The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-12-05

KIT CARSON
so perfect in its symbolism, until the
GUNNER of Aurora announced the adj
vent of another day. But not n sound
had been uttered during the protractcd
hours save an occasional grunt of sat
isfaction on the part of the Indians,
or when we white men exchanged Il
sentence.
Frequently Maxwell and Carson
would play the game of "scvcn-up" for
hours at time, seated at one of the
tables in that historic room. But kit
was usually the victor, for he was the
greatest expert in that old and popular
pastimc | have ever met. Maxwell
was an inveterate gambler, but not by
any mcans i'll Il professional sense; he
INDUCED in the hazard of the cards
simply for the amusement it afforded
him in his rough life of case, and he
could very we'll afford the losses which
the pleasure sometimes entailed too.
His special penchant, however, was
betting on n horse race, and his own
stud comprised some of the fleetcst ami
mails in the territory. Had he lived in
England, n noblcman by birth-as lie
was by naturc-hc would have ruled
the derby and cnulatcd the most rccll-
less and incautious turf madcap" mt
EPSON. But, TO employ western Slang
phrase, more ''jobs" were put up" on
him by INSCRIPTIONS Jockeys, taking
nature, than could be recorded in a
volume, by which he was outrageously
dcfraudcd of immense sums.
He was fond of cards, as have in
timatcd, both of the purely American
game OF poker and "old sledgc," but
he rarely played except with personal
friends and never without stakes. lie
always cHactcd the utmost nickel he
had won, though the next morning,
perhaps. SO generous was he, would
present or loan his Unsuccessful OPP
poncnt of the night before five hundred
or thousand dollars if he needed it,
an immensely greater sum, in all prob
ability, than had been gained in the
game.
The kitchen and dining rooms of his
princely establishment were detached
from the main residence; there was one
of the latter for the male portion of his
rctinuc and guests of that Sex, another
for the female, as, in accordance with
the severe and to us strange Mexican
etiquette, men rarely saw woman
about the premises, though there were
many. Only the quick rustic of skirt.
n hurried view OF reJosa as its wcarer,
cvancscent as the lightning, flashed for
an instant before some window or half
open door, told of their presence.
The greater portion of his table
service was solid silver, and ut his hos
pitablc board there were rarely
any vacant chairs. Covers were laid
daily for about thirty persons, for he
was always full of guests" invited
or forced upon him in consequence of
his provcrbial munifccncc, or by the
peculiar location of his 'manor-house''
in its relations TO travel
1t stood upon a magnifccntly-s hadcd
plateau ut the foot of mighty noun
tains, q short distance from Il ford
on the Old Santa Fc trail As there
were no bridges over the uncertain
streams of the ''Grcat Overland
Route" in those days, the pondcrous
Concord coaches, with their ever full
burden of passengers, were frequently
water bound" and Maxwcll's the only
asylum from the storm and flood, con-
scqucntly he entertained many.
At all times and in all seasons Max
wells vast asscmblagc of buildings,
houses, stables, mill, store and their
surrounding grounds were Il constant
resort and loafng- place of the Indians.
From the supcrannuatcd chiefs, who
rcvclcd lazily during the sunny hours in
the shady pcacefulness of the broad
porchcs: the young men of the tribe
who gazcd with covetous eyes upon the
slcck-si>inncd, bloodcd colts sporting in
the spacious corrals: the squa,vs, fas-
cinated by the CANDY calicos. bright
ribbons and glit;cring strings of beads
on the counters or shelves Of the large
store, TO the half-nalsctl, chubby little
papooscs around the kitchen doors
waiting with c%pcc.ant mouths for
some delicious morSc of refuse to hc
thrown To them, all assumed in bear
ing and nanncr, Il vested right of pro.
prctorship iii their agreeable environ
mcnt.
TO this motley group. always under
his feet" rs it were, Maxwell was
ever pasSivcly gracious, although they
were fatiening in supreme dleness on
his prodigal bounty from year To yeari
His Eetinue OF servants. necessarily /