Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1902-11-27
THE LATE COL. OCHILTREE.

Inc utdtu vi OOlOhCi ihOihdS OShA4
tree at Hot Springs, Va, on Tuesday
last has been announced in the Gazettee
Thomas 2. Ochiltree, colonel by birth,
warrior, statesman, journalist, diplomatic,
promoter, bon vivant, raconteur, and
friend of the rich, was as well known in
England and on the Continent as he was
in Texas, his birthplace. There are
several explanations as to how Tom
Ochiltree attained fame, one generally
accredited being that Washington cor
respondent wagercd with friend that
he could make any member of the House
of Representatives known from one end
of the country to the other within year
Ochiltree was then member OF the
House of Representatives from Texas.
The correspondent, so the story goes,
looked over the House and picked out
Ochiltree red headed, good story tell
er, and fond of nOtoriety-as his pro-
tege. Then he began to send to his
paper good stories, some of which were
Ochiltree's and many ofwhich were not,
and it was not long before Ochiltree be-
came parsonage to be quoted, inter
viewed, and sought after. Ochiltree,
however, did much to keep in the public
eye. Particularly careful never to di-
vulge his age, it was said that he was
born in Nacogdoches county, Tex, in
1910. He was son of Judge William
B. Ochiltree, a distinguished lawyer and
one of the founders of the Texas repub-
lie. When young Ochiltree was fourteen
years old he volunteered as private in
the Texas Rangers. He served in the
campaigns against the Apaches and
Comanche Indians in 1854 and 1855.
When his majority occurred he was
editor of the "Jefersonian" and was
delegate to the national democratic con-
ventions at Charleston and Baltimore.
In the civil war he was on the stats OF
Gems. Tom Greene and Dick Taylor on
the Confederate side, and won distinction
as a messenger for General Longstreet.
President Grant made him United States
marshal of Texas. He soon tired OF
the job and became proprietor and
editor of the "Houston Telegraph" " He
went to Paris and was soon on friend
ly footing with well-known Americans
there. one of whom was the elder James
Gordon Bennett Colonel Ochiltrce
could not see that it was possible for any
metropolitan newspaper to Outshine his
Texas paper. So when Bennett cabled
1000 words to his paper of the opening
of the Paris Exposition in 1867 Colonel
Orchiltree asked that the dispatch be
duplicated to the Houston Telegraph.
The dispatch was paid for, but as a result
the paper had to suspend publication.
Returning to this country, Colonel Ochil-
tree ran for Congress from the Seventh
district, and was elected though repub-
lican. He was elected sheriff of Calves
ton, democratic stronghold, and for
time was commissioner ofimmigration to
Europe from Texas. Colonel Ochiltree
was constant follower of the race track,
and was well known on pretty nearly every
race course in the country. In recent
years Colonel Ochiltree spent much OF
his time in the Hoffman House and wal
dorfAstoria, in New York. He had
been i'll for some weeks, as the result of
cold which he contracted at the funeral
of fJohn ". Mackay, who had been his
friend for years. Colonel Ochiltree
went to Hot Springs two weeks ago.