The San Francisco call., 1909-08-29
By John L. Cowan

not 70 forget that the one-hundredth
anniversary OF the birth OF Kit Car
son-the last and one of the great
est OF American frontiersmen-wiu oc-
cur IA December 1t is now proposed TO
celebrate the centenary by moving his
aust from Taos. n. NJ. where it has
lain for 80 years, TO Trinidad, Colo,
and 70 ask congress for an appropria-
tion OF $4,000 with which TO erect
monument that viii be ftting memo
rial TO one Of the great names OF
southwestern history. It should be re-
membered that Kit Carson was buried
at Taos IN accordance with his own
wish. and It is not probable that his
surviving children and grandchildren
viii consent 10 the sacrilege of remov-
ing his sacred dust to any other rest
ing place.
Kit Carson was q grandson OF Daniel
Boone. and was born in Madison coun-
~, KY. December "a. 1903. but his fam
lily moved 10 Howard county. Mo-. be-
fore he was a year old He never ac-
ouired much Of the knowledge taught
IN the schools but he learned how to
fight Indians. to trap wild game. to
shoot straight and TO retain his nerve
and presence Of mind, no matter what
danger might threaten or what ener-
gency might arise. ana, as it happened
this sort OF knowledge proved useful to
him fn his later career when no
amount Of skill in solving q problem
fn algebra or IN constructing a nowery
composition would have iavailed. From
1910 to 1920 what was known as the
Boone's Lick country OF Missouri was
the outpost Of American conquest, so
that Carson's boyhood Injured him 70
the perils Of Indian warfare. When Is
years Of age he was apprenticed to
eaddler. but it was impracticable TO
pen 2 born pathfinder within the four
walls OF q village workshop, so after
two years of irksome toll he ran away.
At that period the commerce OF the
prairie over the Santa Fe trail was
Just beginning to rise IN Importance.
20 he Joined a caravan OF traders bound
across the plains, arriving in Santa Fe
IN November, 1926. From Santa Fe he
Travelled north to Fernandez de Taos.
50 miles distant. where he acquired the
Spanish language and made lasting
friendships. Taos at that period was
the farthest outpost Of Mexican civili-
zation, the center Of the most produc-
tive valley OF the southwest, and
general mart and distributing point
that rivaled Santa Fe itself IN impor-
tance. From this first visit until the
day OF his death he regarded Taos as
his home.
Learning the Desert
From this starting point he made nu-
merous Journeys that gave him a
greater familiarity than any other in
oividusl enjoyed with the deserts,
plains. mountains and canyons of the
terra incognita that extended indefn-
itely north and west. First as a team
ster and later in the humble capacity
OF cook he journeyed south to El Paso
and Chihuahua- In 1923, in pursuit Of
the beaver, he traversed portions OF the
ella and Salt river valleys. and ven
tured into the grand canyon Of the
Colorado. Then he took the old Spanish
yuma now stands. and 5ourneyed on to
the san Gabriel mission OF California.
up the San Joaquin valley TO the sacra-
mento, and then back TO Taos In 1880.
stiu trapping beaver during the next
four years he traversed the present
state OF Colorado. following the Platte
river into the heart OF the Rockies;
then went up the Green river into what
is now known as the Jackson Hole
country OF Wyoming. lighting the
Blaclteet and Crow Indians as an in
esdent OF the expedition Next he is
heard OF back on the Arkansas. and
fronn there he set forth blithely upon
series OF trapping jaunts that car
rice him 70 the headwaters OF the Mis-
sour.. up tho Yellowstone, into tho
Black hills, -ane th-ouSn the valley Of
the Snake. The recosd of his Journey