Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-05-30
THE FATAL SUMMONS.
1t Calls Mayor Maxheld--His Peaceful
Death at Six O'Clock Last Evening.

Death at Six O'Clock Last Evening.
An event. though hourly expected and feared
for weeks past none the less sad, occurred at 6
o'clock last evening, and the citizens of st.
Paul, irrespective of rank or calling, creed OK
political belief, mourn the death of James T.
Maxfeld, for years past its most faithful and
honored chief executive enterprising citizen,
and great true-hearted husband, father and
friend. Elsewhere in the GLOBE we give
faint tribute to the public and private worth of
deceased. with a brief sketch of his honorable
life. Here we refer but briefly to the sickness
and the ending-an ending that comes to all
flesh sooner or later.
Mayor Maxfeld came to st. Paul in 1864,
then victim of the dread disease which cul-
minated in his death at the time stated last
evening. Being incapacitated by his bodily
ailments from active business, Mr.. Maxfeld.
upon his settlement in this city. invested =
portion of his capital in business and other
property, the well-known Maxfeld block on up
per Third street testifying to his sagacity,
taste and enterprise in building up the city of
his adoption. From the first, Mr.. Maxfeld
manifested a warm admiration for St. Paul IS
business and social centre, and an earnest de-
| sire for the improvement of oil its natural Id
vantages, and all measures to that end ever
found in him a staunch and persistent advo-
cate. Though suffering greatly from his phys
ical infrmities, Mr.. Maxfeld possessed that
strength and determination of will.
coupled with sunny temperament and quick
appreciation of the beautiful, which enabled
him to meet his trials with bravery and forti-
tnde and general outward cheerfainess, pos
sible to but few men, and which undoubtedly
operated to prolong his life.
| Slowly but surely, however, the dread dis
| ease Slapped away his vitality, and about the
| Goth of December last he suffered severe at
tack, combining him to his room, and much of
| the time to his bed. At this time, however,
his brave, cheerful disposition was maintained,
| and his watchful care over the interests of the
city kept up. His associates in the city govern
| ment were furnished abundant evidence of the
latter characteristic An especially striking ex-
| hibition of this was given in his message to
the new council upon its organizing Thursday,
May 10. His clear. wise and comprehensive
recommendations ON that occasion will not
soon be forgotten, while the following SER
| tence, in the light of the event now mourne
and then almost hourly expected possesses
| peculiar significance:
Never receiving anything but kind words
| Tor words quickly spoken in the heat of pas -ion
| and quickly forgiven and forgotten) from
any officer connected with the city government,
| l can say, without any mental reservation or
secret evasion, that can take every man con-
nected with the city government, since l held
| the position of alderman the first time, by the
hand and say God bless you, l wish YOU we'll"
| Feeling thus toward his associates and hu-
mainly. James T. Maxfeld, patiently, cheerful
| ly awaited the coming of the final message
Two weeks ago tomorrow his entire family
were summoned around his bed and he bid
them tender farewell, everyone anticipating
that he had but few moments to live. Since
then he has lived in momentary
expectation of death but borne
| up by most wonderful vitality.
Everything that his own immediate family and
kind friends could do was done to smooth the
way, and when the message finally came,
he received it as he had lived.
bravely quiet, dropping off as if
in peaceful sleep. He retained
his full consciousness until some fifteen min.
utes before his death, when with his character.
istic thoughtfulness he requested the family
standing about his bedside to sit down and moi
fatigue themselves in standing. He then closed
his eyes, and his life gently drifted away almost
without the least tremor of muscle, as one
friend said as child going to sleep.
Mr.. Maxfeld was member of Ancient Land
mark lodge A.. F.. and A.. M, under whose
auspices the funeral services will be conducted
from the Metropolitan Hotel, Saturday, the ex
act hour for which has not yet been decided
upon. He was also member of the Knights
Of Pythias, and this osder will be present in
The city council hold meeting at 8 o clocl
this morning to arrange for the ceremony, il
which all the city officers, tho police and fin
department will take part.