Evening star., 1932-04-12

interests during the Summer OF 1897,
but when the day approached for de-
livery not a bushel Of wheat could be
found in Chicago to I'LL hts orders.
There was grain In Duluth-plenry Of
h-but Winter was approaching and
the time for closing navigation on the
Great Lakes was near. Armour, des-
perate when he contemplated the dis
aster OF being caught short" by the
ravenous manipulators of the corner,
rushed a feet of ice-breaking tugs to
the heaa Of the lakes to keep tie
channels open while his big grain
freighters moved the harvest to Chi
eago. So well did he succeed that when
delivery day came the seemingly inex-
haustible gates of his grain elevators
had poured, not alone 5000, 900 bushels
necessary to I'LL his contract, but
100000 bushels of wheat into the
Chicago market.
Charges Double Crossing"
The real collapse of the corner, how
ever, was due to what Mr.. Letter char
acterized as double crossing" by some
OF his associates. The occasion for this
disclosure came in 1914, when Letter
was defending suit against him to
collect $3S0,9a5 with interest for 16
years, alleged to be due on two notes
given for the purchase Of 9oS.Oe0
bushels OF wheat during the 1887 oper-
atfons. Two Minneapolis elevator COM
panies, both headed by F. Il. Peavey,
were the plaintiffs but the Jury upheld
Letters contention that the corner was
an unlawful conspiracy and returned a
verdict In hts favor.
In his testimony Mr.. Letter alleged
that Peavey had refused to carry out
an agreement to keep wheat out of
Chicago and, when the corner was ut
It's height, had dumped millions of
bushels at Duluth and Minneapolis.
thus breaking the market and forcing
the grain down to s51a cents. Letter
bought at an average price of $l.45
q bushel and sold out at an average
OF 8512 cents. His father was said to
have assumed all but So 600, 600 of the
SIC, 900 900 to $4,000, 600 reported lost
In the Transaction.
At the time Of the suit MIR. Letter
stated that captains Of finance" with
whom he had locked horns had cost
him $4,000, ,0oo. His fortunes were
largely recouped, however, through his
management of the Washington Gas
Light Co. and the rich coal properties
OF the Letter family In Southern Illinois.
Many Business Ventures.
Mr.. Letters business ventures fol-
lowing the collapse Of the wheat corner
were many and varied He organized
panies in Chicago; was interested in
an attempt to form a milk trust there
and a meat trust In Canada; was In
volved In q plan to buy the Great Wall
Of China and preserve IL for future
generations, and founded the City of
Zeigler in the heart OF the Letter coal
properties in Illinois.
Following the death Of his father IN
1904, he was trustee and manager of
the estate, president of the zeigler
Coal Co.. president Of the Chicago.
Zeigler d Gulf Railway, and a di-
rector in numerous other public utili-
ty companies in various parts Of the
country.
He attained considerable prominence
again in 1922 when suit was brought
against him In New York courts by Jo-
seph H. and Alfred Hoadley, once his
associates in International Power &
American Locomotive Co. deals. for
1904, 400 and SIC, 600, respectively, al
legged 10 be due on notes.
Letters defense was that he resided
IN Illinois when the debts were con-
tracted, and that they were outlawed
by the statute Of limitations in that
State before the New York action was
brought. Several days were consumed
In the taking Of testimony which
hinged around the question Of defend
ants residence. Finally the jury de-
cided that he was "commuter" be-
tween New York and Chicago on the
Twentieth Century Limited, and that
while many Of his biggest enterprises
were eentered in New York, he was
actually a resident of Illinois.
Weds Miss Juliette Williams.
Mr.. Letter married in 1908 Miss
Juhette Williams, daughter of Col.
John r. williams, U. S. A., who had
made her home IN Washington before
her marriage
Standing well over feet and always
fond Of athletics, Mr.. Letter won fame
among his friends as q fisherman and
big-garae hunter. He made two trips
around the world, the second on his
private yacht. which enabled him to
visit many strange and nttle-known
ports.
OF Mr.. Letters three sisters, the eid-
est, Mary Victoria, became the wife of
the late Lord CurZon of Kedleston,
former Viceroy Of India and later sec
retary for foreign affairs in the cabinet
of Lloyd George. Lady Curzon died in
1906
The will Of Levi 2. Letter, who died
in 1904, named his son, Joseph Letter,
and his two youngest, daughters, Nancy,
who became the wife of Col Colin
Campbell of the British Army, and Mar
garet, who became the Countess Of Suf-
folk and Berkshire, as trustees of the
estate.
Countess Brings Suit
In 1898 the countess brought suit In
Chicago TO have her brother removed