The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1878-06-05
General Fremont.
ALTHOUGH NOT sTARvISG-HE Is IN
merry REDUcED.crRcUNsrAScEs.

The most positive statements have
been made lately 70 the effect that
General John Fremont, who. with his
wife and son Frank. has been for some
months in straitened circumstances,
had been in actual personal suffering
through destitution and lack of food
This is probably an exaggeration, al
though since the sale of General FIRE.
mont's library some months ago by the
Sheriff, it is true he has been with
out income. and has sought employment
IN vain. He has bean in Washington
frequently. and dispatch from that
city. received last night. says that
Speaker Randall san him yesterday,
though it was impossible to End bis
quarters. For the past two years Gen.
eral Fremont had lived in No. 924
Madison avenue, two doors below the
corner of Seventy fourth street. Ono Of
his nearest neighbors, General James
Grant Wilson. a distinguished cavalry
officer during the war. told one of the
reporters of the World what he knew Of
General Fremont's late life.
TALE OF DECLINING FORTUNES.
Ten or twelve years ago. said this
intimate friend. General Fremont
was supposed to be q millionaire. His
family then lived at the fine villa for
merly owned by General Webb. on the
Hudson. between Tarrytown and Sing
Sing. They also had fine city resi-
dance ON Ninth street. At the country
villa the same family received the frst
society. not of New York only, but of
the nation, as the Generals notoriety
from having been the most successful
candidate for the Presidency in 1856,
made him conspicuous character in
social life, if not in politics. Besides,
Mrs. Fremont as is well known, is a
highly accomplished lady, aud was al
ways most charming in the social circle.
Those same accomplishments made her
Q very desirable guest at social gather
ings in this city, and although it came
to be generally. known that the Fremont
family were actually poor. the number
of their invitations fell off scarcely any,
If at all For the last five years Gen.
eral Fremont's resources have rapidly
declined, and two years ago he was
obliged TO give up both his city resi-
dence and his villa on the Hudson
With what remained Of the furniture in
the country residence house Madison
avenue. near Seventy fourth street. was
fitted up, and there the family resided
until about two months ago. 1t was in
the latter part of December or the
early part of January that the Sheriff
entered the house and hung out the red
flag. Well as General Fremont's
friends and neighbors knew that he
was in straitened circumstances, we
never dreamed that he was so utterly
wrecked. A natural pride caused the
members Of the family to keep their
troubles to themselves. and when actu-
ally driven out of house and home Mrs
Fremont. Miss Fremont and Frank
accepted invitations from friends To- 60
aud visit them aud remain as long as
they chose. General Fremont sudden
ly disappeared from the city. Some
thought it was on account of his lack of
courage to face old friends after
THE HUMILIATION OF BEING SOLD OUT
Under the Sheriff's hammer. while
others said that he had been obliged to
leave in order to escape warrant fer
his arrest, which, fit had been served.
would have resulted in his being taken
into Sheriff's custody. At the sale
which took all the furniture. all the
pictures. books and even the family
portraits were sold, with the bare ex-
ception of a large oil portrait of Mrs.
Fremont and marble bust of her faith
sr, Colonel Benton. These were saved
through the kindness of some friends,
who bid them in. thus preventing their
being sold to strangers for almost moth
ing heard, about three weeks ago.
that a gentleman had called on Thur
low Weed and asked for assistance in
rescning General Fremont. who was in
New Jersey very destitute. 1t was
said that he bad been without food for
two or three days. / understand that
some gentlemen put together and got
him some kind of an appoint nent
which will enable him to earn living
at least. His family consists of bis
wife. two sons and daughter. The
eldest son is in the navy, and the other
Frank. being sickly. has never entered
any kind of business.
Had General Fremont asked the
writer. 'been doing anything from
which to derive an income during the
last two years.
He had been engaged with some
kind of nickel plating firm, but what
firm it is or to what extent he Was in-
terested ] do not know
Mrs John ID. Townsend, whose fami-
ly has been on very intimate terms
with the Fremonts for several years,
says the starvation story was untrue,
and General and~ Mrs. Fremont. she
added. had spent the Winter on Staten
Island. General Fremont is now in
Washington, doing she did not know
what. Mrs. Fremont had spent sun
LAY with her. and was going to join
her husband in Washington While
they were much reduced in circumstan-
ees. the Fremonts, she said. were far
from actual want.