The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1934-11-16

the program celebrating the fortieth
anniversary of the opening of Okla
homa territory to white settlement.
But this was not done because the citizens Of
Wellington declined to permit the removal They
pointed out that, insofar as Payne had made
Wellington his home for several years and had
died there, it was perfectly fitting that yelling
ton should be his last resting place. Moreover,
they suggested that his grave is In a beautiful
section Of Prairie Lawn cemetery where there
Is plenty Of room for q suitable memorial IL
Oklahoma wanted to erect one.
Evidently that suggestion was not acceptable,
since the only marker at Payne's grave Is q
seven-foOt monument, giving a brief account Of
his life, which was paid for by popular subscrip-
ton and erected few years ago by the yelling
ton G. A. r. post to take the place of the orig
inal stone marker which recorded the fact that
he was a captain of Company F Of the Tenth
Kansas infantry. So Payne continues to sleep
in Kansas soil and it is not wholly inappropriate
that he should. For as a citizen Of Kansas, he
his first fame the "Cimarron Scout" long
before he became the Father of Oklahoma"
The state Of Indiana also has claim upon this
frontier notable, for he was born in the Hoosier
state AS for other details of his early life,
there is a dearth of reliable information. ]. w.
Buel included a sketch of Payne in his Heroes
of the Plains" and later writer's, evidently de-
pending upon Buel for their facts but adding
embroidery of their own, served to confuse the
record badly.
For instance, of them calls him Daniel ].
Payne and says that his mother was a cousin
of Daniel Boone. Fred E. Sutton of Kansas City
(author of Hands Up!", published by Bobbs-
Merrill in 1920, who was a follower Of Payne,
says his mother was a first cousin Of Davy
Crockett and that he was born in Farmont,
Ind, on December 80, 1885, Since this was only
few months after Crockett had died gloriously
M $hn In FTaxo A1ax
suppose that his kinswoman would name her
newborn son David"
Paynes boyhood was spent much like that Of
any other youngster of the pioneer days in In
diana and by the time he had reached young
manhood he, like thousands of Others felt the
urge to "go West" So in 1857 he moved to
Kansas territory and settled farm north Of
Atchison. Kansas was then in the throes Of
civil war of its own between the proslavery
men of Missouri and the Kansas Jayhawkers
and 1t is probable that Payne, like his future
friend, who was destined for fame as Buffalo
Bill" had his first fighting experience then.
At any rate when the Civil war opened, he
enlisted in a Kansas regiment in the Union army
and served in 1t until 1863 when he was dis
charged. Shortly afterwards he elected to
the Kansas legislature where he served with
some distinction, and at the close of his term
he was made postmaster at Fort Leayenworth
In 1857 Indian raids In Kansas became so men,
acing that the War department called upon Gov
ernor Crawford Of Kansas to raise a force of
volunteer cavalry to cooperate with the regular
army in subduing the hostiles. Payne was COM
missionsd captain of of these troops which
served with Gen. George A. Custer and the Sew
enth cavalry In Kansas and Oklahoma during
the next two years Sutton says that Payne was
In the Battle of the Washita on November Of
1888, when Custer destroyed the camp Of Chief
Black Kettle of the Cheyennes and, if he was, he
may have had escape there from death which
overlook him IA years later, almost to a day.
was evidently during this period in Payne's
career that he acquired the sobriquet of the
"Cimarron Scout" although his services in that
role did not seem to have been outstand-
ing Buel and those who followed him would
have believe. At least, Custer in his my Life
the Plains" FIRST published in the old Gal
axy Magazine in 1s72-73) does not mention Payne
by name, is he listed among the scouts
prominently mentioned in any Of Mrs. Clusters
books dealing with her husbands Indian cam
paigns. California joe" wild Bill" Hickok,
Sharp Grover and several others are referred to
frequently by both the general and Mrs. Custer,
but not Payne, which leads to the suspicion that
the reputation of the "Cimarron Scout" was in
dustriously built up by writer's with dime novel
tendencies.
For instance, Buel, in recording the rescue of
two white women captives, Mrs. Morgan and
MISS Whte, from the CheyenneS tells dramatic
story Of the subsequent events. In ii he has Gus
ter fearful for the safety of his command If the
hostiles should concentrate against him. So the
general holds "a consultation with Captain
Payne, in whose judgment the entire command
placed the greatest reliance" and says Captain
we have got to send word to TT Hays at once
some one must act courier to notify our
friends of our positions and to carry the good
& news that the two ladies are in safety with u.s."
Whereupon Payne agrees to make the trip de-
clines the escort of so men which Custer offers
him and says: "Tn take Jack Cowan and Char
ley Picard and my purpose is to set out from
here In about fifteen. minutes" Then the three
men ride away, mounted on mules and leading
pack mules which carried 1,S00 rounds of ammu-
milton" and after series of thrilling experiences,
including attack by hostile Kiowas. reached
Fort Hays in one hundred hours the distance
being s65 miles Before reaching Hays Payne
had to rub tobacco in his eyes to keep from
falling asleep
1t Is possible that Payne may have had some
Of the adventures with Indians which Buel and
the other writer's attribute to him at this time
But one is inclined to doubt some of the details
of this yarn, in view Of Clusters simple state
ment that after the rescue Of the two white
women the Kansas volunteer troops marched
back to Fort Hays where they were mustered
out of service"
But whatever Payne's record as an Indian
fighter was politics next occupied his attention
and in 1870 he elected to the Kansas legis-
lature at the same time holding down Sedg-
wick county claim. In 1872 he was nominated to
the state senate but was defeated. However he