The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1895-01-29


honors, paraphernalia, are left behind
The dead are stripped Of all, only the soul
what was the indestructible essence, re
manning, and this should have only the
simplest name to designate It,"
Remembering these words, Mrs Ere
mont said recently that In the proposed
monument plan she would prefer the
plain level slab anu the name only,
stripped Of all titles" as best marking
the resting place of the imam who did SO
much and claimed nothing. My prefer
-ence," she said, would be the cross above
the plain slab marked simply Fremont
and on the side panels his own words show
ing lifelong faith in Gods guidance.
It Is Mrs. Fremont's heartfelt desire to
erect the monument at her own expense,
and this she VIII do, provided she secures
from the United States government the
justice that has long boon her due. Be
fore the war Mrs. Fremont bought beau
ttful home ON what Is known as Black
Point, In San Francisco. The property
consists of 19 acres, and for 1t Mrs Ere
mont paid $41, 600 in gold. On Oct. 2,
1858, General H. w. Halleck sent the fol-
lowing order to General G. Wright: 1.-The
secretary of war directs that you take mil
itary possession Of Point San Jose and
erect the batteries proposed for its de-
Tense. The question Of ownership will be
determined hereafter.
In pursuance Of this order the Fremont
property was confscated by the govern
ment, and although 81 years have passed
Uncle Sam has not paid Mrs. Fremont a
dollar for the property that cost her $41,-
900 In gold from his mints. There seems
no question as to the legitimate character
of her claim for compensation. Numerous
military committees Of house and senate
have favorably reported tho bill referring
the Fremont claim to the court Of claims
for adjustment. The bill has repeatedly
been on the calendar, but has never been
reached owing to one cause or another.
The property Of nearly all the other own
ers has been returned to them by the gov
eminent, but Mrs Fremont Is even de
MED the privilege Of having her bill con-
sidered by the court OF claims. The SUI
preme court Of California held her title to
be perfectly valid, and such eminent law
yers as Roscoe Conkling and Associate
Justice Field Of the United States su-
preme oourt have assured her that tho
government should either restore her land
to her or paysfor 1t. Mrs. Fremont still
hopes that congress will pass her bill, and
IL an award Ia made she Will use the mon
ey in erecting the proposed monument to
her husband II not. the monument will
be erected by the California pioneers, who
win raise fund by popular subscription.
MFseEramont was born in Virginia in
1894 sSho n q daughter Of Thomas H.
Benton, the famous United States senator
OF Missouri, and Has hut 10 years Eof age
when she met Eramont, who was then q
second lieutenant Of typographical enRi-
neers. Fremont was only 81, but the
young couple loved and were engaged de-
spite the opposition of Senator Benton,
who thought his daughter too young to
consider the subject OF. matrimony.- The
war department., doubtless at the instiga-
ton Of Senator Benton. promptly ordered
Fremont to examine the river Des Moines,
then on the western frontier. Fremont
performed the duty with the quickness of
an impatient lover and returned to Wash
1ngton, and on Oct. 19, 1S41, the lovers
were secretly married. The following year
Fremont began his exploration OF the
Rocky mountains and was with his wife
but three years out of the first eight of
their married life.
Mrs Fremont has been prominent In
the public eye for many years. When her
husband ran for president against Buch-
anan in 1855, the rallying cry of the first
national Republican campaign was 4 Ere
mont and Jessie" Fremont was beaten,
but he received popular vote OF 1,S41,
900 against ], SIS, 600 for Buchanan. Mrs.
Fremont has written a number Of inter
estlng books and completed the unfinished
Memoirs" Of her husband. She now re-
sides with her daughter in Los Angeles
fhe elder SON, John Charles Fremont, is
lieutenant In the United States navy,
and the younger SON, Frank Preston Ere
mont, Is lieutenant In the Third in
fantry, United States army. It Is said
that the little home In Los Angeles fs
largely the gift Of few California friends.
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