The L'Anse sentinel., 1921-05-20
Coming Marriage of Young
Leeds to Princess Solves FL
nances of Royal Family.
YOUNG GIRL IS TRUMP CARD
Great Fortune Built Up by one-Time
Indiana Florist, Then Tin Plate
King and Railroad Pyramider
to Go to Greek Nobility.

New York.-Royalty, rather bat.
tered now by fortunes and misfor.
tunes of European wars, seems in a
fair way to get practically every pen.
ny Of the "tin plate" millions Of the
American Leeds family. Good old
America
The great fortune built up by the
late William B. Leeds, once Indiana
florist, humble railroad worker, then
manufacturer of tin plate, then rail-
road pyramider, is going for the bene-
ut of impoverished titles of Greece
News came from Athens the other
day which, 1t is now disclosed here,
means, that royalty as represented by
King Constantine of Greece and his
relatives, have won the lone chance of
getting the Leeds fortune.
King Plays Trump Gard.
And seventeen-year-o girl was
the trump card" of the king of
Greece In the game of royalty VS..
American millions. The girl is Prin-
cess Xenla Georgievna, second daugh-
ter Of Grand Duchess Marie and niece
OF King Constantine. She Is to marry
William B. Leeds, Jr., eighteen-year-
old son of the late w. B. Leeds and
Mrs. Leeds, who is now Princess
Anastasia Of Greece.
Young Leeds is sole heir to the mil
lions his father left from his exploits
In midwestern and Chicago finances.
Mrs. Leeds, now Princess Anastasia,
OF course, has the use OF the estate,
variously estimated $30,O0O,OOO to S40,-
100000, but on her death, under the
terms Of the Leeds will, the whole es-
tate goes to young Leeds or his heirs.
In other words, Greek royalty didn't
stand much chance Of keeping the
Leeds millions unless they got the son
of Mrs. Leeds Princess Anastasia)
Into the royal family some way or
other.
Princess Anastasia has been III of
late, too. In fact, she has been so III |
In Athens that young Leeds recently |
rushed from New York to France. |
then by airplane to Athens, to be at |
the bedside Of his mother.
II is interesting to note that Athens
press dispatches say that young /
Leeds proposed to Princess Xenia the
day after he arrived in Athens to see
his sick mother. He was promptly
accepted. And Xenla's acceptance
means the battered and unlucky roy.
atty can struggle along a few CEN
turtles more with the new riches. un-
less politics or whims OF subjects
change things from royalty to democ-
racy.
Building the Fortune.
And now the details ns how the
Leeds fortune was started and built
up are being recalled and uncovered.
Few persons of great wealth had
humber start In life than William b.
Leeds Of Richmond, Ind. It is "A
strange contrast to the life Of the
king, princesses and others of Greek
royalty who now share Its benefits.
Leeds started In Richmond as a for
list, and by his marriage In 1888 to
relative of Harry Miller, then gen
eral superintendent Of the Pennsyi-
vania railroad, he got work in the
field. At length he was d.
vision superintendent Of the Richmond
division OF the Pennsylvania and his
wife Inherited d ;urge sum Of money.
Then with Daniel @. Reid as
partner Leeds went into the making
Of tin plate. The tnriff laws were
aimed at the development Of home In
iustries and tariff on tin plate per-
nitted the growth Of that business
iown In Indiana.
Moore Brothers az Partners II
Acquiring the aid Of w. H. and J.
a. Moore OF Chicago. Leeds and Reid
loon organized the business on a ma
icnal scale under the name Of the
american Tin Plate company. In 1898
be United States Steel corporation