiling for her com-: prise with their families a * total of more than 200,000 persons dependent on her nod. If the other concerns be added, we have » total of 300,000 persons in her kingdom. Besidesf her factories, mines, railways; telegraphs, and telephones Miss Bertha Krupp also owns her own bakeries, slaughter-houses, and general stores, which supply her employees with the necessities of life at remarkably cheap prices. With few exceptions, her' Workmen inhabit model cottages belonging to her and let to them at very cheap rents. Her subjects are under her sceptre as under no other ruler throughout the- Empire. :: ■ , .the! keupp army. . She- has her own army, regularly drilled, with stern.rides of discipline. It is called a fire brigade, or corps of watchmen, because it would be unpermissible by law.; for Miss Krupp to. enlist troops, but they are as much a body of picked troops as any in: Germany. Her army under these two appellations numbers more than 900 men, all of whom are well armed. They guard not only the factories at night, but also Miss Krupp's own private residence at Essen. ' ' -,-' ... V.' '' ' ■.-/.'• ..

■ Miss Krupp also maintains, like any monarch, a special bodyguard of detectives to, watch over her personal saifety, for many ruthless Anarchists have threatened to assassinate the owner of one of the greatest capitalist concerns in the worlds and many malcontent employees of the Krupp Works who have been discharged by their superiors for one offence or another, have menaced her with personal violence. - She owns the churches, the hospitals, the hotels, the art and science institutes, and the museums at Essen, where she is commonly known as " Queen Krupp." Her estate and .power, as well as her income, go on increasing from year to year., -

RESERVE FUND. The reserve fund of the Essen Works,; according to a balance-sheet recently published, amounts to nearly £20,000,000, and Miss Krupp's net income from the Essen business last year exceeded £600,000. This amount, added to other supplementary revenues, brings up her total annual income approximately to £1,000,000. Miss Krupp's great-grandfather was a humble village blacksmith, and her grandfather started life in the same capacity. ; Although Mies Krupp is enthroned as a despot at Essen, her absolute rule over her community of dependents is. thoroughly benevolent in character. Her father brought her up to take ai practical interest in the Krupp Works. .Miss Krupp's friends have often suggested tocher that .she might with advantage to' herself abandon the ? ancestral home at Essen and take a prominent part in the high society of Berlin, ' winch would always have welcomed her with open arms. They assured her that she could marry a prince by the end of her first season in society. Miss Krupp, however, dislikes the theory of absentee ownership, and has always maintained her resolution to make the house at Essen, overlooking the works from which she draws her wealth; her permanent home. Miss Krupp has always declared that she would marry the man of her own free choice, and now she has carried out her intention. Her aristocratic husband will have to abandon his diplomatic career, and out of consideration for her love of grim, smoky-Essen agree to make his home there during the greater part of the year.

; '..UNSATISFIED EMPLOYEES. ■;,'.■' Knowing human nature, it is hardly surprising to find that Miss Krupp's employees do not appreciate her good qualities and charitable ways. The lack of personal freedom jars on them. They admit that the Krupp Works are conducted on humanitarian lines, but they declare that it is all too grandmotherly to suit their tastes. •' Great care has been taken to prevent Miss Krupp from becoming spoilt by the possession of vast wealth. She has been trained to lead a simple, natural life in the old .home at Essen. She is a fearless rider, a keen tennis-player, . and an enthusiastic participant in every outdoor pastime. She rows, \ shades, and plays golf or hockey with equal. facility."■?' She has mixed very little in fashionable societv, and so far from indulging in luxury in dress- her costumes are always conspicuous for their extreme simplicity. She is fair, and rather pretty than otherwise; somewhat/>' below medium height, and; reveals a tendency towards rotundity. ;; ;; : !'.. •_" ■"