Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1896-10-15
LIFE's DRAMA.
Recent One Enacted by Rich Toledo
Couple

Nettie Poe ketcham filed in court last
week against her husband. John b.
ketcham, says the Chicago Times Her
aid. 1t cannot be said that the matter
startled swelldom from center to cir
conference, as does the golf club seven
days a week the calm, reposing town of
Wheaton The husband and wife In
the comedy were not near enough to the
core OF the exclusive set to drag the
fashionable town into Mysteries, and
only at the Lexington and in the rings
which runs around il did the publica-
ton of the story of disagreeing tastes
make connection II is. however, one
of the most pathetic events which has
happened In this big place for many
moons. Ii is the tale of social ambition
unrewarded, and the yarn of the easy
] road from the prosperity Of small
town down the toboggan Of city exist
ence which wrecks so many who have
become skilled in sliding or try to make
! the plunge without divorce suit
Mr.. Ketcham lived many years at
! Toledo the seaport town Of Ohio, ut the
mouth of the dark and muddy Maumee.
His father had lived there long. and
with the growth of the village from the
swamp 10 city Of some importance he
could not avoid getting rich-yery rich.
In fact, it Is said down in that country
that he was one of the richest men the
section ever produced, He had hand
in everything and two hands In q
national bank which he named after
himself He had good eye for bust
ness, and the little start he made
swelled and grew like the tabled bean
stalk, and nobody knew exactly how
much he was worth. He worked hard,
attended to business and in due time
died. The will disposed of more than
81. 900 900, and the present head Of the
family found himself more than indie
pendent at an early age, and launched
into a career that was the envy OF
everybody in Toledo. He built mag
nificent mansion, had two horses for
every day in the week, entertained
without regard to cost, and set the pace
for the rather calm but swagger set of
Toledo. Mr. and Mrs. Ketcham were in
the clouds. and there was no tailor this
side of Paris capable Of serving Mrs.
Ketcham This happiness lasted for a
long time, and they we're really SO
happy that when first saw them at the
Metropole Hotel in London some six
years ago tLev were introduced and pre-
scented 10 me by an American man who
pointed to them as a pair who loved
one another and lived an absolutely
ideal life. This man said they lived an
ideal life because none of the plans of
the wife interfered with those of the
husband and none OF the husband In
terfered with those OF the wife.
This little bit OF mannish wisdom of
the essence OF married happiness made
me interested in Mr.. and Mrs Ketcham,
and ] have now only to find that the
secret prediction then made has come
true. Mr.. Ketcham was a friend OF the
American man, and he wanted to show
him London Mr.. Ketcham said he
knew London and looked at the
tenderfoot with that particular look
which men give men when they say they
know London" He informed Mrs.
Ketcham that he was going to show
that American man the town and 1t
might not be wise for her to sit up
until we get back" This did not star
tie Mrs. Ketcham She replied that the
programme was exactly suited to her,
as she had arranged for days trip, by
heself as far as he was concerned, and
II might be that he would be home first.
said to myself that there would some
day come a time when neither would
sit up FOR the other, and just to test
the presentlment | have kept track OF
the Ketchams from the day ! saw them
leave the hotel IN London with ten
mammoth trunks OF the rarest stuffs
to this time. and which has seen the
fulfillment of my fear.
Mr.. and Mrs. Ketcham returned toI
Toledo that summer-but Toledo was
so little and so unlike Londonl They
stayed there n season, and then moved
to Chicago. II was courageous thing
to do, but they imagined that they had
as many millions as many others, and
some way they had suspected that the
only passport to Chicago society was
money. They came TO the Lexington
and swept into suite which ! under-
stand. was rated worth 81 900 month.
Mr.. Ketcham brought along his horses
and drags and traps and Mrs. Ketcham
drove a thrashing pair. They had
money to spend, and spent 1t trying toI
get society TO cast them one glance
But society Is peculiar. 1t doesn't al
ways glance. It was even pharisaical,
and went by on the other side Mr.
Ketcham continued to refuse to allow
his his and his wife's plans to,
bother one another, and before
very long there we're distressing
rumors. They remained for long time
in the hotel, and then got into the
avenue and subsequently into the
courts. Mrs Ketcham, who once
thought 1t a Joke that she was not dis
ii rbed by the promise Of her husband
10 return not earlier than sitting up,