The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-02-21

to say, II Mr. Letter chooses to ship all ms
grain III orc train, he viii have string
of cars reaching almost from Chicago 10
the Mississippi river at Quincy. III.
But IL Mr.. Letter doesn't want TO SNIP
his property, but chooses to grind 1t up
and put it on the market he can sit down
with pencil and paper and figure that as
four and one-h half bushels OF wheat Will
make 2O0-pound barrel of flour, he can
place 333, S3s, $50 loayes Of bread within the
reach Of the hungry. AZ 5 cents Loaf Mr.
Letter could obtain SIC .G66, s66, So for his
property AS his brokers have claimed that
he purchased his wheat at an average OF
10 cents per bushel. his profits as baker
would be a hundred thousand or so over
5000, COO
Just suppose that Mr.. Letter were phil
anthropic and that he would be willing to
feed the hungry with his hoard. Vital
statistics say that one and one-half pounds
OF wheat bread is the bare existence def.
With his millions of loaves Mr. Letter
could give three meals each day for one
day TO nearly 100000,000 of hungry folk
and still keep something for himself The
200, 900 persons who starved to death In
India last year could have been kept alive
for weeks by the judicious distribution of
bread made from this big accumulation
that represents Mr.. Letters speculation. IL
Cuba had had this wheat 500 600 persons
could have been sustained for more that
six months and President Mckinley would
not. perhaps, have asked popular sub
seription to relieve suffering in that war-
distressed Isle. Mr.. Letters hoard would
have kept alive these victims of Spanish
barbarity for more than three weeks, II
given three meals each per day.
Every 100 pounds OF this great store OF
wheat when ground, would provide forty
two pounds of the finest grade flour. eigh-
teen pounds second grade, nine pounds bis
cult flour and the tailings, middings, bran
and other remnants save five pounds al :
lowed for loss by evaporation, is turned TO
account
1t may be that Mr.. Letter is not aware OF
the fact, but he has in his control the food
nlainstay of the Nation. The nutritivc
vuine Of gal -e.s' brral is mi fully
recognized by most persons who ere fond
of the heel of n crisp loif Mr. Letter g
pile OF wheat contains mo % os The lain,
muscle and boue forming fond than toaen
train loads OF equal le1s.h bearing h, eff
pork, eggs, milk. butter, potatoes. oaboane
and fruit Three fourths of MIR. Letters
wheat Is starch and sugar and almost one
NTH Is alhumen--a Quantity equal to the
aipumen in beef or eggs. Without know
ing 1t, the youthful sneculatnr has CIR
nered the brain and muscle food OF the
world. People who are in a position to
nho" say tnat "Heat is worth more tnan
money In some places If Mr. Letter
wants 10 be generous he could give his
waiter tins in orders on his warehouseman
FOR bushel; could carry some OF the grain
loose in his Pocket to hand out to street
beggars; could carry a small bag to drop
In the contributions box on Sunday-and be
more generous than in distributing the
cash
But Mr. Letter doesn't seem to be weary
OF his load nor does he show any present
intention of distributing his accumulated
grain in charity. He's not worrying about
the cars 10 ship his property neither is he
specializing on how many biscuits his wbeat
would make II ground into flour His
wheat is stored in elevators and boats and
practically off his hands Therefore Mr..
Letter is ont interested in information
which shows what might be done with his
own particular Klondike.