New Britain Herald Newspaper, February 8, 1929, Page 27

~ - WhyeBluebirdofHappiness Fled “The Bertha Krupp of America” () . of ) Had Health, Wealth, Love and Beauty, but Still ‘ 1 I f H aé‘E jit § 1 g? e? i rfl' § HitH &3 T g here the kindl 'John B. Fom president of the First Natienal of Chicago, and life-long friend of John Barker, be- came guardian of little Catherine. Mr. For was fully aware of the respon- rged ity. He loved she were his own ehild, snd he offered her wise and prudent counsel. 5 But John Barker did not even leave the future of his child entirely in the hands of his old friend. In his will Mr, Barker provided that his vast estate should be held in trust for-Catherine. Never, during her lifetime, could she inherit the principal of the estate. The interest assured her an ample income and the principal of the estate was to untouched. “The wisdom of this s ap- ted when one um:n the number of “fortune hunters” and “soldiers of fortune” who would be anxious to woo and win the young heiress to gain control of her vast es- tate. John Barker was not going to let his daughter sacrifice her happiness on the altar of money. Under the direction of Mr. Forgan, Catherine grew to brilliant womanhood. She spent much time sbroad, studying with tutors. & sports enthu- siast, gloried in an “outdoor” life, and attained a beauty which enthusiastic eomment smong her friends. 2 Meanwhile she won a reputstion for n-handed charity and well-directed Catherine was interested in aquatic and was an enthusisstic motor- boat owner. On one occasion, when er “Arizona” went on wpesd bo’-l:,.th "Kt:éh.hlu." . o e of the stranded pas- As she matu the young heiress ifested uorr:"immt In'ghc ad- who later became her husband. Howard Spuuldlnq ‘was an executive in one of Catherine’s companies. He . An Interier Glimpss of the Speslding Mansion. The Rest of the $50,000,000 “Nest™ was Similarly Elsborate. Howard Spaulding, Junior, Dashing Young Exonive Who Wen she Mille Heiress in the Face of Al Competition, was an u ding young chap, forth- right in his business affairs as he later ved to be in his love-making. 3»' iress saw much of him while familisy. ising herself with her busin though tbg had been frie: days of their youth, thi; ) panionship awoke in both admiration of the other’s qualities. Spaulding’s regard for pretty Cath- erine was not & secret. As a youth he had shown her marked attention, and an example of this wrlr.sr readily to hand. Howard was at Yale. that Catherine was viliflni his mother for & few weeks, and he immediately hopped the first train home, despite the tutdglm important examinations were pending. Even before the :v:’ mr_held fl\;lt jority, plans for the '!Jd&fi were gmpl;ih. . :wln: ng nof wlp:uluh Catherine vith" ntl i:l h:tmnle. any el e youn, men were be[uiles by her :‘lunnin] grace, and more than one gave How- a race for her affections. But young Spauldin t'"“y m he‘l‘" an » Mr. Forgan, tired of denying persistent rumors that his ward was to wedfideonflmet:l Jthe suspicion growing in the public mind. us Catherine, upon attaining the age of twenty-one, ehay vot, advantage whic the mll;«li of man can well imagine. She had beauty, grace, health, wealth and love. Young Spauldin was well off, an the Mpp{ couple bad no fear for financial future. The year before the wedding they spent in bligsful happiness. They se. & spacious town apartment and spent their leisure moments furnishing it. This, perl was the happiest rear in the life of the young heiress. 'or who can deny that romantic illu- sions and dreams are among the most ratisfactory joys known to man? It is this quality of romance which gives Judy O’Grady an even break with the colonel’s lady the matter of love is up for consideration. And, also, it - \\\w‘h % el He heard <Spauldi e is this quality which most fre- ?ontly is denied the scions of great e 1 or financial or polit- ical reasons are amply common, And in such unions there usually is s dearth of the flavor of high-blown romance. Not so ith Catherine Barker and Howard Spaulding! They had all the ad- vantages of real romance, assisted by the many little services which great wealth can render to smooth the path- way of true love. The wedding came off in approved fashion and it was one of the most brilliant of society functions. The only unpleasant ripple on the surface was & rumor that a band of crimigals were planning to kidnap the brfle- groom and hold him for ransom. That indeed would have been tragedy! But wise old James B. Forgan was not go- ing to have any such anigans spoil