The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-12-30
PETER FRENCH. THE CATTLE KING
Brave, 0pen-Henrted Man at Last
Victim ca the Assassin.

seattle. VI aAh-, Zee. ~.
To the Editor: la the foul murder of
Peter French. Oregon, and indeed the Pa
ei.ic coast, has lost one Of its land marks
and one 10 when the world will never DO
1"stice. His life is a romance, of which
only few pages Will ever De read ny the
world. and his good qualities were only
known 10 those of his friends who have
been near 10 him and seen them shine out
al undImmed by the rubbish and dirt
hieh circumstances piled about him
,hroughou; his life.
lie WAS "A little. slender fellow with
whipcords for muscles. a viii of iron. a
brain that never failed him absolutely de-
void Of fear, and with the softest heart
that ever beat In human bosom. An enemy
could never fall TO tnd slin. whatever
might he his errand; and lac never failed
70 find a friend If the friend was In diff
Guilty. When the enemy found him he
found pair Of s.eel-hiue eyes looking him
squareiy In the face and one look was
enough 20 convince the tisrceSt one
amongst them that In their interviews
every move would mean strictly business.
An attempt 20 brighten Peter French
would surely end In mos, disastrous fail
arc. but many men Aho have been his bit
ter enemies far years and have never fail
al 10 do him the most bitter Injuries with
81 their power have been fed by his bounty
when they needed H. and the writer Of this
has stood before him when his foreman
told him that haif az a slaughtered beef
had been stolen and traced to the cabin of
a settler whose every act had been one OF
enmitF toward him. and his only remark
vas 80 forbid any attempt to recover a.
for said Pete, He and mis- family must
have hceh hungry and needed II worse
t6sii sc do or he would not have stolen
Many years ago ne wasa little why cow
boy IN the employ of Or. Hugh Glenn. Of
California. \ few years SaN Dim she part
nef of Glenn IN his immense business,
then ;he wife az Gienns Only daughter,
and death found him as he had lived lead
ing his men IN their dangerous business.
surrounded hy ucishborS who had become
ncighbors for no purpose except to in}ure
him aud wha had been breathing out
threstn Of murder 70. years and not one
" them all evei dared To- stand in front az
those steel-hiue eyes ana attempt It. He
tlsrd az he has for many years expected 20
die. from a sho: IN The back. delivered by
ne hand % dCsp.caoic coward.
When tho news % his murder wen,
down over the desert I know that tears
tAn over the cheeks ~ men whose rugged
faces have been strangers to such visitors
foT faamy years.
II s. such men a. Peter French that keer
us from losing all fat'h in mankind I'd
: those who knew him Nell antt intimately
rare old wine, It brings - as q thought
"f rock standing amidst he angry bro Ak,
Z ers. against which they spend their fnrS
: and die. q Il mountain VeaA arcurt
! which the wgds and storms shrek ans
: whistle. which calmly looks out over Il al
( and stands flrr}ly the-e doing au that Cos
( intended Il - do The storms and break
I efs 81 lie have beaten Htrceiv about h}r
( Ills wife was milestone about his necl
! urstl she finally dld the kind.st 8ct .
. hey i3fe towards him ny gaining . aivorc
/ and Immediately marrying SOME one else
( TAc one bright spot IN bis }fe was his boy
+ tie worsAipe3 tire child, but vas parte,
+ from him throughout the most - ever
wear since hts birth. Misfortune in bust
+ ness fell ihickly around him. rs carries
hurfens h1th business and domestic
which woOl3 have ssnt the most az us q
Quar- graves aDt 80 Alm they werr oniy IN
ceUsiVvs 20 more determined EFFORT 20 sur
mouat them Fa0jgs bad he. a miilfon e.
thew. hut BE wss such r man that III
world thai enows aIm MAI surely "writ
PTS taalts u9ou the sand and his virtue
upou the tablets - love and memory"
& l. l..