Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-11-19

The source of his great wealth was
his cattle. sheep and the products OF his
area of cultivated acres-barley, oats
and corn principally which he dis
posed of to the quartermaster and COM
missary departments of the army in the
then large military district of New
Mexico, at high figures. His woolclip
must have been enormous, too, but
doubt whether he could have told the
number of animals that furnished it or
the aggregate of his vast herds of cat
tle-so numerous were they in both
problems.
He also possessed large and perfect
ly-appointed grist mill, which was q
source of immense revenue. for wheat
was one of the staple crops of his many
farms.
Maxwell was fond of travelling all
over the territory, his equipage COM
prising everything in the shape of We
hicle, through all their multifarious va
rieties from the most plainly-construct-
ed buck board to the numbering, but
| comfortable and expensive Concord
coach, mounted on thorough braces
instead of springs, and drawn by four
or six horses. He was perfectly reckless
in his driving; dashed through streams,
stumps like veritable Jehu, regard
less of consequences; but as is usually
the fortune of such precipitous horse
men-so far as my observation extends
= coming to grief was a rare excep-
ton.
The headquarters of the "Ute Agency"
were esta blished at ''Maxwell's Rancho"
in early days and the government de-
tailed company of cavalry to camp
there, more, however, for the prestige
their presence might have on the
''plain's tribes" who roamed along the
old Santa Fee trail east of the Ration
range than effect on the Utes, whom
Maxwell could always control and who
| regarded him as a 'sfather."
On the 4th of July, 1867, Maxwell,
who owned an antiquated and rusty
six-pound field howitzer, suggested to
the captain Of the troop stationed there
the propriety of celebrating" So the
old piece was dragged from it's place
under clump of elms, where it had
been hidden in the grass and weeds
ever since the Mexican war, probably,
and brought near the house. The cap
tain and Maxwell acted the role Of
gunners, the former at the muzzle, the
latter at the breech; the discharge was
premature, blowing out the captains
eye and his arm off, while Maxwell es-
capped with shattered thumb. As
soon as the accident occurred SER
geant was dispatched to Fort Union on
one of the fastest horses on the
''Ranclle," the faithful animal falling
dead the moment he stopped in front of
the surgeons quarters, having made
+, of 10
more than four hoursi
The surgeon left the post Immediate
~, arriving at Maxwell's late that
night, but in time to save the officers
life, after which he dressed Maxwells
apparently inconsiderable wound. In
a few days, however, the thumb grew
stubborn and angry-looking; it would
not yield to the doctors careful treat
ment, SO he reluctantly decided that
amputation was necessary. After an
operation was determined upon l pre-
vailed with Maxwell to come to the
fort and remain with me, inviting Kit
Carson at the same time, that he might
assist in catering to the amusement of
my suffering guest. Maxwell and Car
son arrived at my quarters late in the
day, after a tedious ride in the big
coach; and the surgeon, in order to all
low a prolonged rest on account of Max
wells feverish condition, postponed
performing the operation until the fol-
lowing evening.
The next night as soon as it grew
dark and dinner having been disposed
olive waited for GOODNESS, as the days
were excessively hottie necessary
preliminaries were arranged, and when
everything was ready. the surgeon COM
menced. Maxwell declined the an8s-
thetic prepared for him, and sitting in a
common Office chair put out his hand,
while Carson and myself stood on oppo-
site sides. each holding an ordinary
kerosene lamp as the offending joint
was skillfully separated by the doctor.
In a few seconds the operation was con-
cluded and after the silver wire liga-
lures were twisted in their places. of
fered Maxwell, who had not as yet per-
mitted single sigh to escape his lips,
half a tumblerful of whisky, but be-
fore had fairly put it to his mouth he
fell over, having tainted dead away,
while great beads of perspiration stood
on his forehead Indicative of the pain
he had suffered, as the amputation of
the thumb, the surgeon told us then,
was as bad as that of a leg! Maxwell
was confined to his bed for several days
with a high fever; during his intervals
of freedom from pain. and while he was
convalescing, Carson and conversed
with him, or took turns reading aloud
to the old mountaineer. He returned
to his rancho" as soon as the surgeon
pronounced him well, and Carson to his
home in Taos. l saw the latter but once
more, at Maxwell's, but he was en- route
to visit me at Fort Harker, in Kansas,
when he was taken ill at Fort Lyon,
Colorado, in 1868, where he died. Car
son was one of natures noblemen;
quiet, polite and true; a man whom you
would be proud to entertain.
passed delightful two weeks-it
proved my last visit with Maxwell late
! in the summer of 1867, at the time the
excitement over the discovery of gold
on his ''ranche" had just commenced,
and adventures were beginning to con-
gregate in the hills and gulches from
| everywhere! The discovery of the pre-
cious metal on his estate was the primal
cause of his financial embarrassment.
1 raSu1tinO IN IFS dismissal II WAS the