the “big day” for his pretty ward! He took the matter up with the authori- ties and scores of extrs deputies were pressed into service. The $50,000,000 “Nest™ Which Catherine B 'rom Her Father, and Where She Tried 10 Snare the Bluehird of Happiness—in Vain! The deputies stood guard with good- natured alertness and the ceremonies went off without a hitch. The couple left immediately on their honeymoon, and it is not far fetched to surmise that Mr. Fo permitted himself a leisurely stretch, as he sat before the open fire in his spacious home and re- lected contente upon a job well done and trust faithfully discharged. Truth to tell, more than one “de- moiselle” envied Catherine Barker as she sped away op the wings of love. The matrimonial prob- lem is an important one in every walk of life, but it is_doubly important in high society. Elaborate utions always are taken by wealthy mothers to insure the most favorable entrance of their daughters into the smart set. Cotillions, balls, parties and receptions follow an endless round, and each launches its own quota of brilliant debutantes upon the sea of prospective matrimony. But even so, society bachelors are a wary lot, and only the most brilliant of the season’s debs find the matri- Nowmepe Pesture Service. 1939, Mr. and Mrs. Howard Barker Spaulding, 8 They Appeared Immediately After Their Brilliant Wedding. monial problem solved to their satis- faction. Catherine Barker Spaulding was in this latter class. In her youth she was known as the “Bertha Krupp” of Am- erica. She got this title because of her vast income, derived from the steel holdings of her father. Bertha Krupp was a member of the famous Kru? family in Germany who con- troled that nation’s greatest plant for the manufacture and fabrication of steel products. - Rumor, always a swift messenger, although infrequently as accurate as in this case presaged vague rumblings from the Spaulding household. “Back- stairs gossip” about difficulties be- tween the Spauldings leaped into-draw- ing-rooms and salons. But these rumors were promptly discredited by those who supposedly were in a posi- tion to know. “What? Catherine Barker having trouble? Impossible! Why, they’re as happy as two love birds.” Alas! For once the social wiseacres were all wrong. And then, a month or s0 ago, BANG! The bluebird of happiness toppled head first out of the $50,000,000 nest! So- ciety was not only shocked; it was electrified. “Town Topics,” the so- ciety weekly, summed up the situation in the following picturesque style: “Chicago has been conscious for some time of the rather deep-toned parties engineered by the benedict son of the Spaulding home on East Chi- cago avenue. Suit filed by Catherine Mrs. Howard Baker Spaulding, Junior, Who Was the “Wealthiest Child in the World,” and Alsy Was Called the “Bertha Krupp of America” Because' of Her Fortune in & Steel Working Plant. Barker Spauld- ing, asking for divorce from Howard H. : Spaulding, Jr., forms an un. pleasant interlude at least in the life of the handsome \ Howard and his girlhood sweetheart, “The heiress of the flat- car magnate would seem to have had a flat tire in her matrimonial happiness. According to her friends, Catherine's trials these last few years have been those of Job himself.” And thus society, and the publie at large, have been given one more proof of the truism that money will not buy love and that the bluebird of ha piness will die in the gilded nest. l-yor the Howard Spauldings certainly had every possible advantage. The fortune of $30,000,000 left by Mr. Barker had increased to $50,000,000 under the wise administration of Mr. Morgan, and this great wealth was reflected in the magnificent home—once the love nest of Catherine Barker. The nest is empty now. The bird has flown and the Spauldings are sep- arated. Mrs. Spaulding charges her husband with habitual drunkenness, and thus far he has not indicated that he will register any strenuouns objec- tions to divorce. ~Society already is considering the pair separately and the romance which started so auspiciously is on the rocks. Why? Well, perhaps the true rea- son is cloaked in deep mystery. Or, again, perhaps it is displayed so openly that we can recognize it. One specula- tion, however, involves the $50,000,000 fortune. “Maybe,” say some by way of metaphor, “the bluebird of iappi- ness isn’t used to such a palatial home as the Spauldings had. Perhaps he was not quite comfortable with all the gold braid and trappings of millions and preferred a more sincere and less elaborate setting!” \\ \