The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1871-07-22
GralMmOnt FilhiOl.


Mr.. Grammont t'iihiol, who depart-
I'd this life ON the 81 inst, was the
Oldest citizen to the manor born OF the |,
Ouachita Valley. His parents, both OF
French extraction, removed to this
place, then called Fort Miro, about
1880. Three years afterwards, 1888, his
father, Don Juan F'ilhiol, was appoint
cd Commandment of the Post, an office
which he retained until 1900, when he
resigned it in the hands OF Guillomme
DE In Beaume, Captain OF Dragons in
the militia. Don Eincente Fernandes
TexeirO succeeded as cOInmandant. "A
number of his letters eNtant, exhibit
proof of his zeal and strict honesty, in
position surrounded by great trials at
times. They also & We \ curious III
sight into the character of the early set
tiers and the value OF their occupa-
tons.
| The subject of this notice, Il. Fiihioi,
was born on the nth day of June, 1879.
His early education, and, indeed, the
ONLY one he could receive in those days,
devolved upon his parents. His moth
er, pious and quiet lady, yet able to
exercise perfect control over her chill
her by the few surviving persons, like
| Mr.. a. I.aZare, who have known her
ACKNOWLEDGMENT him his religion
and his prayers, which ne remembered
and never failed to repeat often, to his
dying day. His handwriting bold and
plain is the almost exact reproduction
of that of the old Commandment, from
whom he must have received his first
lessons in that art.
In the latter part of the century Com
the Arkansas Hot Springs, discovered
by an exploring party sent by him up
the Ouachita, who came upon them,
during a hunting expedition, and re-
ported them as the Deri's Hot ISI10uts.
They were all granted to him by the
Spanish government, for his services,
with a tract of land containing league
square around them. He sold them to
his son-in-Iaw, Bourgeat, for the sum of
$500, but repurchased them afterwards,
for the same price, as is shown by an
act on record in the parish Of POinte
Coupee.
| Shortly after the purchase of Louisi-
ana, &. Filhoil, then quite youth,
was appointed flag bearer of the stars
and stripes in a projected expedition
| If
boundary difficulty, and proceeded
from here to NatchitOches; but the eX-
petition went no further, as Il speedy
understanding was effected on the ques-
ton. ! heard him often merrily mar
rate the incidents of this episode.
He married at an early age, in New
Orleans, Dona Aurora KolandO.
| His first occupation in Monroe, AS q
hotel-keeper, was not very lucrative,
for the very good reason, that whilst
the landlord was kind and easy, the
boar,lers, who consisted mostly of new
| Corners, were not over scrupulOus in
withholding the stipulated remuners.
ton. This forced him to remove to q
wild tract OF land, which he called
"Perseverance,' 4 word significant OF
the expectations OF his perseverant and
industrious mind. 1t is the present
Filhiol plantation, - miles below Mon.
roe OH the Ouachita.
There, he labore.l faithfully. There
was not an occupation about the. place
to which he was not all times ready t.
put his hand; and this habit of indus
try and self-reliance, he never lost tC
the very last.
In 1851 G.. Filhoil donated the ground
where the Catholic Church stands il
Monroe, and was with DIR. c. II. Dahbs
a member of the building committee t,
erect it.
/ The war between the North ant
South affected him deeply; he never
missed an occasion to deplore it. He
was seen at times to be moved to tears
while expressing his apprehension
about the future prospects of his cOun
try One of his grandSOns ana hi.
namesakc died on the battlefield o
Virginia.
In the treatment of his slaves, he
was indulgent to a fault, for they were
indeed almost free, long before cman
cipation.
His honesty is proverbial among al
who ever dealt with him. Nothing
met with more bitter reprOOf from his