The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1904-06-13
Muffin fifionaire Besan His Care r:sat.
Leitefsburs-

tier was a native Of NJ ary-
land, and vas born November 2, / ss4-5
died . une 81 so4 at Bar Harbor,
ter,s early hone in Wash
IHgton county Maryland, is known as
the eitersbtlrg district, one Of the
most fertiI portions of the beautiful
valley of the Antieta tam Itsisain sight
of ar and gets the name from
Letter family,
q. Letters grandfather, Andrew
Lett aid out the town Of Letters
bt.rg,3a1ld IN this town Mr.. Levi Zeig-
Her Letter was born he Letter fam
& came to AIaryls1sa from PenEsyl-
q Letters father,
Joseph Letter. a cabinetmaker.
One OF Letters brothers, J
Freeland Letter, recently died. He
farmer of standing and indu-
ence in washington county and for
many years was secretary of the
Planters Mutual insurance Company.
i sIr..sL.aZ. Letter, was deeply enSrossed
I'm business until he passed middle
Then he sold his interest in the
;@tsseat dry goods business; his family
ished enter fashionable society.
This subjected them to many sneers
sfromain-bred people; and the gossips
haEeneyer tired of telling stories of
8 Mr.. and Mrs. Letter to illustrate their
Ignorance and blunders in polite So
fciets.
lions. Both Mr.. and Mrs. Letter came
from good people and both knew per-
fectlya show$t conduct themselves.
y Mr.. Letter was a man of sober, good
Judgment and with as much educa-
= ton as most men who have devoted
their lives to business possess.
The future dry-goods prince began
life as a So clerk in country store.
This did not suit him and he left
Maryland and went to Springfield, o.
sInS1S56 hes1anded in Chicago. He be-
came clerk in the store OF Cooley,
sEyyadsWorth & Co. Mrs Letter and
Marshall Field met in Chicago short
gsly# after the former came West to
seek his fortune. The rise of Field
and the rise of Letter were coinci
dent, and a few years later the pair
s bought into the business OF Potter
Palmer The firm became Field, Pal
amers& Letter, and not long afterward
Field, Letter & Co. The big West
grew Cities sprang up. Railroad
\ business was laundering over the prai-
ries. Field, Letter & Co. bought dry
goods and sent=them all over the ter
ritosy tributary@to Chicago.
Mr. Letter worked necessarily at
his business. Meanwhile he bought
real estate. He did not care to sell
fully with the influx of population.
ssII income from profits of the dry
goods bus mess went on increasing I'M
tilshe had madeSa large fortune.
EFT Business Many Years Ago.
- In@1SSl Mr.. Letter thought he would
retire. He sold out to- his partners.
He had real estate 10 manage, and
then he wanted to travel. There was
another consideration. He liked
books, and had plenty of money with
which to buy them. He travelled and
added many treasures to his superb
+ collection.
For the lastS15 or 20 years Mr.
Letter devoted his attention to the
management Of his large real estate
interests, which enormously increas-
. et, in value.
While Mr.. Letter never sought OF
held office he took pains 10 study
3 politics and social science in careful
{WayiSand had a thorough understand
! ing of governmental affairs. He was
: not Inactive in a religious way. The
American Sunday School Union was
one Of his favorite institutions Ii
$50 far as one man can spread his eff
az forts upon civic progress Mr.. Letter
Ibid "a good share of work in pushing
Chicago along. He was one of Chi
lagos big men.
Joe Letters Big Wheat Deal.
IN 1856 Joseph Letter, Mr.. L. Z.
letters only son, engineered one Of
thesmost enormous deals in the his
tory of the wheat pit, and, after send
i ing wheat up to a high figure, was
beaten by. Phil Armour and lost over
q S., O0G, 600. The father had given the
IL son 81 100000 to set him up in bust
ness