Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1901-01-10
PHIL ARMOUR DEAD.
The End Came to he Noted Packer
After Two Years Of Illness.
The ESTIMATES Of HIS WEALTH.


Chicago, Jan. Phillip Danforth
Armour philanthropist, tinancier and
multi-mllionaire, head of the vast
commercial establishment tina, bears
his name-died at his home, allj
Prairie avenue, at 5:45 yesterday
evening. 4 muscular affection OF the
heart known as myocarditis was the
Immediate cause of death. liz he'd
been slowly recovering frcn ineu-
monia that for three wteIs hal
threatened his life and had been i'll
for two years. At nine o'cloc, yes
terday morning his heart gave way
under the strain of his recent illness,
his pulse running up to lO3. That
was the beginning of the end.
Mr.. Armour was surrounded by his
family when he died. Those at lis
bedside besides his physician and
nurses were his wife, Mrs. Philip D.
Armour, Jr., and Mr.. and Mrs. j.
Ogden Armour, and Rev. Frank w.
GunsauIus. The millionaire retained
consciousness until within an hour of
his death.
During the day he had realized that
death was near. To those around
him he had said; 81 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 attend
ing him drew a chair to the bedside
and slowly read from the Bible the
prayer for which the dying man had
asked. 1t was read sentence by SEN
tence and each was repeated by Mr..
Armour. When the "Amen" had
been repeated by him he sank back
on the pillow and closed his eyes
restfully. 1t was the last word the
great financier spoke except feeble
farewells to his family little later.
Referring to Mr.. Armours fortune,
the Chicago Chronicle says: "Mr. Ar
mour's wealth is subject that may
never be accurately known. 1t is es-
timated to be not less than $30,000,00O
and by some is said to exceed $50,O00,-
900. The combined wealth of the Chi
cago Armours is fixed at S60,0OO,0O0.
In one sense the total is the wealth
of Philip D. Armour, but just how
much has been carried in his own
name and how much in the name of
his sons Is unknown"
Philip D. Armour, who was in his
sixty-ninth year, made his own life
on lines unique and wholly original
with himself. From a not over rich
Oneida county. n. Y, farm to the po-
>sition of paying more freight and
controlling more provisions than any
other man in the world were the two
extremes of his life. 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 parents and at
the age of II started, having three or
four companions from the same
neighborhood. The almost incredible
part of it was that the party walked
nearly the entire distance IRON new
York to California.
The commercial sense, which al
ways predominated in his life, indi-
Gated its presence 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. Becoming dis
satiafed with the quiet life of his
native town he came west again and
together with a br0ther-ln-laW es-
tablished a large wholesale grocery
house 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
1866 he came TO Chicago 10 take
charge of the Chicago branch of a
New York packing establishment.
The result was that the Chicago house
ceased TO BE- branch and the west
gaircd the largest packing and pro-
vision plant in the world
Murder and Suicide by u Janitor.