Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1913-05-22
Aged Pioneer Of Southwest
and Friend Of Abraham Lin
coin Rounds Out Varied
Career Of S3 Years.
EYEWITNESS OF DEATH
OF MARTYR PRESIDENT
Patriarch Was Father Of So
Children; Saw Service in
Fighting Indians and Tea.
ans in Early Days.

Vht ~ tue most widely known men
In New Mexico and veteran pioneer
whose span OF life embraced the en-
tire upbaildlng % the present state In
the southwest. died last evening IA
5ss0 .. M. whom Col Frpeclsco re.
rea. former delegate IN congress from
New Mexico, passed away az hts little
home al 1899 South Broadway. Ills
death had been expected daily for
many days. his health having failed
rapidly during the pest few years. lie
was 80 years OF aga IN January last
Repeated strokes Of paralysis had
greatly enfecbled the old man and on
~ his great vitality enabled him 10
cling to life as long as ne did
Definite funeral arrangements have
not been made. but u ~ likely that
Colonel Perea viii be laid to rest In
Fairview cemetery Saturday, The
body has bcen prepared for burial
by Undertaken Croilott and the re-
mains viii lie IN state this evening
and tomorrow in the Crollott pariorr
on West Lead avenue.
Colonel Pccea's career was a most
picturcHQ 1e. strenuous and varied one
as ne was a veteran Of the Indian
wars Ia the frontier DAYS fought in
the Civil war Tor the uphOlding OF the
Union cause. was a delegate IN con-
gress and personal friend OF Lincoln.
being present Ia the Ford theatcr
when the president was assasslDated I,
made many long and tedious Journeys
Iraught with peril and adventure By
wagon between the Atlantic and Pa
ciflc when the west had no railroads
and saw the march OF civilization
come from the Missouri 10 California;.
During the past few years w. IA. ~.
Allison. a friend OF Colonel Percd \
OF many years standing. has been
transcribing from the clear descrip-
lions and "reminiscences 81 Colonel
pcrea, a wealth of detailed data COW
cring the dead mans interesting life.
In fact enough TO fill good sized
volume which Is historically OF grcn,
value and will be properly preserved.
For the facts in the following brief
sketch the Herald IL indebted TO MIR.
Allison.
Personal friend Of Abraham Linz
coin and eye witness OF his assassina-
tlon: pioneer frontiersman. sturdy
fighter against the "Tchanos' on the
battlefield OF Glorlcta. n. NJ, and In
other Civil war .engagements; cam,
paigncr against hostile Indians ana
the man who held New Mexico TO the
Union In the sigtles. Colonel Fran
cisco PereA, ex-delegate In congress
from New Mexico. had remarkable
career. lie WAS IN his day one or
the best known men In the west, but
his last days were spent In practical
oblivion In his little vlne-covered cot
tage in Albuquerque. A government
pension. small and belated recogni-
tion OF his splendid service 70 his
country, aided the old patriot 10
spend his last days IN comparative
comfort. Colonel perea was pntri-
arch In the full Biblical sense, ar he
was the father of thlrty-six children
being married twice. with eighteen
children By each wife. Mrs. Amelia
parente. daughter OF his first wife.
Dolores Otero. sti'l lives in Albu-
queraue. and ten children born 81
the union with Gabriel Mont0ya Ina
1875 stlll survive
The story Of the iife ~ Colonel
Perea shows striklngly the enormous
advance IN transportation facilities
since his boyhoOd He was ono Of
the pathhnders along the long trail
across the deserts amid savage IN
dian tribes 60 the Pacific, taklns two
overland trips In his youth from
santa re To California, and driving
with his companions $4,000 sheep on
each trip. lie made numerous jour
neys with caravans Of merchandise
20 the interior Of old Mexico, ahothef
ia those days: while the trip over the
historic Santa Re trail from New
Mexico 90 the Missouri ana on "a
Washington WAS in Ills day AN under
taking rivallng "a mndern polar expe-
dition pcrea attended q school ~
New York city whose headmasser
WAS Prof. Peuhne, an ex-ariiilorS
captain IN the armies Of Napoleon
10 attend this school Peren had q
tourney in caravan 20 the terminus
Of the old trail al Independence, Mo
with rifle always ready Tor IN
dams en- route Thence he went DS
steamer To 81 Louis. down the Mis'
slsslppi and up the Ohio 20 Pitts
lburgh. thence by stage 10 Chambofa
| burg. Pa, and by rail thence east
Peroa was schoolboy n New Ms@
leo during the insurrectlon OF lhdl
land his first taste 81 the stronuoul
/ life came when he Witnessed the OK
ecution OF three insnrrectO leader
In Santa Fe tie WAS born la 1885,
near Albuquerque and house erectes
IN iTs0 by his great grandfather, Wh'
came from Dld Mexico, u still occu
pied al Corralles Part OF the hoy
/ education WAS secured Ia Jesni
college In So. Louis. the great west
crn educational center. The treaueh
| viciasltudes of tho tTanscOntincntA
l trim are shown hy the journey o
Porea with his rather and pr Henri
IConnelly, later governor OF New Mex
leo. from New York 80 santa Fe y
iS4g. ON vessel cn route TO buI
falo cholera broke out on board an
Perea caught the deadly Gcntagion
bat recovered The party reached
st. Louis just lu time for the gres
IRE OF iSf9. while scores OF Nlctlm
Mere dying daily ~ Wesport nov
Kansas city, they found a great con
gested mass OF california argonaut
stopping en- route TO The gold held
20 fght the plague on one OF ~
latter trips FROM -. louis % Saru
Pc. Perea brought home the nrs
sowing maehlhe Ia .re
Pcrea's public service WAS Of
Thigh order. He Was close frien
and great admireY 81 i-Fncoln, ~
news OF whose first election Was ~
ceived with loud exclamation IN "a
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