The Sunday Oregonian., October 05, 1913, SECTION SIX, Page 4, Image 64

THE SUNDAY OREGONIAN, PORTLAND, OCTOBER 5, 1913-
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There Are Many of Them Who Have
Mastered The Art of Accumulating Wealth
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BY RICHARD BPILLANE.
TO distribute the catalogues at one
of the big art galleries in New
York, a bright-eyed, sweet-voiced,
small girl was engaged. The desk on
which the catalogues were piled was
higrh. The stool which went with the
desk was regulation size, but when the
girl sat on It she couldn't Quite see
over the catalogues, so a big book,
a dictionary or something of that sort,
was procured, placed on the stool and
the girl was seated on that.
Today that catalogue girl is one of
the Important figures in the art world.
She never has left the establishment
where she got that first employment.
She has bad a part In the buying and
selling of more art treasures probably
than any other woman that ever lived.
She is Rose Lorenz. Her career affords
a remarkable example of what a wo
man who earnestly applies herself to
a subject can accomplish.
Art appealed to the little girl at the
catalogue desk. She had the benefit
of a good education. She began to
read and study on art subjects. She
read intelligently, What she learned,
she never forgot. The art of the East
had a particular fascination for her.
Today she is the leading authority In
the world on Chinese art.
The art of the Orient wasn't all she
studied. Few know more regarding
the work of the cr-eat masters of the
Italian, the Dutch, the French and the
English schools, ancient and modern.
There have been few art sales of con
sequence in America in the last JO
years in which Rose Lorenz has not
played an Important part. The art
gallery with which she is connected is
the most prominent in the Western
Hemisphere. It has had sales that have
run into the millions of dollars.
Her work is in the direction of the
sale, in the presentation of the sub
jects that are up for disposal and in
looking after the multitude of details.
She, as an expert, has to pass upon
much that comes to the establishment
when a collection is offered to the
publio to bid upon. ' The reputation of
the house is so high that the greatest
care has to be exercised to prevent any
thing that is not genuine from creep
ing in. The patrons of the establish
ment are great millionaires, art collect
ors of international renown, represen
tatives of museums and, occasionally,
speculators who find in the purchase
of rare works an opportunity for profit
as large as is offered in Wall street.
There isn't a millionaire in America,
who la n art collector, who doesn't
know Rose Lorenz. There isn't an art
museum manager in the world who
doesn't know her personally or by rep
utation. Tens of thousands of persons
have seen her in the beautiful galleries
where she Is employed. It Is doubtful,
however, if her name ever has ap
peared in print before this day.
She is one of the best-dressed women
in New Tork and one of the highest sal
aried women in the world. On the 20th
anniversary of her engagement as cat
alogue girl, the directors of the art gal
lery made a present of $20,000 to her.
Her home is one of the most exquisite
In New Tork, It is not far from the Rltz
Carlton. It isn't so much to look at
from the outside, but it is an artistic
gem within. When she bought the
house and wanted it renovated, she con
sulted Stanford White. There are many
beautiful structures In America to tes
tify to the skill of that great artist
Those best qualified to judge say he
had a greater genius for interior dec
oration than for exterior display, In
the home of Miss Lorenz, he did some
ol bis very best work.
In the art world Miss Lorenz occu
pies a position somewhat similar to
that of a great specialist in the field
of science. She is consulted- as to the
value of this or that work of a master
of some particular period. Upon her
judgment men will spend many thou
sands of dollars for the possession of
a work about which, until they St her
opinion, they were in doubt.
No position requires more finesse,
more diplomacy than that occupied by
Miss Lorenz. Many of the men who
purchase art objects for fabulous sums
do not want to have the fact known.
Sometimes they bid through agents.
They take offense if an inkling of who
are behind these agents gets out. The
late J. Pierpont Morgan never wanted
the fact known that he was buying.
Once, when he was particularly solici
tous about getting some things at a
sale In the galleries, a newspaper
printed a note that a certain agent was
understood to be, representing Mr.
Morgan. The great millionaire was in
a towering rage. He didn't go near the
galleries or send an agent there for
five years.
The career of Alice Durkln is in
sharp contrast to that of Rose Lorenz.
