Weekly journal-miner., 1909-12-01
PIONEER CALLED BY GRIM
 REAPER
CFrom Sundays Daiiy)


 news was received that he had sue cumbed to the injuries.
 MT. Mayer arose a little before six o'clock yesterday morning and was awakened by the noise that came from the rear of the yard where his home is located. He noticed sev- eral skunks prowling around in search of chickens, roasting in an ad- joining house, and grabbing his A. calibre six-shooter walker rapidly to where he could get shot at them.
 It was raining hard as he entered the yard, and the ground was slip pery from mud. He stumbled over a large rock, and as he fell the gun was discharged, the bullet penetrating his left breast above the heart.
 Joe realizing that the wound was a serious one at the time, telephone advices were sent to Prescott for his son-in-law, Dr. R. N. Looney, to has ten to the place with all speed. MT. Mayer was then removed to his room and everything possible was done for him. Accompanying pr. Looney to Mayer was Dr. Yount, both of whom travelled in a special train and made the run in short time.
 After the arrival of the doctors it was learned that the death of MT. Mayer was but a matter of a few hours. He was bleeding internally, and gradually becoming weaker and growing unconscious. The bullet af- ter passing through the left lung i'm bedded itself beyond, and the ques- tion of a surgical operation was out of all reasoning. Before lapsing into inconsistencies MT. Mayer informed those at his bedside that it was purely an accident, and that he did not wish his friends or relatives to entertain any other reason. This was
 borne out by a deep gash that was seen on his head and face, which he
 received when falling to the ground,
 striking a sharp pointed rock.
 The past life of this prominent
 Arizonan will prove interesting, carry
 ing as he did from the day he first
 entered the territory to the close of
 his life, a fellowship that will live
 long after he is laid away. He was
 born in Pennsylvania about fifty
 eight years ago, and came from the sterling German stock that entered
 that state from Europe many genera
 tions ago.
 In his youth the ambition of hi: life was to reach the then unex , plored fields of the west, and he has since mentioned that the mining vo cation seized him so forcibly that
 he went to the grading line of the Union Pacific, that was then build ing through the state of Nebraska He followed the vocation of a rail roader until Omaha was reached, anC hearing the romantic stories of placer
 gold and quartz riches of the south west he came to Silver City.
 r At that point he renamed for som' r months. and Globe, Arizona, coming 7. into public favor, he travelled fo I that point, which he reached in 1877 The discovery of native silver at !. tracted him. When the yield of thi e metal had played out, TiptOp, in thi ]. county, came into the silver column I in. fabulous wealth, and hither MT s Mayer ventured He arrived at Tip f top in June, 1878, where he engage' in the restaurant business, being on r of the best cooks in the camp. H S erected several buildings in this ia t nous place, and after about tw A years looked around for another an n a permanent place in which to driv d his home stakes. Big Bug statio O was selected. He took charge o V that little place, opened up eorra l. an eating house and a limited numbe ?. of rooms for the care of lodgers. H
 had but three little. buildings. Hi 1t skill as cook soon gave him el territorial reputation, and the rout l. to Phoenix via Big Bug was seleete d as the most desirable of the tw It highways, mainly from the reputatio s. of Joe Mayer as a good fellow an .e an excellent caterer. A few year r. after he located at this famous Ol s. station, he dropped the original nam' to and to this day the place is on tn f. map as Mayer. In all these year
 of wandering his devoted wife wa -e with him, sharing in the adversitie y of the rough days on the border, an y enjoying the later years when pro S. perity favored them.
 of When Mayer had reached the a le tendency as the most desirable stag