The man who gave up $25,000,000 for love. A note to Stephen Mather from Jordan Lawrence Mott

Among the letters Stephen Mather received from well-wishers in 1928 was one postmarked Santa Catalina Island from Jordan Lawrence Mott 3d.

A name now nearly-forgotten, Lawrence Mott created national headlines in 1912.  Born to privilege in 1881, Lawrence Mott graduated from Harvard in 1905 and subsequently joined a series of newspapers in New York where he became known as the ‘millionaire reporter.’  In 1901 he married Caroline Pitkin.  He professed to find journalism “far too dull.” 

Apparently, he felt the same about life with Caroline.  Mott met an already-married light opera singer, Frances Hewitt Bowne.  In 1912, the couple, each still married, eloped to Europe on a freighter.  It was reported that Lawrence disguised himself as a purser and Frances disguised herself as a cabin boy.

Lawrence’s father sent a friend, Hector Fuller, in pursuit of the couple with orders to bring Lawrence home.  Fuller missed them by hours in Gibraltar and finally caught up with them in Hong Kong.  It was there that Lawrence refused to return and was subsequently disinherited.

Settling on Santa Catalina, Lawrence and Frances married in 1928 after each had obtained a divorce.   Frances continued to perform while Lawrence spent his days boating, running KFWO, the local radio station, and authoring a series of successful novels of outdoor life, becoming friends with both Jack London and Zane Grey.

Much of Mott’s time later on was spent campaigning for conservation of wildlife and natural resources. He pioneered fishing for steelhead on the North Umpqua River, Oregon, and a section of the North Umpqua Trail bears his name. He established a fishing camp near Steamboat Creek, where he died of leukemia in 1931, with Frances by his side. 

In his letter to Stephen, Mott suggests…”Mabbe-so we might ‘git together’ next September or October, and have a whirl?”  That trip would not come to pass, but certainly, each in his own way, did lead lives that were a whirl.