Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1901-01-10

Chicago, Jan. S.-Philip D. Armour
died at his residence in this city at
$40 O'Clock last evening. The end
came after two years of illness. during
which time Mr.. Armour visited German
baths. passed the cold months In
Southern California and devoted HIM
self largely to an attempt to restore
his health, which, however, had been
broken never to be regained.
For several weeks the dead million
aire had been living at the old family
home in Prairie avenue the usual trip
to Southern California not having been
taken this winter He came down to
the office in the Home Insurance build
ing but seldom, and as the cold in
creased he did not come at all. 1t was
understood in the office that he had
had an i%ncipient attack of pneumonia,
but it vas given out no later than a
week ago that he was on the road to
recovery. 1t was noted. however. that
the constant attendance of DR.. Frank
Billings, the family physician, at the
bedside of the sick man did not corrob-
orate the favorable reports at the down
town office.
. For several days death had been
feared as the outcome by the close as
sociates of the great captain of Indus
try. They realized that the decline
from day to day did not ease, and
that there could be but n end. h
death came his grandchildren. who
had so close a place in his heart. were
at the family residence, as was j. Og-
den Armour, the surviving son.
Mr.. Armour had lost strength stead
lily from day to day since the COM
mencement of winter. The pneumonia
was checked, but strength was not re-
gained. The firm grip he had so long
maintained upon the business of Ar
mou & Co., whether at the office or
thousands of miles away, slowly re-
Taxed. 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 name
sake nearly a year ago, hung heavily
on him during the closing months Of
his life. In fact, he never recovered
from the shock he experienced from
that event. 1t stopped his progress to-
ward recovery in his winter home at
Pasadena, and it's Sorrow remained
fresh until the end.
Philip D.. Armour was born in Stock
bridge, Oneida county, N. Y, May 16,
1882. His early life was spent on a
farm. In 1S49 the California gold fever
struck Western New York and young
Armour was one of the first in Stock
bridge to determine to visit the Pacific
coast. With three or four companions
from the same neighborhood young
Armour made the trip to the gold
fields, walking almost the entire dis
tcncc. Armour made money from the
start and at the end of six years re-
turned home with a fortune. Becoming
dissatisfied with the quiet life of his
native tow! he came West again and
together with a brother-in-law, estab-
Iished a large wholesale grocery house
In Milwaukeed. This venture was also
successful, and in a years tim he
purchased the largest grain elevator
In Milwaukee. h led to more ele-
vators and railroad stock, In 1866 he
came to Chicago to a k charge Of the
| Chicago branch of a New York packing
esta blishment. The result was that
the Chicago house ceased to be a
branch and the West gained the largest
packing and provision plant in the
world.
The property interests for which Mr..
Armour stood are estimated at $3.50 ,000,-
900. His personal share Of this prop
erty is ~variously estimated at from
SOS, 900. 900 to $50, 000, 900.
In works of charity Mr.. Armour's
monument will be found in the Ar
mour institute, to which he but a short
time ago gave $4,000 in n remem-
brance. Asked once what he consid-
cred his best paying investment, he
replied: THE Armour institute" The
institute to-day represents an invest
ment on the part of Mr.. Armour and
his brother Joseph of 81, 100000 and a
yearly expense for maintenance of
500 900.