The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-02-08

in the business of Potter Palmer. which
was reorganiZed under the firm name of
Field. Palmer & Letter.
Later on the retirement of Potter Palmer
and his brother. it was Field. Letter & Co..
with Mr.. Letter as the credit man of the
firm.
The business proSpered. But Mr.. Letter
became interested in real estate and other
speculations. and in 1881 he in turn with
drew from the firm to devote all his time
to his new interests The sum which he
took out with him from the firm is various
~ stated at from three to five millions.
Whatever 1t MAY have been it represented
only a portion OF his capital.
SOCIAL CAMPAIGNS
OF THE LETTERS.
Early in life Mr.. Letter had married Miss
Mary Carson of Chicago. BY her he had
two daughters and a son. He was not nat
urally a man who took much interest in the
social side of life. But his wife had ambi-
tionS. rot so much for herself as for her
children. She determined to storm the cita-
dels of the Chicago Four Hundred. There
at first she met with rebuffs. She found
Mrs. Potter Palmer. the wife of her hus-
bands former partner, arrayed against her.
1t was the charm and tact and intelligence
OF her two daughters, and especially OF the
elder one, Mary. now growing into q bril-
liant young womanhOod, which finally con-
quereu all obstacles.
H!it tHe l.tittIS Ndu mONSu 10
Washington They selected the house which
James Il. Blaine had lust built but had
found too exoensivev to maintain. Here the
plans for an elaborate social campaign were
laid. Again 1t was Mary Letters PERSONAL
ity which won the victory. The young Chi
cagO girl. now in her twentieth year. be-
came one of the greatest bellies of the cap
ital city. New Workers who visited Wash
irgton returned with stories of her beauty
and her accomplishments and the wealth
and hospitality of her father. This paved
the way for her acceptance in New York
and Newport society. where for some sea-
sons she divided the hOnors of belleship with
Miss Sa.lie Hargous. She had a train of
suitors at her heels.
The Letters spent a good deal of time
abroad. In England Mss Letter met Mr..
George n. CurZOn. 1t was a case of mutual
love. He is a member of one Of the great
historical antilles of England and the heir
to a barony. Best of all. he was a man of
integrity. intellect and ambition. He had
already won his spurs in the House of Com
mons and had held important positions. The
couple were married in Washington on
April %. 1895. They went to England short
ly afterwards. The life Of the American girl
there was a series of triumphs.
1t was at her instance that her husband
occupied the post of Viceroy of India.
He himself had been looking forward to a |
great parliamentary career. with the pre- |
miership of England somewhere in the far
future.
His wife preferred the more immediate |
glories of the viceroyalty of India. AS Vice.
roy her husband Is the most important man
In Asia. He can do pretty much as he
pleases there. As Vicereine Lady Curzon is
the head of Anglo-Indian society. She per- |
forms regal functions.
ENTERS HOMES BARRED
KING EDWARD.
She receives the native Princes. BY right J
Of her sex she enters homes that are barred 4,
even to the King Of England.
Her "drawing-rooms' are precisely SIM
lar to those given in Buckingham Palace.
The state balls, held alike in Calcutta ana