The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1906-07-20
Notable Career of
An American Girl

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iMcToN AND AsRoAp a
RlAeE 10 GEORGE
cuRzoB
Lady Cnrzon, formerly Miss Mary
Victoria eiteF. a danehter Of the late
Levi q. Letter, multl.mi1l lonaires q
Chicago and WASHING was a mem:
Der Of Maryland family. Jacob Lei.
ter, the pioneer of the family. settled
on a farm IN Washington county, Md,
in 1852. The town Of Leitersbufg was
named after him. It was there that
Levi z.9Letter was born In 1884. He
left his Maryland home in 1858.
In 1865 he and the late MarshalI Field
purchased controlling interest in tbe
business Of Potter Palmer The busi-
ness was reorganized under the firm
name OF Field, Palmer & Letter, and
later under the title Of Field Letter 4
Co. That was the foundation of Mr..
Letters fortune, He retired from
commercial life in 1881 and engaged
in speculation and the real estate bust
ness, and in this way the bulk OF his
fortune was made. Early in life he
married Miss May Carson, of Chicago,
by whom he had son, Joseph Letter,
and three daughters.
The latter years of Mr.. Letters life
were spent in Washington, which city
offered a wider field for the social am
billions of his wife and daughters.
Here their residence Ghe James G..
Blaine mansionj was the scene of
many brilliant functions. Later they
built one Of the finest homes in Wasa.
ington, on Dupont Circle. But their
social triumphs in Washington were
merely preparation for still greater
ones in New York. Newport and Eng
land.
First Met In England.
During stay in England. Miss May
Victoria Letter met George N. Cur,
zon, eldest son of the Rev. Alfred
Nathaniel Holden Curzon, fourth Bar.
ON scarsdale. They were married in
1895, after Curzon had held the Offices
of assistant private secretary to the
Marquis of Salisbury, under secretary
of state for India and under secretary
of state for foreign affairs. In 1898
,Curzon was created first Baron Curzon
of Kedleston, and in 1899 was appoint
ed viceroy and governor general of
India, which post, he resigned in Au-
gust, 1905, and was succeeded by the
Earl OF Mimic.
Lady Curzon's social trtumphs in
England. in India and in her own
country gave her the most important
position attained by any American
woman in this or the last century. Sur
rounded by every luxury that wealth
could suggest, an acknowledged beau
ty and possessor of many accomplish
ments by travel. study and observa-
ton. she was even in her young lady
hood in washington distinguished
above the other girls. Her debut at
IA series of large receptions given by
her parents in the early lineties at
their home, on Dupont Circle, in Wash
fngton, was followed by the triumphal
season abroad, from which she re-
turned the betrothed wife of George
Nathaniel Curzon, NJ. P.
a Notable Wedding.
The announcement of the engage.
ment was made in March, and the
wedding followed on April %, 1895, at
st. Johns church, Washington.
The ceremony was attended by all
the notables in official, diplomatic and
resident circles. Bishop Talbot off,
ciated, assisted by Rev. Mackay-
smith, then rector of ST. Johns. The
brides gown was made of white satin
in princess style, and the train fell
from the shoulders in a Vatican plat.
The waist had no collar band and was
trimmed with the fine old point lace
worn by her mother at her wedding.
october is, 1866. The upper part of
the tulle veil was trimmed with rose
point lace worn by the brides grand
mother, Nancy Fish, at her marriage
to benjamin F. Carver, of Utica, ".
Y. Her jewels were superb neck
lace of large diamonds with deep pend
ants and coronet Of diamond roses.
The wedding presents, OF great NUM-
ber and value, were shown, being ar
ranged in cases down in the cloak
rooms in the basement. Private detec-
tiyes watched the treasures. The
marriage register, handsomely bound
volume, was conveniently placed, and
the signatures of all the notabIlities
present were desired. Only limited
company present at the house, but
hundreds of invitations were sent out
for the church.
Eriend of MRS, Cleveland.