Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-12-20
KIT CARS0N'S PARD.
A Robinson Township Adventurer
Who Knew Him as a Brother.
SOME THRILLING EXPERIENCES.
fhs Desperate Son Got None Of HIS Bad
Blood From His Father
A H1H OF EXTERMINATIoy on RLDS

Inc murder bY Kit carson, Jf., OF Ms
father-in-law and mother-in-law revives
memories of the glory and adventures Of ths
man who by many is credited with having
made the fame Of the late General John O.
Fremont, as they say the latter, without
Carson's help, would never have earned tho
title 1.-THE Pathfinder"
James Scarborough, Of Robinson town.
ship, probably knows more of Kit Carson,
the elder, than most of his biographers
knew of him, ,as he and Kit were together in
the days when even the fancy of Ned
Buntline could not overdraw the actual en-
counters between the restless fotsam and
jetsam of Anglo-Saxon civilization and
savage animals and still more savage Indi-
ans along the Rocky Mountain range.
Mr.. Scarborough, though now satisted
with adventure and rarely leaving his
rural retreat IN Montour Run, except when
business calls him, grows animated when
talking OF the times when with Kit Carson
he roamed the wilds of the backbone of the
continent, sleeping often at night in trees
to be out of the reach of the grizzly bear
and eating raw meat for weeks at a time
when it was almost certain death to Light Q
fire or discharge q gun.
1mbibed a Love for Adventure.
Mr.. Scarborough was born in MARYLAND,
but was brought by hi, parents to this city
when an infant. His parents little later
went West, but soon returned and settled in
Virginia, West Virginia now. When IA
years old young Scarborough visited Gin
cinnati and was there persuaded by q
cousin to go along with him to Ft. Benton,
on the Missouri river, and engage with tbs
American Fur Company as hunter, the
company having post there. The work
was too hard for the boy and he soon drifted
back to the residence Of his parents in Vir-
ginia, but he had imbibed love of adven-
ture and was thereafter restless until he
got an opportunity to crafty it.
The latter part of 1848, when the wonders
of the Western Eldorado were inaaming
youthful ardor, he slipped of quietly to
San Francisco, which was thronged by adj
venturers of all kinds, 1t being an outftting
city. Young Scarborough went up the
Sacramento and located one claim afScs .sn-
other and did some mining, but his&ssts
was for hunting and trapping, and fur
hunting paid. He made some money from
time to time selling claims, and finally fell
in with Carson at Humboldt Bay and for
years they were bosom friends, hunting and
trapping and fighting Apache, Sioux, Chey-
enne and Blackfoot Indians from time to
time until along about 1853, when Carson
left San Francisco for New Mexico.
A Tight Little Bundle OF Nerves.
Mr. Scarborough says Kit Carson. though
born in Kentucky, was as much of q Scotch
man as his ancestors; Insignificant sp-
parently physically, being very small, bus
q bundle of steel nerves. He had gray eyes
and though never foolhaFdy, knew no fear.
His ightheartedness and daring served to
show
How mirth Is mixed with madness
And laughter linked to tears.
-
disposition from his father, but as ths
in New Mexico in 1S43, the son may have
some of the bad blood Of the murderers who
roasted the unfortunate Gautimosin. Car
son had previously, while employed as
hunter on the Arkansas, married an Indial
woman, but by her he had only
one child, daughter. His wife
died while the child was baby
and he took her to St Louis to be raised
and educated, and it was here that be met
Fremont and engaged to guide his expedi-
tion to the Pacific coast. Mr.. Scarborough
says that Carson once killed an inoffensivs
old trapper, whose only fault was THAI
when he got drunk he could not control his
tongue, and that, had his father been pres-
ent, the young ruffian would, doubtless,
have suffered for the crime.
Killing Reds for $50 Each.
Mr. Scarborough was suffering from an
attack of pleurisy when the reporter called
on him for his story, but he was coa1ed to
tell it in intervals when his breathing ap-
paratus would allow him to talk. He had
no data at home and only spoke from ran
dom recollections. Once when hunting on
the divide, near the klamath River with 30
others, they were asked by Governor Lane
of Oregon, to fight the Indians. The Gov
ernor, with 800 men, had incautiously at
lacked the savages in the edge of the chapa
paral and his army was badly worsted, az
the Indians fought under cover. The hum
exterminate the Indians for $50 q head.
The Governor, though regarding the price
IS moderate. thought the system smacked
100 much Of savagery and declined the of.
Ter.
The hunters finally decided TO take
hand for the fun of the thing, especially as
he savages were annoying them. The re-
iult was the entire destruction of the
indian band and the hunters took a con.
iderable number Of scalpa Mr. Scsr-
borough has one of the sealps in his pos.
ession now, but having neglected to tan il
he long lock has almost all dropped away
rom the skin. In this battle but nine Of
he hunters were killed while Of the 254
indians not one was left.
Narrow Escape for Kit Carson.
On one occasion Carson was cut off from
is party during a brush with Indians,
hey knew him, az he was riding his famous
Ihite mustang, the feetest on the prairies.
laying no attention to Scarborough and ths
est of the party, some IA men, the sayages
ent all their attention to take or kill Car.
on, and almost simultaneously fred all the
~ grass around him Throwing his blan-
ct over his head, Kit spurred the poor
,ustang through wall Of flame, and hia
ompanions coming up. fired on the In
ians, empting several saddles. The In
ians were demoralized and fled, but ths
,ustang carried its gallant rider no further.
is eyes were burned out, and Kit broke
own and cried like child.
On another occasion, Mr.. Scarborough,
tho was dead shot, cracked the cranium
f an Apache who had drawn bead on one
Kits most devoted adherents. The gun
the Apache cracked Just as he tumbled
,rward dead, but the ball went wide the
lark. Kit and his friends subsequently
ave Mr.. Scarborough scarf as q token Of
for which they paid SIG in
an francisco. He still has the scarf and
is not for sale. It is the chief treasure
nong large collection of souvenirs picked
p by him between the Oregon divide and
ogota
Picked Up Four Languages.
Finally bidding the hardy companions Of
veral years a regretful adieu in San Fran.
eco, Mr.. Scarborough sailed south and
,ent some years under the equator, round.
q up his wanderings by short sojourns in
Ie islands of the West Indies, and from
avanna sailed for New York, came back
i'd lived some years in this city, finally
ttling down for good in Montour Run,
hara IL boa reeidad The oreotar part ~ ~.