New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1888-05-16

SSM itAlab when they APP
<9Ss E$SsEsss newspapers
cAA >fI//3I| But this partic-
hlar message conveyed more OF interest TO
the Northwest than any similar telegram
that has been sent over the wires for
many long day. 1t was brief, as
kilograms always are, and simply stated that
Commodore Aittson had died on a train near
an obscure station on the Omaha roadi in
Wise onsin.
But few men in the Northwest, even those
who boast pioneer record, have such re-
rnarkable career as Norman Walfred Kittson.
He was born in Lower Canada-Sorel-in
March, 1914, and was a t.if1e over seventy
four years of age at the time of his death
grandson Of Alexander Henry, the cele-
DRAFTED explorer who journeyed through the
Superior, Manitoba and Saskatchewan dis
tricts as early as 1776, 1t was not surprising
that his ambition led him to probe
the Northwestern forests. In May, 1880,
then but sixteen years Old he became an
employe of the American Fur company and
journeyed northwest, being stationed be-
tween the Fox and Wisconsin rivers In
1882 he was sent to the headwaters of the
Minnesota river, and two years later he was
| employed in the suffers department at Fort
Smelling. Here he remained until 1888,
when he returned to Canada for a brief
period, returning to establish fur business
OF his own az a point not far ABOVE Fort
Smelling. In 1913 he entered the American
Fur company as special partner. and his
headquarters were at Pembina, where he
collected furs and shipped them in Red river
carts to Mendoza. It was in that same year
that he purchased the tract OF land now
known as sKittson's addition" on the map Of
st Paula tract that is now among the
most valuable business property in the city.
A MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATURE
In 1851 he was cleo ted a member of the
council of the Minnesota legislature from
the Pembina district. He was reelected in
1905, and served fOur sessions, in which he
LOOK an active andprominen5 part Old set
| tiers oW delight to recall the fact that to
| attend these sessions Mr.. Kittson was
obliged to travel the distance-about 500
In1le6-by dog sledge or on snow shoes It
was in 1854 that Mr.. Kittson came to st.
Paul to reside permanently. He formed
partnership with the late William H. Forbes,
the firm being known as Forbes & kittson,
| engaged in the general Indian trade supply
! business. That same year he built the Sin
| tomine hotel at the corner Of Sixth and John
streets, but it was burned shortly after. In
1878 he was elected mayor of st. Paul,
which was the only public Office in the city
ne ever held, though often solicited to per
nit the use of his name for other places
! Mr.. hittsoD's personal history is as inter
esting as a romance. Without a single ex-
| ception he was the Oldest pioneer of the
state. Gen. Sibley. Edmund Rice, Russell
Blakeley Col Allen and scores of others
known as @pioneers" came after him But
aside from MS private life he had a great in
duence on the public veal, not only as
mayor of ST Paul, but as one of the pro1ec-
tors of the Manitoba road Years of litiga-
| tlon, now almost ended, but still more mud
died by Mr.. Kittson's death, has been the
outcome of his first and only railroad inter-
est. He was on his way home to answer to
the suit brought against himself and j. J.
Hill when death overlook him. Mr. Hill and
the kittson heirs will now be left to fight the
| battle
| Years ago, when fortunes in the Northwest
were estimated at five figures, Commodore
hltJson was rated millionaire. His long
! life, frugal habits enormous profits reaped
from business that was practically u mo-
nopoly, enabled him to gather fortune
such as is seldom given TO adventures in
new country. In 1860 he boasted $780,
| OOO. len years later his ST. Paul property
aud railroad speculations made that
sum S., 600, 600 Fortunate investments, in
crease in realty values, a boom in Manitoba
stock soon added other comfortable figures to
the overburdened vaults, and yesterday men
could have been found-of good Judgment,
TOTO take oath that $4,000, coo would be
a moderate estimate of Mr. Kittson's wealth
With possible exception, he was the
Wealthlest man in the state. Generous with
bounty, unossentations yet lavish, he did
not spend his Income even with such magni-
ficent stockfarms as Erdenheim and Kittson-
dale to drain his Golfers. His st. Paul
property is Of great value. The Kittson
residence on Summit avenue, is valued at
$3.50, 900 and is the largest and one of the
bandsomests private residences in the city.
Other valuable property includs the Claren-
don hotel, valued at 81 so 900 and the
Astoria hotel, valued at the same figure A
large interest in the ST Paul Gas company
is portion OF the commodore's belongings,
and The revenue has formed good DOR
| tlon OF his annual income
Stories That Might be True.
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