Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1901-01-10


cent illness, his pulse running up to
103. That was the beginning of the
end.
During the day he had realized that
death was near To those around him
he had said: Il know | am very sick.
and am ready for death when it
comes"
Soon after luncheon, and just before
the physician forbade his talking more,
Mr.. Armour, in feeble tones. said that
he would like to hear the Lords
prayer read.
One of the trained nurses who had
been attending him drew chair to
the bedside and slowly read from the
bible the prayer for which the dying
man had asked. 1t was read sentence
/, tS sentence and eacli was repeated by
Mr. Armour. When the "amen'' had
been repeated by him, he sank back on
the pillow and closed his eyes rest
fully. 1t was the last word the great
financier spoke, except feeble fare
wells to his family a little later
Mr.. Armour had lost strength stead
lily from day to day since the com
mencement of the winter. The pneu-
monia was checked, but strength was
not regaincd The firm grip he had
so long maintained upon the business
of Armour X Co.. whether at the office
or thousands Of miles away. slowly
relaxed. Reports no longer interested
him as they were wont to do during
the first months of his declining
health. The sudden death of his son
and namesake nearly a year ago hung
heavily on him during the closing
mouths of his life. In fact. he never
recovered from the shock he expert
enced from that event. 1t stopped his
progress toward recovery in his winter
home at Pasadena. and its sorrow re-
mained fresh until the end
Sketch of His Career.
Philip ID. Armour, who was in his
Goth year, made his own life on lines
unique and wholly original with him
self. From Il not over rich Oneida
county, New York, farmer to the posi-
tion of paying more freight and con
trolling more provisions than any
!; other man in the world. We're the two
extremes Of his life.
The ancestral Armours were Con
necticut people. but Philip Armour
: was not born until after the family
had moved to Stockbridge. Oneida
county, New York
The California gold fever struck
: western New York in 1S49 and young
Armour was the first in Stockbridge
to determine to visit the Pacific coast
He secured the permission of his pa
rents and at the age of II started, hav
ing three or four companions from the
same neighborhood. The almost in
credible part of it was that the party
I walked nearly the entire distance from
New York to California. The com
: mercial sense which always predom
Z mated in his life indicated its pres
: ence as soon as he saw the gold fields
OF California. He made money from
, the start and at the end of six years
: he returned home with fortune. Be
$ coming dissatisfied with the quiet life
Il of his native town he came wes
again and together with a brother-in
law established wholesale grocery
/ house in Milwaukee This venture
G was also successful and in year.
D. time he purchased the largest grnil
e elevator in Milwaukee. This led tt
IL more elevators and railroad stock. II
!. 1866 he came to CHI ..go to take charge
e of the Chicago branch of New forl
5 packing establishment. The resul
IL was that the Chicago house ceased t.
z be branch and the west gained th'
II largest packing and provision plant il
II the world
IS Remains to Lie In State.
IT Chicago, Jan S.-The funeral of tn
late Philip ID. Armour will be held a