The Irish standard., 1896-08-15
KIT CARSON, THE SCOUT
Strange Career of the Early In
I. habftants of the Wild and
Woody.
He Spent Forty Years in What
Was Then the Great Amer
ican Desert.
A Great Shot, Splendid Horseman
). and One Who Could Fight
Indians.

and One Who Could Fight
Indians.
OF all the brave frontiersmen who
thrived in the United States from the time
Boone invaded the wilds of Kentucky and
Tennessee up to the close of the careers
of that band of famous scouts whose skill
and determination ended the predatory
warfare of the red men only a, few short
years ago, none was more picturesque and
remarkable than Christopher, commonly
known ais Kit, Carson. Much has been
written of the adventures of this singular
character, but much remains to be told of
the good work he performed on the bord-
ers when deeds of daring were as common
as the ceremony of eating breakfast in the
more civilized portion of the world. Car
son was of his own class. He had no iml-
tators. because there were none who could
succeed. He had no equals in his lne and
no superiOrs in any OF the attributes
needed in the pioneer. AS an Indian
fighter he was the peer,if not the superior,
Of any man who ever placed a rifle in rest
with intent to do bodily harm to redskin.
Under the average height, Carson was
rather delicate looking in his physical pro-
portions. But he made up for apparent
weakness in his extreme activity. He was
: a man of iron will, steel nerves and re-
markable GOODNESS in the face of danger OF
any kind Like all the men who lived in
the wild west he was brave to daring, but
never reckless. His caution was as marked
as his courage He never lost his self-pos-
session, and at the time when most men
show nervousness he was singularly COOL
and unconcerned. He liked cards and was
q noted expert in ''seven-up," although he
could play good game of poker when the
spirit moved him. AS horseman he was
unexcelled. Carson and his favorlte
mount afforded the best modern exempli-
dicat!on of the ancient centaur ever" fur
nished by the bold spirits of the American
frontier. AS rifle shot he never had a SUI
perior, in spite of the reputation deserv-
edly obtained by many of the scouts and
frontiersmen who succeeded him.
Carson was great favorite among the
officers and men of the army after the
practical close of his career, and was fire.
ouently a visitor at some Of the western
posts. He never cared to come in to the
''states," and passed the closing years of
his life at the various posts in Kansas,
Colorado and New Mexico. It was at Ft.
Lyons, COL, that he died on May %, 1868,
while there on visit to his son, attached
to the post A ruptured artery in his neck
carried him off the earth before it was
possible to do anything for his relief. The
body was taken to Taos, N. NJ, his last
home, and buried. Subsequently a fine
monument was placed over his grave.
OF all the men who remain Of the old
army the veterans Of the civil war and
nsni who saw service under the flag be-
fore that great struggle, Col. Henry In
man probably knew Carson the best. In
man was the intimate friend of Carson for
nearly all of the forty years of service
which he put in OH the frontier among the
wild tribes which in the early days roamed
the plains at will and owned the fulness
thereof. From the time he received his
first gazette until the death Of the famous
scout, Innlan and Kit were closely associ-
ated. Col. Inman relates many interesting
+ features of Kits life, hitherto unpublished.
Among other things he says: !,
He was a famous horseman In his
youthful days, and had ridden many race
against the sayages, who are passionately
fond Of trials Of speed between rival ami
mails of the various tribes. I have myself
seen In the long ago, as many as 300 hum
dred horses wagered on single four-mi.e
\ heat. That was among the Indians of the
a Pacific coast, who in those days counted
J: taeir wealth by the number of animals they
\, owned.
Kit, years before he became famous,
h fought O. duel on horseback with a no.
toriously pompous braggart, a Canadian
French trapper. He escaped with a bullet
wound behind his left ear, the scar Of
which he carried to his grave, but he
winged his antagonist and forever, ended
the fellows boasting.
II remember distinctly that map in the
Biographies Of fifty years ago which de-
4 picted The Great American Desert,
4 where now the wealthy states Of Colora-
4 do, Kansas and Nebraska now occupy the
came position in the modern aliases; how
4 i dwelt on the wonderful representa tion
aof supposed sand, as sat in the old log
N school house ait the country crossroads il
one Of the eastern states. / can now see
Is in my minds eye 'Bent's Fort marked
on the extreme edge of that alleged s.des-
s5ert III .s.s.
Then it seemed to be way out on the
4 eonfines Of anothe world, forI had never
then been more than thirty miles from
home. have quietly sl,lm mbered under
Il Il It's once liospitable root man ttines since.
but long eTa 1hi,s
b iion si,egs AZ