The National tribune., 1902-08-21
TALKS WITH KIT CARSON.
A westsrner's Remembrance of Meetings in
Camp Years Ago.

In the Anthony Republican Mr.. II. J.
Alexander is giving some "Recoliections
of Fifty Years Ago, particularly with re-
$ .,ect to his life in Colorado and New Mex
40. He became the friend of Kit Carson,
and writes thus of his first introduction to
he great piainsman:
On the second day after our arrival ut
Toas. Carson visited mt our camp all day.
ale appeared to feel that he had met old
friends, as some of our party knew some
of the people he knew. One particular
icmniscenee made him laugh heartily. In
the Spring of 1850 the writer was attend
ing couIt at Independence. Mo. Carson.
not then known To the writer, was in the
courtroom listening to the trial of Il di-
,orce case in which Judge Rupel Il.
Hicks was attorney for the defendant.
Hicks closed his renaik ks with the follow
ing backwoods peroration: And when l
am dead and defunct in the abstract, may
my hide he tanned into drumheads on
" hich to beat into generations yet unborn
that 4 taught MY SoBs to love their wives.
We Were squatting around the camp fire
smoking. Carson sprang MP. and grab
hing my hand wrung it hard, laughing
like Il happy boy, and said: Il know
Judge Hicks well. and | was there that
day" AS Carson left that evening he in
vited Capt Doak. Jim Fry. the humorist
of the party, Judge Smedley and the
WTlteT to uiHe WITH HlI1l next uIy-
Punctually we repaired to his residence.
The house was bIilt Of '.dobies'' - sun
| dried brick about four inches thick and
about Il foot square-and was whitewash-
| ed pure, snowy white. 1t was about 80
feet long, bGit with the side to the street,
| four small windows (Sx10 glass; and q
door on the side. and Il low porch running
the length of the building. 1t was the only
house in Taos that had glazed windows.
81.
high, making it look very low; no parti-
tions in this room. There were five little
round tables to seat four persons, an open
| fireplace in one end, Il flax wheel nearby,
n Yagur and Mississippi rifle over the
fireplace, which Carson said he never used,
| as they We're not true; two dozen or more
| chairs, and no other furniture or orna-
ments, books or papers in the room. The
dinner was mostly of game, cooked and
served by Mexican servants. after which
| they retired. Mrs. Carson was n fair
young Spanish lady, hight about five feet
four inches, weight somewhere about 40
pounds, black hair and eyes, very pleas
| ant cOuntenance and good features. They
had two little girls, four and six years old.
Doak. who spoke Spanish fiuently, was
seated with Mrs. Carson and the two chill
dren, and Mrs. Carson must have enjoyed
| herself, as she took a lesson in English
from Doak and laughed pleasantly at the
mistakes she made in pronunciation and
apprehension.
After dinner we enjoyed ourselves in Il
| smoke and drinking a light. sweet wine,
while Mrs. Carson entertained MS with
music on a harpsichord. and sang some
Spanish songs, accompanying herself on
a guitar. We certainly enjoyed and spent
a very pleasant afternoon.
That evening Carson again visited us;
he was an earnest cOnversationalist and
never tired of talking of his boyhood home
l had cleaned my rifle and set it against
a wagon. Carson carefully picked it up
and balanced it on his left hand. He
saw the makers name engraved on the
barrel. He looked mp quickly and asked:
Whose rifle is thisT' answered. "Mine."
What will you take for it?" asked Car
son. The usual conversation passed in
making a trade. / had the gun made
specially, and the lock, a solid silver plate
| and the trap in the breech had formerly
been on pistol that belonged to my grand
father. The lock plate was engraved and
had the word London" stamped on it
in Italic capitals. Carson used "Nix"
rifle. John Nix, of Usage County, NO..
was the maker. and I saw the two other
guns Carson had of the same make. one
shotgun for a horseman, the other n
hunting rifle. l never saw Hawkins
rifle in his possession, or heard him speak
Of one. l finally let him have my gun
for two 2O-dollar gold pieces.