The Portland daily press., 1901-01-07
A Multi Millionaire and
Philanthropist.
Was One Of the Gold Hunters
of California in ~.

Chicago, January 6.--Phillp Danfcrth
-philanthropist, Hnancier and
muiti-miIiio naire head OF the vast COM
mercial establishment that bears his
name--died at his home. e1i5 rrairis ave.
nue. at 5.z5 O'Clock this afternoon.
A muscular affsotion OF the heart was
the Immediate cause OF death. He had
been slowly recovering from pneumonia
that for three weeks had threatened his
life. At 0 o'clock this morning bis heart
gave way under the strain OF his recent
illness, bis pulse running mp to 10S That
was the beginning OF the and. MIR. Ar
mour was surrounded by his family when
be died. Those at his bedside besides his
children ana nurses were his wife, Mrs.
Philip d. Armour, Mr.. and Mrs. j. Og-
dsn Armour, Mrs. Philip ID. Armour, Jr.
and Rev. Frank w. GAnsulus. The
millionaire retained consciousness until
within an hour OF his death.
During the day he had realized that
death was near. 10 those around MIN he
had said: ~ know am very sick, ana
am ready for death when Il comes
Coon after Iunaheon, and lust bsfore
the physician forbade his talking more,
Mr.. Armour In feeble tones said that he
would like to hear the Lord g prayer read.
One Of the nursss who had been attend
ing him drew chair to the bedside and
slowly read from the Bible the prayer
for which the dying man had asked. Ii
was read sentence by sentence, and each
- - Ne
"amen had boen rspeated " MIN he
sank back on the pillow nsassd his
eyes reetfuIly. II Was ths last word the
greet financier spoke, except feeble fare
wells to his family LITTLE later.
Philip ID. Armour, who was In his Goth
year, made his own life on lines unique
ami wholly original with himself.
From a not over-rich Oneida county,
New York farm, to the position OF pay
ing mora freight and controlling more
provisions than any other man in the
world, were the two extremes of his life.
The ancestral Armours we're Connecticut
people, but Philip Armour was not born
until after the family had moved to
ockbridge, Oneida county, New York.
His birth date was May l6, 1882.
The California gold fever struck western
New York In 1919. and young Armour
was the first In Stookhrldge to determine
to visit the Pacific coast. he obtained the
permission OF his parents, and at the age
of II started, having thres or four COM
panions from the same nsighborhood.
The almost incredible part OF 1t was that
the party walked nearly the entire dis
tance from New ork to California. He
made money from the start, and at the
end OF six years he returned ome with a
fortune. Becoming dissatisfied with the
quiet life of his native town he came
west again. and together with a brother
In law, established large Wholesale
grocery house In Milwaukee. This ven
ture was also successful, and in years.
time he purchased the large grain eieva-
tor in Milwaukee. This led to more ele-
vators and railroad stock. In 1866 he
came to Chicago to take charge of the
Chicago branch of New York packing
establishment. The result was that the
| Chicago house ceased to be branch, and
the West gained ths largest packing and
provision plant in the world. The proper
| ty interests for which MIR. Armour stood
are estimated at s15), coo. 600. His person
al share OF this property is variously esti
mated at from S35, ,00o, 900 to $50, ,O)0. 800.
.