Omaha daily bee., 1902-12-01
STORIES OF TOM OCHILTREE.
some Told by HimseIf, some Told by
Others.

Some Told by HimseIfj some Told by
others
Colonel Tom ochiltree, a noted horse
man, raconteur and rounder, passed over
the range" a few days ago at the age Of
81. The colonel's life was as varied and
exciting as a Texan could hope for, and
his wit, which sparkled in stories enough
to fill a volume, was a source Of unfailing
pleasure to his numerous associates. Tom
won his title Of colonel in the confederate
service. He was United States marshal of
Texas under Grant, represented a district
Of that state in congress, was the publisher
Of two newspapers over thirty years ago
and since then circulated between New
York, London and Paris.
In 1867 the colonel was editor and pub
Usher OF the Houston Telegraph. He went
to New York with letters of introduction
to prominent people there and then took
q run over to Paris. While in the French
capital he became a fast friend of James
Gordon Bennett the elder. Colonel Ochil-
tree could not see that II was possible for
any metropolitan newspaper to outshine his
Texas newspaper; so when Mr.. Bennett ca
bled 1000 words to his paper Of the open
ing OF the Paris exposition, in 1867. Colonel
ochiltree asked that the dispatch be du-
plicated to the Houston Telegraph. That
was to show the Frenchmen that as an
editor he was Just as big as the next.
Cable rates were high in those days and
the cost of the dispatch was a severe drain
on the resources Of the Houston Telegraph.
Three days after it had been sent Colonel
4 OohgINroa uoF uforJ 4boN kho Atsnofoh haA
been paid for, but as a result the paper had
suspended publication.
After President Grant had appointed
Ochiltree as a United States marshal in
Texas the president was puzzled to account
for reports of the colonel being in Long
Branch, in Baltimore, in Saratoga and
everywhere except in Texas. The president
began to wonder II ochiltree really lived
in the district in which he had been ap-
pointed.
"oh, that's easily explained. Mr.. Presi-
dent" said the colonel. I'm not the Tom
Ochiltree those fellows are talking about.
He is a race horse that John Chamberlain
named after me-"
And 1t was a fact.
SOlOhti . AathOA a Oh NV
bench in Texas at one time, and in pursu-
ance Of his duties was required to travel on
horseback for many weeks to complete the
circuit. Prior to one Of these journeys his
son protested that, II he was not made a
member of the firm he would no longer
take care OF his fathers business. It was
a fair "kick," the elder Ochiltree thought.
and he appointed his heir to be his part
ner and told him to have a sign made an
~nouncing the change in the formation of
the firm.
Ochiltree, ST., was somewhat surprised
upon his return to read across the full
front of the shanty in which he had his
office the announcement: Thomas ochil-
tree and Father"
While in London on one occasion Colonel
Ochiltree reviewed the first performance of
Mrs. 7. p. O'Connor's play, "a Lady from
Texas" Like the colonel himself, the crit
icism was unique. 1t opened with a review
OF Ochiltree's congressional career, and
then went on to say:
with such recollections surging on me,
It is impossible for me to speak OF the play
with the GOODNESS Of the average man, and
though / have been many things / have
never been a dramatic critic, and cannot be
expected to have reached that state OF bore
dom which makes that wearied type of
journalist the least easy to please" Then
he wrote a glowing tribute to the play and
the actress, winding up with, But. then,
Mrs. o'Connor and I came from Texas"
Although Colonel ochiltree once indig-
nantly denied in court that ne ever played
poker, it has always gone the rounds that
the auburn-haired Texan liked to take a
hand. He once acknowledged that in former
days he was one OF the best players that
ever Tipped a card, and he says that a cal
amity befell him once, and that was during
his congressional term.
He had had a phenomenal run Of luck in
Washington, but the tide OF battle finally
turned and he went up against 1t with a
party Of southern representatives. In re-
lating to sympathetic friends the next day
the circumstances Of the game, the colonel
admitted:
II lost Just IS 900 last night. But the
worst Of it was that IS of 1t was in cash
Colonel Ochiltree rolled into the Fifth
Avenue hotel one day and began talking
with former Senator Wilbur s. Saunders OF
Montana.
"Ah! Senator" he said, 81 see my old
friends in the senate are standing by their
guns. What a horrible mistake the gold
bugs made when they counted on firing out
the silver senator's Why, Ed WOlcott and
Santa Claus Stewart and Jones and the
rest Of them were never known to go to bed
until 6 or Z O'Clock in the morning. Nv
played poker with them for twenty hours al
a stretch, and then you had to keep your
eyes peeled OF they would freeze you out
/ tell you when you try to put that crowd
to sleep you have undertaken the biggest
Job a man ever had on his hands. I'll bel
on the poker crowd every trip"
II guess you're right. colonel" replied
Senator Saunders, who knew q little about