The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-07-06

ner. pushed 10 the front in the first mile
and kept the lead to the finish. The WHINE,
is Swede, and is . years old.
TON OCHILTREE IS BAD OFF
|
Famous VIZ From Texas 10 Near to Death.
| Door.
Washington. July 5.-Colonei Thomas
P. Ochiltree has scant margin OF hope
tina: ne will live the year ouL his dan
gerous sickness has taken such a seri-
GUS turn that nothing can save him bu;
a severe operation. He may be able 10
stand the strain. Ii seems from his con-
diiion that one Of the most picturesque
| OF American lives is drawing 20 a close
The passing OF the colonel will be the
end Of race OF men Of his type and the
loss TO the country Of genius as famed
across he ocean as az home. He is a
man OF the world. Ochil;ree in London
or Paris gets a much attention as Och
!tree in Washington or New York. His
kilograms OF sympathy come from all sec
tons OF the republic.
| MS man became a national character
a few years ago when he came 70 con-
4
He was conspicuous 70 look upon, and
he rarely said anything that was not
conspicuous. He made friends and he
/ was so good-natured to mis- enemies and
so quick with his wit that the men who
were opposed to him were anxious to
! get over their tits. He was pointed on.
on the floor OF the house as the first
native congressman from his state. I.
was also related that his district was
wider and longer than many OF the
states of Europe, reaching over terri
ming from the gulf 20 Eagle Pass. on
the Rio Grande. This area comprised
$1,000 square mics. OchDtree was prao-
ticauy the king Of IT. He was the only
man in the district, when power was in
consideration.
! Ochil;res went to the top of capital ia
voritism at a single bound. He was a
prince Of story-tellers. The beauty OF his
| humor Tas that II lit no one so hard as
| il hit himself He was a joke to HIM
! self. Hs rarely appeared upon the floor
! Of the Forty-eighth congress tina, ne did
not put the house into a furore OF laugh
| ter. he country members used 10 de-
clare that he was more fun than the min
strels. His bills and appropriations were
! jested through-the jest always bearing
a strong argument why Texas and Tex
as harbors should be the especial care Of
the country. He called himself the
"Red-headed Ranger from Texas and
the title was enough to get him hear
ing before the busiest committee. II was
his custom to send in word 10 an i'm
portan't session OF clouse-mouthed and
dignified committee that the Red
headed Ranger from Texas" ad few
remarks he would like TO make covering
q few points in a measure the august
body had in its pigeon-holes. The admis-
sion Of Ochiltree meant a good laugh
a long series OF good laughs-and it is
part of legislative tradition that the
colonels saories have done for him wha,
plan, unvarnished and prosaic logic fail
ed to do for others.
Ochiitree proves that mems traits come
out in little things and at an early age.
He was taken as partner into his faith
ers office. He was barely out of his
teens. The father went away from town
one day. and while he was gone the boy
had the sign changed. San Antonio
awakened the next morning to laugh for
years at the strange name OF the firm
Thomas p. Ochiltree and Father, At
torneys." The grown man wan no less
original than the boy had been, and his
wit increased as the years brought the
stubby. fat youngster into a roiund,
broad-girthed statesman.
Judge William B. Ochitree, a lawyer
OF great repute in the south. was deter
mined that young Tom should be brought
up in the straight and narrow path. He
thought his son would be a quiet man.
of gentle habits, and thereupon placed
him under the care and tutelage of two
Catholic priests. The priests labored in
Nacogdoches parish, where the bay was
born, and they tried industriously 10
keep their pupil in lines Of thought that
might possibly take him into the cler-
gy The lad stood il for a time, and at
the age OF Is suddenly took the matter
into his own hands. He wanted TO
fight Indians. The priests were power
less, and, with a great deal Of shrewd
planning, young Tom made an enlist
men. as a private in the Texas Rangers,
starting west for the scaps OF the
Apaches and Comanches in 1854. A year
knocked al the romance out of this boy
ISL ambition. and ne was willing 10 come
home and buckle down 10 his books He
always had some outside plan in his
head, and while ne was still under his
majority in years he was editor OF a pa
per and had been sent as delegate 20
the conventions in Charleston and Bal
timore.
General Longstreet saw that Ochiltree
was made colonel during the civil war.
The reward came in return for excep-
tional bravery % the field. He fought
with the confederates during all the
struggle. and returning TO Texas. he
printed in his paper advice 10 the south
ern people 10 stop crying and ge, solace
in work" His ability was marked
enough 70 a;trac:e the attention OF Pres.
ident Grant and Grant made him the
ms rshal for Texas. He and the presi
den; became great friends l: is said
that Grant delighted in seeing no one
more than he did ON Ochi!tree. This
relation made many OF me men OF Cal
weston jealous This jealous faction
once planned an incident whereby r.
would ge even win Ochilree. Grant
vas 20 stop a. Galveston after his trip
20 South America and The committee did #.
noc pu, Ochil;ree's name on ;he list %
distinguished men 10 Ueet him Och I
litree hided bis zine. as ne has never I
been known - complain
Colonel Ochilr-es did no; 80 20 the snip .
TO welcome Grand He took a vantage I
poin; in The crowd ina, filed the stree; /
IN from. ot Eae fremont house. He was