Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-01-07
KIT CARSON, SCOUT.
Famous Frontiersnan Was Every Inch
Man.

w SNttS~fND SSSSts
Famous Frontiersman Was Every Incl
Man.
In New Mexico they celebrated the
anniversary Of the birth Of Kit Car,
son, an event that took place or
Christmas Eve just 100 years ago
New Mexico has no doubt a good
right to take as its own hero this pio.
neer and frontiersman. Missouri al
one time laid claim to being his birth.
place, but good authority says thai
his parents, when he was a baby
followed the wild deer to that state
and that he was really born in Mad.
ison county, Kentucky. 1t was
though, in New Mexico that occurred
many Of the most stirring events oi
his adventurous life; to a ranch in
the valley Of the Taos he retired and
raised his family after his days OF
activity were over, and at Santa Fe
he was buried.
When he was still boy, before he
had risen to the dignity Of Kit and
was yet Christopher to his mother,
he found an opportunity for the re-
alization Of his dreams of following
the wild, free life Of a hunter and
trapper. He heard from men who
stopped at the harness shop where he
had been apprenticed that across the
great prairie where dwelt wild beasts
and wilder Indians was an almost un-
marked line that began somewhere
in Missouri and ended at Santa Fe,
and that for want Of better name
1t was called the Santa Fe trail. He
wanted to see the western end Of this
line, and his opportunity came one
day when a party Of traders told him
that he might accompany them.
The party had a prosperous trip.
and Kit saw for the first time the
land that was to be his home. There
are no records of any perilous adven-
lures on this expedition, but an incl
dent that happened showed in what
estimation young Kit was held.
One Of the men had accidentally
shot himself in the arm, and in Or
der to save his life the arm had to be
cut off. Carson, the youngest Of the
party, boy Of II, was chosen to per-
form the operation. A razor, a saw
and a red hot wagon bolt were the
only instruments, but with these he
did his part with gentle firmness,
and the man lived to thank Carson
for the crude piece Of surgery.
Kit liked New Mexico then, and he
made up his mind not to return to
Missouri. He could make a living
hunting and trapping, and besides, II
he was to be a frontiersman, he had
best learn his business, and what bet
ter place could he choose than this
wild land where everything was de-
pendent upon a mans own craft and
skill?
In wandering in search of game up
a valley from Santa Fe he came to
the cabin Of Kin Cade. one Of those
typical Rocky Mountain hermits with
all the rare knowledge that comes
from a close study Of nature. He en-
rolled himself as a pupil in this acad-
emy; he easily killed enough game to
pay for his tuition, and Cade taught
him what he himself knew of wild
animals and instructed him in Indian
languages and Spanish. This was
the best education that New Mexico
could furnish at the time, and was
almost all the start that the young
man had, but such as 1t was 1t served
him we'll in after life.
When the sun beats down on the
desert sand and the days Of despera-
does and bad Indians are recalled
and you have all the settings Of the
difficulties Of the undertaking, New
Mexicans like to tell you Of one Of the
deeds Of their hero. Carson, while
acting as hunter for a wagon train
across the plains, came upon an en-
of Capt. Cook and four
of troops. They were es-
corting a rich Mexican caravan to
the boundary line between the United
States and New Mexico.
The region was infested with rob-
bers, and 1t was important that the
valuable freight should not encoun-
ter harm within the United States.
The Mexicans were apprehensive that
as soon as they separated from their
protectors they would be attacked by
bands Of desperadoes that, they had
been informed, were lying in wait for
them, so they employed Carson to
carry letter asking for an escort to
the governor Of New Mexico.
No one would consent to go with
him on such a perilous journey and
he was compelled to go alone for 400
miles through a land where he had
to dodge the desperadoes that were
searching for him, but bands Of In
dians on the warpath. He reached
Taos exhausted from the impetuous
ride, but he pushed on rapidly to
Santa Fe. The governor sent a hun
dred Mexican dragons to seek the
caravan and followed with 600 more.
He entrusted to Carson dispatches
to the caravan, thinking that he
might, by riding express. reach it be-
fore the troops could come to its aid.
The first body Of soldiers were at
tackled by the desperadoes and all
killed with one exception, and the
second body retreated to their forti-
fication at Santa Fe. Carson got
with his dispatch after many
encounters and hairbreadth escapes
and assisted in wiping out the rob-
bers, who, emboldened by their sue
cess had crossed to United States ter
ritory.
Carson's early days in the noun
tains had been rewarded with
bounteous supply Of furs, for which
he found a ready sale at the traders
forts. But, returning after a years
absence in the wilderness with a fine
lot of beaver, he found that the price
had dropped about one-half. Then
Kit discovered that after all he was
subject like the rest Of the world to
tho whims of fashion, Men had stop