b. virdot has come back to life. >> reporter: last time the mysterious b. e newspaper was in december, 1933, during the depression. he wrote a letter offering noun offering money to anyone in need so they will be able to spend a merry and joyful christmas. all people had to do was send a letter to general delivery in care of that name "b. virdot" which, as it turns out, wasn't his name at all. his real name was sam stone, a successful canton businessman. >> b. virdot was an invention of his, an amalgam of his three daughter's name "barbara, virginia and dottsie." >> reporter: stone's grandson only learned of his grandfather's charitable at ego when he opened up this suitcase that had a couple hundred letters addressed to b. virdot. >> they were from the same week in december of 1933. >> reporter: the discovery led him to write a book called "a secret gift." >> "it looks pretty dark sometimes but we still hold on to that ray of hope." >> reporter: ted said his grandfather answered that letter with a $5 check, which would be like $100 today." >> so that's wher

b. virdot. even those who did not receive the checks were elevated by the offer that someone should care. now, over the years -- welcome in that period when this offer was made the community buzz about who was this b. virdot because there was speculation it was wealthy and privileged families and communities. always known it was a good christian, someone who in the and wish to them a joyful and merry christmas. that's all that was known. but no one learn his identity or the identity of the people who wrote to him. and the years passed, and the use became decades. and prosperity returned to canton, and the younger generation grew up not knowing anything of b. virdot. the people who wrote to have went to the grace and in times, so to b. virdot himself. and there ends the story. except that i am here. y.? well, because the story doesn't end there. two years ago, i surprised my mother on her 80th birthday. she lives in maine, and out of which he says i have something for you and those who did case -