Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1901-01-08
MULTI MILLIONAIRE
Philip D. Armour, the Great Meat Packer
Is Dead.

Armour, pnllantnrOplSt, nnanclef anu
multi-milionaire and head of a vast
commercial establishment, died at his
home Sunday afternoon.
Muscular affection of the heart,
known to the medical profession as
myocarditis, was the immediate cause
of his death. He had been slowly re-
covering from pneumonia that for
three weeks had threatened his life.
At nine O'Clock his heart gave way un-
der the strain of his recent illness. his
pulse running to 103 That was the
beginning Of the end.
Mr.. Armour was surrounded
by his family when he died
Those at his bedside besides
his physician and nurses, were
his wife, Mrs. Philip D. Armour, Jr.,
Mr.. and Mrs. j. Ogden Armour and
Rev. Frank w. Gunsaulus. He retained
consciousness unit lwithin an hour Of
his death.
During the day he realized that death
was near To those around him he
said: 81 know l am very sick. but 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 he
would like to hear the Lords prayer
read.
One of the trained nurses who had
I'D 4 L.
bedside and slowly read from the
Bible the prayer for which the dying
man had asked. 1t was read sentence
by sentence and each was repeated by
Armour. When Amen had been re-
peated by him. he sank back on his
pillow and closed his eyes restfully. It
was the last word the great financer
spoke except feeble farewells to his
family little later.
Mr.. Armour was in his Goth year and
made his own life on lines unique and
wholly original with himself From
a not over-rich Oneida county. New
York, farm to a position of paying
more freight and controlling more pro-
visions than any other man in the
world were the two extremes of his
life
The ancestral Armours were Connec-
ticut people, but Phillip was not born
until after the family had moved to
Stocldbridge, Oneida county, New York.
His birth date was May 16, 1882.
The California gold fever struck
Western New York in 1S49, and young
Armour was the first il Stockbridge to
determine to visit the Pacific coast. He
secured permission from his parents
and at the age of II started. having
three or four companions from the
same neighborhood. The almost in
creditable part of IL was that the party
walked neary the entire distance from
New York to California
The commercial sense which has al
way predominated in his life indicated
its presence as soon as ne saw the gold
fields of California He made money
from the start. and at the end of six
years he returned home with fortune
Becoming dissatisfied with the quiet
life at his native town he came west
again and together with his brother
in-law, established large wholesale
grocery in Milwaukee. This venture
was also successful and in a years
time he purchased the largest grain
elevator in Milwaukee. This led to
more elevators and. railroad stock. In
'66 he came to Chicago to take charge
Of the Chicago branch of the New York
packing establishment. Result; Chica
cago ceased to be a branch and the
west gained the largest packing AMI
provision plant in the world.
The property interests which Mr.. Ar
mour stood for are estimated at $780,
600, 900. His personal share of this
property is variousy estimated at from
$25, 900 GOO to s5O, 200, 900.
In works of charity Mr. Armour's
monument will be found in the Armour
institute, to which but short time
ago he gave $75OOOO in one remem
brance Asked once what he consid,
cred his best paying investment. he
replied: "The Armour Institute"
The institute today represents an in
vestment on the part of Armour and
his brother, Joseph, Of $2,75O,OOO, and
yearly expense for maintenance of 800,
900.
Mr.. Armour was married to Miss
Malvenia Belle Ogden, daughter of
Jonathan Ogden, of Cincinnati. Octo-
ber, '62. They had two children. Phil
ip d. Armour, Jr,, who died "A year ago
and ]. Ogden Armour. who seems des-
tined by character. training and cir
oumstances TO succeed his father as
head Of the Armour house.