It's doubtful whether Miss Durkin
could tell a Corot from a Turner, but
she could put up a skyscraper or a
bridge without the least bit of trouble.
She is a master builder, the only
woman master builder in America. She
is a wonder. She came within an ace
of getting the contract to build the
New York Public Library. That was
something of a job. The price was
111.000,000.
Miss Durkln is in the thirties. When
she was a slip of a girl she went to
work in the office of Charles H. Peck
worth, a contractor. Plans, specifica
tions and contracts would appear to be
dry matter for a girl of 14, but they
weren t for Miss Durkin. She had
imagination. She saw beyond the
plans the structure itself. The busi
ness fascinated her. She took a deep
Interest in every detail of the work of
her employer and before she was 16
she was figuring on contracts. It didn't
matter that she had no technical edu
cation. he got practical knowledge
from plumbers, carpenters, masons. She
got to know about material and labor.
Then she took up a course of reading.
The most absorbing book she ever
read was the Building Regulations of
the City of New York. It was not
enough for her to know the regula
tions. She had to know the reason for
each and every regulation, the basis
for it and the full meaning and pur
pose or it, She became so useful in
that office that, after a while. Mr.
Peckworth depended upon her figures
when he was bidding on a contract.
She- remained with Mr. Peckworth
eight years, then she went into busi
ness for herself. - She has courage-
lots of it. Her bid on the New York
Public Library was within $7000 of
that of Norcross Brothers, to whom the
contract was awarded. She has built
a great number of public structures. In
New York City she has built some of
the finest of the public schools. She
built the Convent of Notre Dame on
Staten Island and the Nurses' Home in
Brooklyn. There are probably one hun
dred big structures in the metropolis
which she can point to and say, "I built
it." She has handled millions of dol
lars. In active times her pay roll
runs from $10,000 to 120,000 a week.
She is slender, mild-mannered and
about the last person in the world you
would pick out for a contractor. She
travels around in an automobile; she
bosses every one of her jobs.
A building in course of construction
is not the tidiest affair on earth, but
you will find Miss Durkln superintend
ing her own work. She never sublets
a contract. She employs the steel
workers, the stone masons, the carpen
ters, ine electricians, tbe plumbers and
the decorators. When she steDS out of
her automobile at one of her buildings
sne puts a huge mackintosh around
her Parts gown. She can walk a steel
beam as sure-footed as any of the
cowboys of the air. She never has had
a strike. She has the reputation of
having made a lot of money. She is
working for one object. When she has
enough money she is Kolncr to bnild
and endow a hospital that will be a
monument to her. She means to run
this hospital herself.
There are a great number of women
in a city like New York who are wid
owed or deserted, and left without
means and with one or more infant
children. These women have to go out
to work, wnetner they are stronsr or
weak. Some are pitifully weak. There
are div nurseries which open at 8
o'clock in the morning to which these
women may take their children and
then proceed to their work. When
their work Is done they can get their
children again and take them home.
The hospital that Miss Durkin wants
to build and conduct will take not
only a child, but the mother, and look
alter them until the mother Is physic
ally able to take care of herself and
her child. She believes the world does
not know the sufferings ol women
the needs ox children In oases of this
sort.
Until she can satisfy her ambition
she knows no greater joy than her
present work. Some days she puts In
12 or 14 hours at it- In Winter she
has one recreation. On Saturdays she
always goes to a matinee. In Summer,
on Saturday afternoon, she goes speed
ing over the country roads In that 60
horsepower automobile of hers, and she
makes it whiz, for she runs it herself.
Harriet Fisher is the owner and
manager of the largest anvil works in
America. It is at Trenton, N. J. The
anvil works have been in the Fisher
family half a century or more. The
men of the Fisher family have been
prominent in the Army and the Navy
of - the United States since the War of
1812. Fort Fisher is named for one of
them. In the machine shop of nearly
every warship in Uncle Sam's Navy you
will find the Fisher anvil. You will
find the Fisher anvils too, in China,
Australia, Africa, South America, Eu
rope. Mrs. Fisher never Imagined when she
married Captain Fisher that she would
become an anvil matter herself. She
took up the business because of neces
sity. Her husband was stricken se
riously ilL The foreman of the found
ry wasn't able to conduct matters sat
isfactorily and she went to the works
to see what she could do. The place I the beautiful palace he built in East
didn't appeal to her. It was grimy and I Thirty-sixth street. She comes from
dirty, but she took hold. She ran the
business until her husband was con
valescent. Then they started away on
a trip. The train on which they trav
eled was in a collision and Mrs. Fisher
was bo terribly injured that she was in
the hospital for nearly a year. Her
husband, too, was injured. She directed
her business from her hospital bed.
