The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1902-06-28
From Promoter to Prisoner.

From Promoter to Prisoner.
San Francisco Bulletin.
Letson Ballet has joined the throng
of captains of industry who failed.
Not only has he fallen in the race,
but the law has decreed that he is
no longer a fit member of society and
shall spend some time, not to exceed
year and half, in enforced seclu-
sion. The Cecil Rhodes of England
and South Africa dies and leaves a
legacy of scholarships that will add
luster to his memory as the years
pass; the man who advertised himself
as the Cecil Rhodes of America lives
to become disgraced and a prisoner.
This, however, is not the irony of fate,
for probably the only thing these men
had in common was an uncommony
bold spirit that dared to venture
where ambition lured. Rhodes, seek
ing to transform a continent, had be.
hind him treasure almost without linn
it. Ballet, ucheming to heap up mil
lions upon millions, had only one
little abandoned mine that had once
been sold by an Oregon sheriff.
The willy Ballet had a merry time
while his luck lasted He knew the
value of advertising, and used the
magazines and a newspaper leased by
himself to tell OF his own imaginary
achievements and the unparalleled
wealth of the White Swan mine. His
newspaper, the Herald, of Baker City
Or, which town was represented as
being maryelously benefited by the
proximity to the Ballet property, is
sued mail editions that would have
done credit to the dailies OF great
metropolis. Ballet was not only the
Cecil Rhodes OF America, said the ad
vertisements, but a modern Midas
whose hand turned everything 4
touched to gold. Teachers and attor
neys people of standing in many com
munlties, had sent this great promoter
small sums, a paltry hundred or two
and he had doubled or quadrupled II
almost In a night II you were skepti
cal you might write TO the prominent
citizens of Londonville or Parlsburg
or a dozen other places To the mar
Of the world the prospect had th'
doubtful merit of looking too good
but Ballet evidently sought only tn,
people who thought themselves wise
people who were eager to take a shor
cut To- the home OF fortune. Th'
scheme worked. Investors burdene'
the mail with checks and drafts an,
money orders. Balliet's Office in thii
city spread out until 1t occupied 1.
rooms. Ten typewriters were KEEP
busy answering the letters OF CORE
spondents. Ballet, leaning back II
his chair with kingly ease, and die
tating advertisements telling of th
great improvements in the Whit
Swan mine, was at the climax Of hi
, glory.
The days of adversely began whei
Uncle Sam began prylng into Ballet
AFFAIRS With Yankee shrewdness
, Sam wanted to know just how mucl
of the money OF his trusting niece
and nephews was going into that hol
in the ground which a sheriff ha
sold for less than a thousand dollars
Ballet could not explain, and Uncl
Sam shut OF his mail Investors b,
came clamorous and the Cecil Rhode
/. OF America fell as rapidly as he ha
4 risen. lie was accused OF using IN
United States mail for purposes q
I fraud. The scene shifted to DE
> Moines, whore at the trial a woma
aided in his undoing. One of his steI
ographers who had been in his col
ldence told the secrets OF his bus
ness, lie fought gamely, but at IN
, end was found guilty. According I
the evidence he obtained $4,000
from investors. and put about s25.OC
into the property, most Of that TO a
Quire title, as at the time he began
g sell stock he did not even own n
, mine.
Ballet now talks Of carrying n
y case to the supreme court, but n
postofIice people say that II he e
capes on some technicality they wi
& Try him again on other simill
charges, OF which there are no en-
Whatever the courts do. the whi
Swan myth has lost It's power to d
n ceive, and Letson Ballet is no long
a cantain az indusfrv