The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-12-12

sight into the mysteries Of the corpora
don-from its mechanical standpoint.
He was made q director. It was like
letting camel into-a tent. He is soon
likely 10 walk off with the tent He
may be president in the spring when the
company IS reorganized. He wants to
be. The directors are beginning to no.
tice that chin
1t was a matter OF family secret when
,, The elder Letter became convinced that
the son had inherited the skill which
1t had taken him a hard life to acquire.
The $1,000 900 nest egg had attracted
hens with golden eggs. 1t was at one
| time on the verge Of being smashed, but
the risky risks had turned as the man
thought they would, and he came from
the shadow with flying colors and more
| money than he started with. 1t then
became the greatest joy of Levi Lett
er's life to buy a block for mis- son or to
turn over block@block OF buildings or
railroad or mining property-to the ex-
elusive care Of his son. It seemed that
| the magic touch had grown more magic
In the second generation. More and
more the father went into retirement
and the son took up the business. The
son realized the responsibility. He put
the same attention for q time to min
ing that he had put to street railways.
All kinds Of ores, good, bad and indiffer-
ent end slated, were collected for ex-
animation. He became an expert, and
If there is a mine owner looking for
young man with millions to invest and
the mine is bit Shady, he knows
enough to keep away from Joseph Lett
er. II is said that he can guess at the
value Of a rock or a shaft as accurately
as any man but an assayer. A man
tried 20 interest nim the other day in a
hole out west. The man said that ne
had been told by another man that the
ground was yellow with gold at that
particular point. Mr.. Letter begged TO
disagree. He not only knew the ore was
poor, but that the territory had no good
ore and gave the second man the loca-
ton Of the fairy mine from which the
sample had been taken. Il is no place
for the bunco man or thegold brick man
that chin.
1t was this cleverness to win that fat
tened his own holdings and those of MS
father. 1t was comparatively conser-
vative estimate to put the properties un-
der his control-and he is only 30-at
$50, ,000, 900. It makes s1,000,O 900 for each
year OF his life-prooably makes him the
youngest financial king in the world.
The fortune is divided among the best
institutions of the city, extends into the
big railroads, out into ranch holdings in
<l1 60 80 !, f,i
the hills of the ore countries. The more
ne spends ahe more he earns, and the
men who help him TO operate claim that
one OF the best reasons for his phenom-
email progress is his devotion to the es-
Sential little things of his varied inter-
ests. HIS own fortune has grown to great
proportion, but in its business he never
has undertaken to neglect the smallest
demands of the property Of his father.
Ii is related that he was called up the
other day by phone to sanction or stop
a prospective deal which required $780, |
900 cash. The order was needed on the |
instant 10 check the move of a giant |
who was playing the men from the other |
side of the board. A man came into the |
office-a modest tenant Of one of his ia |
ther's buildings. Mr.. Letter recognized !
him, as the man insisted he could not
wait minute. The king asked TO be ex-t
cused from the phone and caused the !
trade TO stop until he finished the trans
action with the tenant The $500. 900 J
trade was held in the air. The tenant /
wanted a new sink put in his Easements
Mr. Letter has only recently gone into \
wheat. II is doubtful il ne knew red |
wheat from gum shoes year ago. He4
does now. He first became factor in the
trading about six months ago His oper-
ations were looked upon as those OF an /
amateur. The other side did not know :
how much Il had learned while ii was /
hot looking. The other side also over |
ooked the fact that the grain Office
might be friendly to his idea OF the kind
of wheat that should alone satisfy the
grading OF Chicago. II was overlooked |
hat things equal TO the same thing are
equal to each other, or that two and two
make four. Mr.. Letter was 8 colonel on |
Governor Tanners staf-friendly to the
governor. Il was almost a case OF plain
ogic that the grain department should
therefore be friendly TO Mr.. Letter. The
.rIcr dship OF the grain inspector i a
good trump card in the wheat game. Mr.
Letter drew il. BY poking around with
experts in wheat he can now tel the
best from the oob,ail as well as the best
= them, and he is seeing 10 i; that the
'ules for grading are held straight 10 the
,oint- The gram department thinks he
Knows what he Is talking about. and |
-ules as he thinks He started in the deal
o win. He has done so we'll that the IA
her Is now with him. and the Letter
ortuns is back OF the king OF the wheat
~ He is determined to earn hand
ONE pay for the risk There are old
mes on the other side who are regretting
hey aid not see that chin
asr. Letter, personally. Is one OF ;he
nost popular men in town. He has more
rionds than anybody. The friendship
uns from the top 20 the bottom OF men
s the people in his circle are accustom-
d to rate men. He i favorite no less !