Dodge City times., 1889-12-05
A FRIEND CONE.

| man. Inc details OF tnc DSnt VS. give
below as taken from t." "arer published
in that place. James ''r.:-:.r WAS .'o:n
in Missouri on May lc:.;. ,:5' aud was
raised in our city.
\ Thousand sympathetic hearts stilled
their heating when The people of Dodge
City learned of James Wright's death.
The very suddencss of the intelligence
served to intensity the horror of it. Men
and women were appalled,. Even the
children were gricved into silence when
the heart rending truth was told. Who
then was James Wright and whence the
source of his potential personality, A
young man of twenty two summers whose
life was was spent on the frontier. In
early childhood be imbibed the spirit of
his novel associations. His nature was
large aud it readily assimilated the virile
forces about him, growing by what it fed
upon until he became typical exponent
of time his and dcountry-Westernk Kansas
In early life he saw the hand to hand
| conflict of Indians and Government
troops He saw the CORY scalp snatched
! from the head of the dying soldier. Then
he saw this primitive world in all its
| magnificent wildness. The limitle prai-
| ric with its countless horGes of buffalo.
The long armed wagon trains. suggesting
danger and the courage to repel it. The
vast herds of cattle representing mans
enterprise and commercial spirit. All of
these things served to mould the plastic
nature of James Wright Then there
was the reckless. boisterous cowboy,
the growing cattle town with its charac-
teristic population of adventerou. and
dangerous men, and later the influx of
| cautious Fasteners with their own per
sistent innovatins ideas.
Young Wright was formed by nature
| for a leader. He rose on the tide of civil
| ization on which he was cast adopted it,
championed it, and with all the favor of
youth resisted the interference of the
purilc iconoclasts. as he deemed them,
| from the east.
But representative westerner though lie
| was. James Wright inherited a predic-
ton for knowledge which led him in
| early youth to seek instruction in the
best schools of Massachusetts. Here his
| capable and comprehensive mind rapidly
| acquired that learning which fitted him
to compete with his cultured country
men in any field. Returning to Dodge
City, which may almost be called his ma
tive home, he at once became interested
in all the enterprises of the growing city,
identifying himself with the fire depart
ment and each new feature of growth.
Whatever he gave his hand to prospered
by his connections with it. His zeal
knew no abatement. Steady of hand.
large of mind and generous of heart.
James Wright was force in society and
upon the whole force decidedly for good
He wished for the prosperity of his town.
He took pride in it and worked for it.
His efficiency increased with his unfold
ing manhood. and if he had lived he
would no doubt have become one of our
most influential, and honOred citizens.
But fell death untimely frost nippcd the
flower of manhood when it was still ex-
panding He has gone, but he will be
remembered. That robust nature which
stllled the very hearts of the people when
they heard of James Wright's death will
insure his remembrance among them SO
long as Dodge City shall stand upon the
banks of the Arkansas. His name and
his fame are lastingly associated with
the city's origin and growth, and will be-
come no less a part of it rs the swift de-
cades follow each other. Then let us
honor the man who hOnOred his mother,
who served his city and who died a
heroic death. as he had lived heroic |
life. He still lives.
The soul secure in its existence
Smiles at the drawn dagger and dcfcs its point. |
The stars shall fade away, the sun himself grow
dim with age, anc nature sink IN years:
But thou shalt flourish in immortal youth, un-
hurt amid the war OF elements, the wreck
Of matter and the crush Of worlds.
The funeral services took place at the
Presbyterian church on last Wednesday.
In his discourse. the Rev. Wright said,
Death always takes us by surprise"
In the time of his coming and in the way
of his coming. We have been surprised
many times, during the last year, when
the word reached us that this one, or that
one had been taken by death. Hence
the great necessity of being ready at all
times, SO that we be not surprised. The
minister also said that these incompleted,
imperfect lives of ours are strong init
nation of the Immortality of the soul.
And that there must be future for us,
in which We can complete our deyelop-
! ment. or this life becomes the greatest
enigma not only. but a solemn mockery.
Our conscience. our intutive ideas of eX
| istencc. our aspirations and hopes. our
longing for eternal life. our unwilling
ness to think of annihilation. and the
general belief of the race in Immortality,
|
the SOUL
Mr.. Wright said the human life must
| be more sacred. No man has the right
to lit his hand against another's life.
Here is young man cut down at a2
years of age. full of energy, life and hope,
cut down, as if human life were worth
nothing. As people We must demand
that human life be held sacred. The
practice of carrying and using deadly
weapons must cease, or human life will
continue to be in jeopardy. Most of the
murders, and crimes of manslaughter.
and assassination follow. as matter of
course, because men carry deadly weap
ons.