Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-01-20
A PionaAr
There has been for several DAYS in
omaha an elderly gentleman who is

} Omaha an elderly gentleman who is
probably more familiar with the history
OF the present states OF Colorado N O.
braska and Kansas. and the territories
of Arizona, New Mexico and Dakota
than any other man living. His knowl-
edge OF the cOunlrr. rs aborigincs, and
the savage kind OF lie led in the early
border days was acquired by nomadic
existence covering all tho territory
named and all the experiences suggest.
ed. His name is Seth Ward. and he is
physically hale anG heaaty man. Tho
snOw-white beard which surrounds and
partly conceals strong. inlrep Il face
seems out of season when viewed in tn O
reflected light of n pair of bright pierre
ing gray eyes which alternately sparkle
and blaze with all tho fearlessness and
vivacity OF youth.
IL first went west. mfr. Ward was say
ing when reporter joined the group,
''inloo3 with man named Duston, who
had been an army officer. but who had
resigned 10 become an Indian trader.
| was mere lad 10 years of age. and
lived at independence, Mo | didn' t
have any money nor any clothes nor
any bedding. but finally induced Dus-
ton to take mo with his outfit Of wag-
ons, mules. horses and men. lie
woulden't let mo have horse to ride,
so walked behind and kept track of
the loose stock. slept out-that u.s.
had no covering for two days. At the
end of that time the outfits for tho
men were distributed and some one
told me TO ask for II pair Of blankets.
did so. but DuSton said: Il didn't re
you That was true enough, and
turned away feeling pretty plue. Dus.
ton called me back and told me to take
n pair of blankets. | selected red
pair. He charged me with $50. The
blankets cost him about g. But that
was nothing uncommon. Sugar was
$3.50 pound-that is. q pint. A pint
Of anything except shot was consider
ed a pound in those days. The outfit
what is called now called Colorado.
Mind you. tho country then wasn't
what it is now. | am talking about
forty-nine years ago. remember. There
wasn't house in Nebraska, nor a
house in Kansas. nor in Colorado nor
Arizona. nor anywhere else. | was
sort OF jack-of- all-trades with the out
tit, and had to stand guard in my turn
along with tho others. One night
when ! was out on guard saw some
thing that looked queer at me, and
asked one Of tho men il there was any
such thing "a spotted wolf. He said
NO. you BANKED fool. | told HIM |
had seen one. All the men called me
a BANKED fool, but finally showed tho
spotted wolf to another guard. He
sad That dog and then we saw
the marks in tho dirt where this dog
had been dragging his Indian
packing rig around on the ground be-
hind HIM. You can bet we rounded
up tho animals in mighty quick time
and the word Indian walked every
man in the camp. The red fellows
opened upon us about day break. and
one of our men was wounded and we
lost SIX horses. Don't know whethe /
we Slled any OF the Indians. But that
spotted wolf was the making of mo.
Duston hired me at SIS month. and
would back me in anything | said. He
gave me horse to ride. / didn't
know how to saddle him properly and
CALLED his wthers. SO Duston made
me walk any carry my saddle and a
fourteen pound rifle.
After he had thus detailed his man
ner Of Introducing himself to the west
ern wles, Mr.. Ward wss asked if he
had known the old scout. KIT Carson.
"Why. he was with the same party.
Knew him perfectly. He was about %
wears old then. A little man and not
half so brave as he was afterward made
to appear. lie got his reputation for
bravery by shooting Frenchman
through the hand That was after we
had reached the Arkansas river and
established a travelling rendezvous.
KIT was married to q snake squaw. He
got tired of her and sold her TO this
Frenchy for, have forgotten how
many, horses. Some time afterward
Kit wanted her again. and the French
man wouldn't give her mp. Kit told
him he would have to fight then. So
they saddled horses, marked off dis
lance, and rode toward each other and
shot with rcvolvers when they met
The Frenchman was shot through the
hand. and that endcl it,"
"And Carson got the .quaw p asked
the reporter.
ale got the squaw. and think he
really loved her. too" was the reply.
mo, Kit wasn't very gritty. | once
saw a gambler back him out; but the
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