Mohave County miner., 1916-09-30
FORMER ARIZONA MAN
 BEATS DEATH IN RACE

Death was beaten, but not very bad ly, in a race from Kern county, Cal, to Pasadena, by former Arizona man who is known to fame, the story of the thrilling handicap being told in recent papers from Los Angeles. Ma jor F. R. Burnham, who at q years of age held the office of sheriff Of Yavapai county, and later fought through two American wars as scout, is the winner. He was stricken with an abdominal malady and wire arrangements were made at Pasadena for a capital operation. He had special train, arrived there in time and in few hours had emerged from the operation with his life.
 Major Burnham had served several years in the South African goldhelds as a John Hays Hammond representa- tive and had an especially keen knowl- edge of the country, of the Boers and the kaffirs. At the beginning of the war Richard Harding Davis happened to be in the company of Lord Roberts on an outgoing steamer and said to the latter: "Why don't you send for Burnham?" The lately deceased story writer had to explain who Burnham was and dwelt eloquently on his prow- ess, which made such a hit with Rob- erts that he rushed cablegram to Burnham's then whereabouts in Alaska.
 Though an American, born in Iowa, the son of a minister and a former Arizonan, Burnham quickly accepted the offer holding out so much of ad- venture and quickly joined the British colors. At first he was made a scout and soon chief of scouts under Lord Roberts. His adventures sound like fiction. For his daring deeds he was brevetted major and personally deco rated by King Edward, the monarch removing the badge from his own breast and pinning it to that of the brave American, who was the first American to be so honored in Great Britain.
 One of his deeds of daring was while wounded in the stomach by the pommel of saddle, caused by horse falling over backward on him. He was captured in that condition and was hauled away in a cart drawn by bull locks. His agony caused the driver to allow him to get up from his place in the bed of the cart and sit in the seat. Soon he told the driver that one of the bullocks had rock between its hoofs and while the latter was down to remove it Burnham crawled down under the car and made his getaway, and was soon invalided to England. He returned to the front.
 During the subsequent Matabele campaign in Rhodesia the troop he was with was completely surrounded by kaffirs. He asked the permission of the commander to work his way out, which he did alone by taking his time and in a few days with a com panion he returned with some pack animals laden with illuminate mercury caps for the old fashioned Queen Anne rifles used by the blacks. The pack animals were permitted to fall into the hands of the kaffirs and thereupon they began using the caps, but with the use of each one a gun exploded and killed its user. This so rattled the kaffirs that the British made their escape.
 Richard Harding Davis made Burn ham the hero of one of his Soldier of Fortune" stories.
 A few years ago Burnham, in be- half of the late E. H. Hartman, John Hays Hammond and himself made mining reconnaissance into the Yaqui country of Mexico, and a member of the party was c. R. McCollom of Oat- man, manager of the Chicago syndi- cate, whose position with the party was that of geOlogist. On account of various thrilling features to the ex- petition they named it the little Ma tabele campaign" Mir. McCOllom and Major Burnham became bosom friends and so remain to date. Immediately upon reading in the newspapers of the majors recent illness MT. McCollom wrote him letter.
 Another veteran of the two South African wars is Dr. Edward Bowes of