Conservative *
OBITUARY.
Benjamin Harrison.
The death of Ex-Presideiit Harrison
on Wednesday , March 18th , 1901 , re
moved a , great and useful American
citizen. His career was a triumph of
intellectual industry , inspired by the
best and highest ideals of rugged honesty.
He was a patriot rather than a partisan.
For his country he periled everything
cheerfully , jeopardizing life in the
defence of the union the constitution
and the flag. But for his party he never
gave up a single conviction nor sur
rendered his manly right to think upon
and conclusively determine for himself
those constitutional questions involving
the welfare of the republic. He was
not popular with partisan politicians
who pursue public callings for pay and
prominence. Mr. Harrison was , how
ever , esteemed as a safe lawyer and an
honest and patriotic public servant by
the thinking citizens of all the states of
the union. His influence was for good.
His life made those who knew him and
were influenced by him better than they
might have been without his example.
His robust integrity , his defiant courage
in the discharge of duty and his fidelity
to what he believed the best interests of
the country , make him a model for all
American youth who wish to be honest
citizens and serve their fellows with
fidelity and efficiency.
Edward Campbell.
Edward Campbell a prominent , able
and useful citizen of Iowa , who resided
at Fairfield , died March 10th , at the age
of 81 years. THE CONSERVATIVE had
known , trusted and admired the judg
ment of Mr. Campbell for many years
It was through him that the honor of
intimate social intercourse with Judge
Jerry S. Black of Pennsylvania came to
us many years ago. Mr. Campbell was
honest , courageous and faithful in all
things. In 1871 he became a member of
the Iowa legislature. With him in that
body were the late Senator Gear , John
A. Kasson , John P. Irish , and other men
of equally brilliant attainments , and
among these Mr. Campbell at once took
rank , and was accounted one of th <
strongest men in that notably strong
legislature. During the first term o :
President Cleveland Mr. Campbell wa
appointed to be United States marshall
for the southern district of Iowa. He
held this office for four and one-hal
years , conforming strictly to the re
quiremeuts of the public service by-
wholly abstaining from an active part
in poliuoal affairs and conducting the
business of his office in such a manner
as to best subserve the public interest ,
though in doing so he abandoned old
practices which contributed materially
to the fees of the office. In the coming
and going of generations of men it is
not often that the race is given an equal
ly good example of an honest man , a
useful citizen and a sincere friend.
THE CHOUTEAUS.
Through- the kindness of a distin
guished member of the family , THE
CONSERVATIVE is enabled to present
herewith an outline sketch of the history
of the Chouteau family since its settle
ment in the American wilderness. This
will , no doubt , be a welcome aid to
many an investigator of western mat
ters , who has been puzzled , like the
writer , by the freqiient allusions to
various members of this famous clan
that are met with in all the early
writers ; a list of the individuals who
were concerned in the events of the first
half of the last century will provide a
very convenient string on which to hang
these different mentions.
A brief examination makes it clear
that a confusion in regard to the Chou-
teaus has existed in the minds of other
students. Thas in a paper by Lieut.
. S. Dudley , published in Vol. II of the
Nebraska State Historical Society's re
ports , the following statement occurs :
Two brothers , Pierre and August
Chateau , are supposed to have passed
beyond the forks of the Platte in pursuit
of furs as early as 1762. " Now the
Auguste and Pierre Chouteau of that
; eneration were respectively twelve and
four years old in 1762.
These two brothers were , however , the
beginners of the stoiy in which wo are
interested. Col. Auguste Ohouteau wai
born in New Orleans in 1750 , Pierre in
1758. They both came to St. Louis in
1764 , the year of the first settlement of
that city. Col. Auguste is known as the
founder of St. Louis. Ho was the first
banker at that new trading post , occu
pied various public positions and was i
commissioner of the United States in
the negotiation of several treaties witl
the various tribes of Indians in the
vicinity. He died in 1825. "In a gen
era ! way , " says our authority , "Auguste
Choutoau and his descendants operated
in the south and southwest , Pierre
Chouteau and his sons in the north and
northwest. "
As to Pierre , called Senior , it is said
that "his earliest manhood was devoted
to the Indian fur trade , in which he laid
the foundation of his fortune. Hi
trading post was at the mouth of tin
Osage river ; his trade was chiefly with
the Osage , Pawnees , Kiowas and tin
neighboring tribes. Some years afte
the transfer in 1804 , Mr. Ohouteau , then
about fifty years of age , retired from
the Indian trade , and devoted his
energies to the care and superintendence
of his large estate. " Ho died in 1849.
It is evidently he of whom Lieut. Pike
speaks frequently in his journal.
Of his children , those who figure in
the history of the fur trade and pioneer
period , are the following :
Augusto Pierre , born in 1786 , died in
at Fort Gibson ; a West Pointer ,
who resigned from the service in 1809 ,
returned to St. Louis and entered the
employ of the American Fur Company.
He was the first to trade out on the Ar
kansas , and it was from him that Ohou-
teau's island in that.river took its name.
Pierre "Cadet , " or Junior , bom in
1789. Ho traveled with Jules Dubuque
on the upper Mississippi , and in 1809
with his father visited the various Indian
tribes of the upper Missouri , returning
in November of the same year. He
entered into partnership with Bartholo
mew Berthold , an Italian officer , a refu
gee from Napoleonic persecution ; 'is it
from him that Berthoud in northern
Colorado got its name ? In 1829 the firm
of Chouteau & Berthold engaged in the
fur trade , in which Mr. Ohouteau con
tinued until his death in 1865. One of
his sons was Charles Pierre , born in 1819 ,
who "represented his father's interests
in the firm of Ohouteau & Mackernoss , "
ind was the father of the present Pierre
'houteau ' of St. Louis.
Paul Liguest Ohouteau , born in 1792 ,
died in 1851. "Ho" was engaged in the
fur trade and passed most of his active
ife among the Indians. "
The following were half brothers of
Auguste P. , Pierre Cadet and Paul
Liguest : v
Francis Gesseau Ohouteau , born in
1797. "Removed to the upper Missouri
and settled on the present site of Kansas
City , of which place he was the founder ,
and for many years with his family
were the only inhabitants. Ho never
left the place and died there. " He was
the father of Captain Pierre Menard
Chouteau , well-known to many sur
vivors of the steamboat days.
Cyprieu , 1802-1879. "Employed by
the Chouteau-Sarpy Fur Company at
their trading post and lived among , , the
Indians for many years. " He it was
who entertained Captain Fremont at
his post on the south side of the Kansas ,
a few miles west of Kansas City , on
Fremont's way westward on his first ex
pedition , in 1842.
Charles B. , 1808-1884.
Frederick , born 1809 , "employed by
the Ohouteau-Sarpy Fur Company in
the Indian country. "
This is all that it seems necessary to
quote for the present purpose. Some
information may be given later , however ,
in regard to some other well-known
names which appear here and there in
the genealogy , through intermarriages ;
as Sarpy , Cabanne and Ramsey Crooks.
A. T. RICHARDSON.
"OH ROSE ! RED ROSE. "
Senator Thurston retires from the
senate under the shadow of the "red
rose. " Unimproved opportunities
slaughtered in fits of mental aberration
and maudlin sentiment lie dead all
around him , and even the beneficiaries
of his ruthless maladministration of
party affairs snicker in their sleeves and
rejoice that he is no more. Ho who
kicks his friends to placate his enemies
keeps his enemies and loses his friends.
York Republican.