due to ill health. Defender of Yellowstone In 1882, Vest became aware of concession abuses and outright attempts at uncontrolled monopolies being proposed for Yellowstone National Park concessions by the railroads and other businessmen. He introduced and eventually helped pass legislation that required the Secretary of Interior to submit concession and construction contracts to the Senate for oversight thus stifling potential corruption and abuses. Throughout the remainder of his Senate career, Vest was considered the "Self-appointed Protector of Yellowstone National Park." Death On August 9, 1904, Vest died at his summer home in Sweet Springs, Missouri, the last living Confederate States Senator. He was buried at Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri. Notes External links , loosely based on the Old Drum case A Tribute to the Best Friend of Man: Eulogy of the Dog (Violet Press 2008) A verbatim transcript of the speech read into the Congressional Record in 1916, newly illustrated by Jackie Ehle |- |- 1830 births 1904 deaths Centre College alumni Confederate States of America senators 19th-century American politicians Democratic Party United States senators from Missouri Deputies and delegates to the Provisional Congress of the Confederate States Democratic Party members of the Missouri House of Representatives Members of the Confederate House of Representatives from Missouri Politicians from Frankfort, Kentucky People from Sedalia, Missouri Politicians from Kansas City, Missouri Transylvania University alumni Burials at Bellefontaine Cemetery People from Sweet Springs, Missouri