PUJO, Honorable Ars‚ne, Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana
Submitted by Mike Miller


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Louisiana:  Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, Institutions,
and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), pp. 366-367.  Edited
by Alc‚e Fortier, Lit.D.  Published in 1914, by Century Historical
Association.

Pujo, Hon. Ars‚ne P., attorney and ex-member of congress, Lake Charles,
La., was born in Calcasieu parish, La., Dec. 18, 1861; son of Paul and
Eloise L. (Le Bleu) Pujo, the former of whom was born in France and the
latter in the same locality as was the son.  Paul Pujo, the father, came
from France to Louisiana in 1840.  In 1849 he located at Lake Charles and
founded one of the first mercantile establishments of the city, at a time
when all goods were hauled overland by wagon from Houston, Tex.  His
business undertakings were successful, and he was prominently identified
with the growth and development of the city of Lake Charles and its
tributary territory.  He remained resident in that city throughout the
succeeding portion of his life, living retired from business several years
previous to his death.  While a successful business man and a
public-spirited citizen, diligent and scrupulous in the discharge of his
duties as such, he was a quiet and unassuming man, decidedly domestic and
home-loving in his tastes and inclinations.  One of the principal
thoroughfares of the City of Lake Charles bears his name.  Eloise L. Le
Bleu, his wife, was a daughter of Ars‚ne and Eliza (Milhomme) Le Bleu, both
of whom were natives of Louisiana, the former born in 1783 and the latter
in 1800.  Ars‚ne Le Bleu was a planter and stock raiser, and one of the
wealthy and influential citizens of his locality.  In 1848 he emigrated to
California, where his death occurred 2 years later.  Ars‚ne P. Pujo was the
third of 4 children born to his parents.  He was educated in private
schools at Lake Charles, and afterward read law in the offices of Judge G.
A. Fournet in that city.  He was admitted to practice by examination before
the supreme court Oct. 23, 1886, and since that time has maintained law
offices at Lake Charles.  Dec. 16, 1889, Mr. Pujo was married to Miss
Gussie Brown, a daughter of Dr. S. M. Brown, and to their union 2 daughters
have been born.  In 1898 he was elected as a member of the constitutional
convention of Louisiana, and served on the judiciary committee.  In 1902 he
was elected a member of the national house of representatives, and 4 times
thereafter he was re‰lected to succeed himself as a member of Congress.
While he served as a member of various important committees during the
years of his incumbency and chairman of the committee on banking and
currency, the work which brought him into greatest prominence was that in
connection with the chairmanship of the congressional committee appointed
to investigate the money trust, which became known as the Pujo
Investigation.  The report of this committee was more extensively
circulated, and the demand for it was greater, both in America and abroad,
than has been the report of any other congressional committee.  The report
was, of course, published by the government.  In 1912 Mr. Pujo was a
candidate for the U. S. senate, but was not elected.  His campaign was
conducted upon a high -plane, and no personalities or acrimonious debate
was indulged.  He is a member of the Roman Catholic church.