The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-02-24
Texan NHO HAD MILLIONS
PIERCE, OF CATTLE FAME, HAD
A REMARKABLE
HISTORY
BUILT HIS OWN MONUMENT

Was Proud of 1t, but Did Not Live
to Enjoy 1t LOng-HiIIs
Of Rome as
Ranch.
In the Pierce family cemetery at Dem
ings Bridge, Matagorda county Texas,
there is magnificent monument recent
" erected to the memory of A II. Pierce.
Pierce was proud of that monument He
erected it at his own expense, reproduce
ing his own likeness, because he wished
to insure posterity having such a monu-
ment of him. The coincidence of his
death following so closely upon the cree
ton of his own monument is remark
able.
Il rot going to wait until I am dead
TO have monument raised for me-" said
Shanghai, in explaining why he antici-
pated the future. you may talk as you
please about me now, but don't know
what you'll say when I'm dead. I'm en-
It'll T. to a monument and I'm going to
make sure of one, so I've put one up in
memory of myself"
This monument is of marble and gran
lite, about thirty-five feet high, and cost.
set in place, about $4,000 The pedestal
heroic figure of "Shang" in. marble sur
mounting the whole. Smaller figures
commemorative of stirring events In his
life are in inches about the pedestal and
panels are chiseled with inscriptions tell
ing of Mr.. Pierce's career. AS the Gene
terry at Demings' Bridge is nearly thirty
miles from a railroad the task of trans
porting the monument and setting it in
place was not easy, especially as the
roads in that portion of Texas are none
too good
Abel II. Pierce was born in Rhode ISL
and siNty-siX years ago. When only a
boy he went to Texas He was in search
of adventure and a fortune. On account
of his extreme height-he was feet 4
he got the sobriquet of Shanghai" and
1t chung TO him so well that few persons
knew his Christian name, and he referred
to himself as "Shang.'
BATTLE WITH THIEVES.
There is one story about Shanghai that
he never cared to hear. 1t relates to a.
battle with cattle thieves Shanghai was
the leader of the pursuing party, and
when, after a running fight, the thieves
surrendered, it was discovered that the
robbers were cowboys who had formerly
worked on the ranches that had been de-
predated
The usual short, summary trial was
held and the thieves were sentenced to
be hanged
Have you anything to say before YOU
dfe?' one of the cattle thieves was asked
Yes" he replied.
What is it?'
We'll" said the cattle thief. "I,m
guilty, and I guess I ought to be hanged.
but don't let 'Shang hang me- I never
.got the itch for branding cattle until I
went to work for him"
Shanghai said TINS story was a creation
of his enemies. but whether 1t is true or
false it is generally believed in the COW
country.
Once upon a time Shanghai had a close
call He told the story himself. and he
called it Shanghai Pierce's Retreat"
Il came to San Antonio with a bunch
of CATTLE" said he, land sold them
at good price. This was a rougher
town then than it is now The bows
would come in from the range and
shoot up the town regularly. There
We're lots of desperate characters. ana
life was held cheap. After l got my
money for my bunch of steers l found
that l was being 'treed' by three man
They didn't make any play during the
Gay, but knew that during the night they
determined to murder me. ! had enough
money In my pile to tempt any one
was comparatively a stranger in San
Antonio, and had few frien7s there upon
whom / could depend. l didn't know ,ust
what to Go, but deter mined to meet the
Situation calmly
The first opportunity that develop Il I
rounded up the three men who were
trailing me and invited than to drink l
acted like a good fellow with them for
an hour or more, getting them to drink
all ] could. Then [ made an appointns Mt
With them for the evening, and. telling
them l had some business to attend to
In the nature of collecting some more
money due on my cattle, l left them. I
went over to a place where I knew a fell
low had a thoroughbred horse l priced
the animal and got pc sion of him.
Then l got astride that thoroughbred and
got out Of town. Before 1 had gone a
mile my three friends discovered what /
had done and they began to chase me.
L never took my leg down from that
thoroughbred until the next morning.
When l did dismount I was seventy-five
miles away from San Antonio The thrt e
men who meant to rob ME followed me
all through the night. They kept to my
trail, and they kept warm on me the
next day, but not until we'll into the
country where 1 belonged. They were
ambushed then"
what became of them?" Shanghai
was asked.
Really, now. can't remember" tho
That he loved cattle and the plains Is
illustrated by two happenings during the
two vacations-the only two he ever took
in his life. Once he Went to the Yellow.
stone park. He looked at the great
mountains the massive trees, the wa.
terfalls and the marvellous creations OF
nature, and he never had a word to say
until one of the members of the party
said: Mr.. Pierce, isn't this wonderful?'
''Wonderful!'' snorted the cattle king
L wish to the devil the conductor would
start this train for the prairies, so w,
can see something"
AT another time of his other vacation
he went to England and to Scotland t
France, Germany, Switzerland and Italy
He was intensely bored when he got t,
Rome After going to the Vatican an,
seeing the pope. after visiting the grea
art galleries and the catacombs MI
Pierce and some companions got into :
carriage and were driven down through
the City of Seven Hills and out into tn
country.
GOOD PASTURES NEAR ROME.
Shanghai began to show deep interest
and one Of his companions heard hin
saying something like:
It's fine; it's great; had no idea /
was anything like this
I thought Rome the Eternal City
with its art treasures, its historical asso
Citations and its sacred memories woul
arouse YOU" said his companion.
WhoS talking about Rome?' aske,