The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1882-01-05

Vtr, washington IorrlIOry, vi bHc AItu VI
December, 1881, at the residence of his
daughter, Mrs. ]. j. Beeson. He was seri-
ously ill for only few days, from car
buncle, which was aggravated by the setting
in Of erysipilas, proving fatal in the very
short space of three days thereafter. He
was born at Savigny, near Vendome, de-
partment of Loir-et-C Cher in France, on the
Both of March, 1911. His father, Francis
Joseph, was the last Knight of the Royal
and Military Order of st. Louis, living to
the remarkable old age of "a years; he was
friend and compatriot of La Fayette, and
started to come to America with him, but
being seriously wounded in the naval en-
gagement with the British off Havre, was
obliged to return to his home. At the age
of 9, Gustave, and his elder brother Edward,
entered the military school at La Flesche,
remaining there ten years. Afterwards Ed
ward attended the Polytechnic school, en-.
tered the French Army, was at one time
Governor of Algeria, and died in 1871, COM
mandant of Dellys and General of Brigade
in the French Army. Gustave and his
brother Edward were the friends and class
mates of Theirs, McMahon, the Due
d'Aumale, Grevy, and other eminent states
men of France who have attained to fame in
their native land. For some years after
leaving school Gustave was in the establish.
ment of the Messrs. Giroud, famous con-
ncisseurs and dealers in works of art in
Paris, the death of one of whom has been
announced by cable two days after that OF
the subject of this sketch. In 1884, agree
ably to the wishes of his father, Gustave
came to America, learned the English Ian.
guage, returned to France, but came back
the next year. He located in Batavia, N. Y,
where he taught his native language, form
ing there many lasting friendships that de-
termined him to remain in America Among
the men of note and learning with whom he
became acquainted there was the Hon. Mr.
Lay, formerly U. s. Minister to Berlin and
Stockholm, forming friendship with his
family that has remained unbroken; also
with Philip Schuyler, Mr.. George Evans
and others whose names do not occur to us
at this time. Becoming restless, in 1887 he
went to Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, and obey
ing an impulse that sometimes comes to men
of letters, but is inexplicable in all cases. he
immured himself in the wilds of the frontier,
married, and settled down to the unevent-
full life of a farmer, for which he was but
| faH bo
forty years. At first there were only three
white men, but plenty of Indians wild ami.
mails and hardships to contend with. Grad.
ually civilization came along and met him,
and he found occasional congenial employ.
ment in visits on political business at the
county seat and state capital, as well as al
} Washington, whence he had been called on
an agricultural commission by the govern
ment. In late years he became much inter.
ested in the Northern Pacific Railroad, in.
vested in property at Duluth, and remained
there one summer, that of 1880. In Febru.
airy, 1881, desiring to learn the country bet.
ter on this end of the line, he came to Van,
couver, and here he resided until his death
In 1910 he married Miss Harriet p Dous.
man Of Green Bay, who with four sons and
six daughters yet live to mourn his depar.
ture into the unknown future.
He was ripe scholar, learned in the Ian.
guages, of which he could speak many, and
writer of much ability. Very few Of his
pen productions have gone into books, but
most all have first seen light in the news.
papers and periodicals of the day, where
they could go Immediately before the pub.
lie. He turned all his literary efforts to
subjects Of practical utility, refused utterly
to deal with romance or the fancful, choos.
ing to be one of the people writing for the
people of every day. Politically he was one
of the first men in his state to help form the
Republican party. with which he remained
to the last, though divided on some later
issues. In matters religious he belonged to
the school of free thinkers, and was one Of
the friends and followers of Robt. G. Inger-
soil. Wherever he CHANGED to be, by his
learning, conversational powers and suavity
of manner. he made many friends, and
counted among them many Of the chief men
in civil and military life, both in his old
home and on this coast.
A few words more, and we are done. In
the days of the American revolution, the
Count de Grasse commanded the ship on