The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-22
TWO NOTED CHICAGoANs.
Philip ID. Armour and Levi Ziegler
Letter, Multi-MIllfOnaires.

Philip D. Armour unquestionably deserves
niche beside the greatest of the historic
captains of American industry. AS a spec
ulator he has been most successful in the
investment of his capital in productive con-
Germs that have been of widespread service
to society. He has handled, produced,
stored and distributed food stuffs to all
America and all Europe, and he has been
literally remunerated for his work, because
he has been and is now a rich man. Like
many of his kind he began the struggle for
life with nothing in the way of capital. The
first capital he got he dug out of the ground
in the form of gold from the piacers of Cal
ifornia. His first venture in industry was
as pork packer in Milwaukee. The war
wave came along and carried him in very
short time to the possession OF great wealth.
The foresight that has ever characterized
him led him to Chicago and he then began
to build up the great business of which he
is master to-day. He has bought and sold
various properties. AS director and owner
of producing industries he has been most
successful. AS a mere trader-a buyer and
seiler-he has rare pluck and sagacity, and
he has added to his store very largely by
this means. He is a financier Wall street
knows and fears him. Mr.. Armour is fond
of making clever strokes of business, just
for the sake cf doing the thing as hunter
likes Well-fil!ed bag at the end of day s
sport. He likes to see his productive in
dustrieS paying profits although he does
not need profits. He has a reputation for
being kind to poor people who can get any
body else to help them out. That's why
there is any number OF persons IN Cnlcago
who stand up for him. Mr.. Armour makes
no display of wealth. He dresses simply
lives in a plain house, is interested in 'du-
cation and has a way of wiping out the
debts of small churches of all creeds thai
amazes the tmpecunious congr esatlons
thereof. AS may be imagined, his mail IL
tremendous and the number of callers on
him infinite. He is always in perfect health
and is a harder worker than was he elder
Dumas.
Levi Ziegler Letter, who is now in Chicago
spending the Christmas holidays with his
son and incidentally looking over the field
of the great Leiter-Armour wheat DEAL " as
a clerk in a country store in Maryland when
he a lad. Mr.. Letter and Marshall
er came west to seek his fortune. The rise
of Field and the rise of Letter were Coinci-
dent, and in 1885 the pair bought into the
business of Potter Palmer. The firm be-
came Field Palmer & Letter, and not L ng
afterward Field, Letter & Co. The big West
grew. Cities sprang up. Railroad business
Letter & Co. bought dry goods and sent
them all over the territory tributary to Chi
cago. Mr.. Letter worked like a horse, and.
like his opponent in the wheat deal, had
an inordinate appetite for labor. Meanwhile
he bought real estate. He didn't care TO sell
1t, and the values enlarged wonderfully with
the influx of population. His income from
the profits of the dry goods business went
on But in 1881 Mr.. Letter thought he would
retire. He sold out to his partners. He had
real estate to manage and then he wanted
to travel. There was another consideration.
He liked books and, fortunately, hehad pen
ty of money with which to buy them Books
are the most expensive luxury in the world.
One can put fortune in single volume
He Travelled and added many treasures to
his superb collection. While Mr.. Letter has
never sought or held office, he has taken
pains to study politics and social science in
a careful way, and has a thorough under
standing of the rationale of government,
American and otherwise. He is not mac
tive in a religious life. The American Sun
day-school Union is one of his favorite in
situations. In so far as one man can spread
his efforts upon civic progress Mr.. Letter
has done a good share of work in pushing
Chicago along. He is one of Chicagos big
men. For several years he has lived in
Washington for the benefit of its soft cli-
mate, and has not appeared in the field of
business of which Mr. Armour is so prom
inent figure. Mr.. Letter is now sixty-three
years old.