The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-04-19
BENTON LETTER A WRECK
The Story of the Young Mans
Short Career.
HIS WIFE ON THE STAGE
Rich Uncle's Purse Is Closed-A Center
vile Girl Who Afterwards Was
Connected With Ugly Rumors
at Lefterville.

| A piece OF news comes from Chicago
| that will stir with sympathy and pity
many hearts in Butte and throughout
| the state. It announces that T. Benton
Letter, the young and gay, the whole
| souled and Iibera1-hearted, has become
| a mental wreck and that there appears
| to be slight hope of his recovery. From
| 1891 to 1896 Mr.. Letter was the manager
| of the Letter mines at Leiterville, in
| Madison county, and during his brief
career as mining operator he lived a
| whole life, considered from the stand
| point of experience and events. He
| knew absolutely nothing about mining,
and he operated his rich uncle's proper
ties as a plaything. He took out a
great deal of riches, but he spent them
as rapidly as they came into his hands
| He spent money reckless1y in making
| needless improvements and surrounded
himself with the luXuries and splen-
doris of prince-and in many respects
| he was a prince. He entertained his
! friends lavshly, and his home at Lei
terville was open and always extended
| welcome to every stranger VINO
| CHANGED to come that way. He spent
! much of his time in Butte where he
| had many friends and followers. They
| always spoke of him in admiral ton.
Some said he was a great spender;:"
| some said he was a ''high-roller," and
all said he was a good fellow" and
man who knew how to get the best out
| of life in the quickest way. That was
all true of him, but those qualities
| alone did not make good mine opera
tor and manager, and his uncle, Levi
| u. Letter, found it necessary to recall
| the young man and put a new mana
ger over the mine. A man named
| Wood succeeded him. but at present the
| property is managed by Captain Ire
rise.
T. Benton Letter is the son of the late
James Letter and a cousin of Joseph
! Letter, the Chicago board of trade
| plunger. For nearly 20 years T. Ben
ton has held very responsible posi-
ton with his rich uncle, Levi q. Letter
in the capacity of special agent-or
| representative in some way or other.
| He was practically at the head of the
| great dry goods house of Field & Lei
ter when the membership was COM
posed of Marshall Field and Levi z.
Letter. When the latter retired from
the latter firm his nephew also left
| and after that managed his uncle's
vast business interests in Chicago and
:
the Letter mine. When he left this
| state he returned to Chicago and again
| took an important position with his I'M
| Gle, and applied himself so closely to
his duties that mis- health soon began to
| fail, and about year ago his condi-
| ton became alarming. His mental
| powers grew weaker daily, and finally
he became a mere boy who cried when
| his pet toy was taken from him. The
| patient was taken South by his cousin,
| Joseph Letter, and put in the Letter
hunting lodge, where it was hoped ne
would regain his former health. The
| experiment, however, proved a failure
| in the extreme, and he was then sent
to sanatarium and later taken to his
| home at Leitersburg, Md, where he
| now is under the care of physician.
This uncle, it is said has had cause
to feel hard toward the young man be
cause of some escapade of his in Chi
cago before he became i'll. and the old
man has turned his back upon him,
and for some time has refused to aid
him in any way. The result is that his
| resources are meagre, but his friends
have hopes of being able to send him
to Germany for special treatment
Following the announcement of Mr.
Letters pitiable mental condition comes
| another from Chicago which will be
| interesting to many people in Butte:
Mrs. T. Benton Letter, niece of Levi
u. Letter and a popular member of
Chicago social and literary circles, has
decided to take to the stage. Her first
appearance will be next Thursday
night in the Auditorium recital hall
where two one-act plays will be given
under the auspices of the Chicago con-
| servatory.
only 26 years of age, charming in
face and form, vivacious and decidedly
talented, Mrs Letter hs faith in MAX
| ing a success in dramatics. Though
a student for the short period of nine
weeks under Prof Edward Dvorak
Mrs. Letter has made such progress
and has shown such a happy inspira-
ton in her work that the few who have
| known her secret are enthusiastic in
her praise.
The young woman's uncle and, in
| fact, all the Letter family have natur-
ally taken alarm at her determination,
| and now that the news becomes public,
Mrs Letter herself expects to hear
further, to put it mildly, from this
same source. But it is not a personal
| desire to try her ability before the pub
lie nor to emulate other women who
have stepped from the drawing room
or the divorce court on to the stage
| that impels Mrs. Letter to take this
| step. 1t is not so much to gather fame
4
of the move. This sounds rather odd
| in connection with the name that is
never uttered without the suggestion of
| millions, but Mrs. Letter is now liv-
ing, as she says, upon her own private
resources which are not large enough
| for herself and husband.
Mrs. Letter has done a good deal of
| reciting for her friends in the drawing
| room, but never until recently did she
dream of going on the stage. She is
| not exactly sure as yet that her essay
| will be a success
4 am supporting my husband out of
| my personal MEANS" said Mrs. Letter,
| and ! find that my income will not
| warrant the expenditures that must be
| met if I carry out my plans in relation
| to his treatment. l very much wish
| to send him to Germany to be given
| special treatment, and under present
conditions this would be impossible.