Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1891-08-07
JUDGE AXTELL DEAD.
Called to His Long Rest at MorristOwn,
N, j., Yesterday Afternoon-A
Good Man Gone.
Some Record of Noted Western Pho
neer's Career-An Active Life
Calmly Closed.

Judge Axtell died at O'Clock TINS
afternoon
This is the sad message that came over
the wires to the New MEXICAN last even
ing from Morrstown, n. j., the sender
being Hon. C. NJ. Phillips. The news,
though scarcely unexpected, creates pro-
found sorrow here in fact, throughout the
entire Rocky mountain country, from the
Rio Grande to the Pacific coast, the an
nouncement OF Judge Axtell's demise
will be read with feelings Of deep regret.
He was taken i'll last spring, the result OF
an attack of la grippe, leaving him in a
very debiitated condition and one from
which his more intimate friends scarcely
dared hope for his recovery notwlthstand-
ing his methodical life. lie lett here two
months since for his old home at Morris
town, on a visit to his daughter, Mrs. Z.
NJ. Phillips, at whose residence he calmly
fell asleep in death yesterday evening.
Hon. Samuel Beach Axtell was so well
and thoroughly known to the people of
New Mexico that any extended report OF
his life and labors in the west seems al
most supertluous. His career has been
talked about and written of time after
time, and the fact that he walked across
the great plains as the driver of an OK
team and left bis pick and shovel in a
California mine to 60 and represent the
people of that state in congress, has been
often dwelt upon in public and in private
as showing what personal pluck and en-
ergy could bring to men In the great
west.
Daniel Axtell, the regicide, an ancestor
of Governor Axtell was born at Berk-
hamstead, England, January 26, 1919,
Just 200 years before the subject OF this
sketch first saw the light in the beech
woods of Ohio.
After the restoration of Charles II, in
1860, Col. Daniel was beheaded. (See
Corbett's state trials.) 1t was then con.
sidered about time to emigrate, and the
family came to Massachusetts in 1865 and
took land in the town of Marlboro. After
ward, about l740, this ancestor came to
Morris county, n. J. His great grand
father was a major in the war OF the rev.
olutlon. That this family should love
| liberty is but Unnatural; it is in their blood.
Soon after the war of 1912, in which his
grandfather, Col. Sllas Axtell, command
ed New Jersey regiment, the father Of
Governor Axtell removed to Ohio and
took land in Franklin county, near the
present city OF Columbus, where Samuel
B. Axtell was born, October IA, 1919.
| He was the fourth child in family OF
twelve children-six sons and six daugh-
ters-all of whom lived to be men and
women. Six still live, three of them
older than himself. The family is Of
that hardy old stock which has iron in
it's blood. In the life of the backwoods,
when simple food and plain, loose cloth"
ing was the custom, his bones grew
strong. He used to say that he never
had any bringing up; he simply grew
and developed. When quite young his
parents returned to Morris county, where
he enjoyed some advantages in the COM
mon schools.
At Is years Of age he went back to
Ohio and entered as preparatory student
at Oberin college, supporting himself by
manual labor He afterward entered the
Western Reserve college, and took the
degree of A. NJ. He studied law, and in
1851 went to California, where he was
three times elected district attorney and
twice elected to congress, from San Fran
cisco.
He was appointed governor OF Utah in
1874, by Gen. Grant, and in 1875 trans
ferred to the governorship of New Mex
leo. In 1876 he was one of the judges at
the great centennial at Philadelphia, and
in the fall of 1878 was superseded as gov
ernor by Gen. Lew Wallace. In 1882 he
was appointed chief justice of New Mex
ice by President Arthur. On May /,
1885, he rendered his resignation which
was accepted to take effect on the 25th Of
the same month. He has since that time
resided at Santa Fe, which he considered
his permanent home. May it be we'll
with him in the great hereafter. AS to
the funeral nothing is yet ascertainable.