When she was able to get around on
crutches, her husband died.
For the last five or six years she has
been the sole boss of the big anvil
works. They never were so prosperous
as under her management. She has
made a lot of money. Recently she has
remarried. Her husband is an officer
in the Argentine Navy. She comes of
Puritan stock and Is the first one of
her blood in many generations to have
any connection with a manufacturing
industry.
Belle DeCosta Green has charge of
the wonderful museum of the late J.
Pierpont Morgan. In the world of
books she stands about as does Rose
Lorenz in the world of art She has
charge of that wonderful collection Mr.
llaczu assembled that Is housed in J
Princeton and was employed in the
university there. She is in the early
30s and is of Latin origin. She is dark,
has an olive complexion and flashing
black eyes.
Mr. Morgan bought very few books
in the last 10 years of his life except
on her approval. She represented him
at the R. M. Hoe sale. Bibliophiles,
curators and collectors from all over
the world were there. It was a sight
to see this slight girlish woman there
among the elect of the book world.
Everything she wanted, she got. At
times she bid as high as $50,000. She
knows the' history and value of every
rare volume in every collection in the
world. If she wasn't In the house of
Morgan she probably would be at the
head of some great library.
She probably has passed judgment
on more rare manuscripts and precious
books than any other woman that ever
lived. The books and papers she has
handled represent countless millions of
dollars.
Sometimes a rare book or a rare
manuscript goes astray. Then there Is
an awful time. Here is A story illus
trative of this; Not long ago a Euro-,
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pean collector got hold of a manu
script of great antiquity which he
hoped to sell to Mr. Morgan. He valued
the manuscript at $76,000. He Insured
it for $37,600 and, after boxing it up
most carefully, shipped it to New
York, addressed to Miss Belle Green,
at a certain number In East Thirty
sixth street. Then he waited to learn
her verdict.
A month passed and he heard noth
ing. Six weeks passed and he grew
Impatient. Then he wrote a letter ask
ing her about it. She replied that she
hadn't received the" manuscript and
knew nothing of It. When he got this
letter he threw a fit. Then he cabled.
She answered as she had before. The
foreigner threw another fit. He cabled
to her that he was ruined, desolated,
almost crazed. He would begin a search
at that end, he said, and begged her
to do likewise at the American end.
He gave the name of the people to
whom he had delivered the manuscript
for carriage across the ocean.
In due time the American agents for
this concern were asked what had be
come of the manuscript. They looked
up their records and found a receipt.
The name on it was "Miss Belle Green."
The man who had delivered the box
was sent up to East Thirty-sixth
street. He didn't go to the Morgan
Museum, but to a house further east,
which bore the number to which the
box had been addressed. The woman
who answered the bell was the one
who had signed the receipt. The ex
pressman asked about the box. The
woman said It was up In the lumber
room. The expressman went and got
it. Then he1 questioned the woman.
She explained that her place was a
boarding house. People were accus
tomed to shipping trunks and packages
to her before they themselves arrived.
She always signed the name of the
person to whom the trunk or package
was addressed. When she was told that
this particular package was valued at
$75,000 and should have gone to Mr.
Morgan's museum, she almost fainted.
Chicago has the greatest woman
merchant in the world. She started
as a shop girl. Now she has $20,000,-
000. Her maiden name was Mollle Al-
piner. Her family was none too well-to-do
and she had to go to work soon
after she got out of school. She got
employment in the Boston Store in Chi
cago and was put in the underwear de
partment. She was strictly business.
While the other girls on either side of
her gossiped about balls and parties
and what this admirer said and what
that one did, Mollle Alplner gave all
her attention to patrons of the establishment.
Most of the customers were poor peo
ple the shawl trade. They appreciated
the courtesy and kindness of this un
usual girl and would wait five, 10; IS
minutes to have her attend them. .The
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