Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-01-07

II
mountains or far out into the valley
Nevertheless, in the eight years tina
he served the fort it is said that ther,
was never scarcity Of meat. Thous
ands of deer, buffalo, elk, antelopt
and a vast amount Of small game fel
before his rifle.
1t was during his stay here that hi
gained much Of his renown as 6
marksman. He could drop deer al
greater distance than any other OF
the hunters, while in the annual i'm.
migration Of buffaloes he could secure
without wanton killing the best OF
tongues and tenderloins for immedi.
ate use and the finest meats for jerk.
ing and mixing with pemmican.
One Of the stories that the dime
novelists of the day took advantage
Of and that army officers say was true
was Of his killing five buffaloes with
four rifle balls He had run out OF
ammunition and cut out of the body
Of his fourth victim the ball to kill
the fifth.
Kit Carson would never talk
about himself, and he was never
known to speak boastfully Of any OF
his achievements To his taciturnity
is, no doubt, due the fact that 1t Is so
difficult to thresh from all that has
been written and said about him
what is romance and what is history
said Capt. John Hammond, who from
having been in his boyhood around
western forts and having mingled
with officers who served with Carson
formed a sort of link between the pio-
neer and the present. Even a quar-
ter Of century ago, when man re-
ferred to something that Carson had
done, the question would very likely
be, History or dime novel?'
His achievements were so many
and his life was so filled with such an
extraordinary variety Of excitement
that in order to give him first place
among scouts and frontiersmen 1t Is
not necessary to depart from the facts
Of his career.
Carson differed very materially
from the Indian SLAYER and the des-
perado tanner that at the height Of
his activity were found upon the
plains. He never took life wantonly,
and he never sought a quarrel. He
had a moral hatred of bully.
"One Of the interesting incidents of
his career was the encounter with a
man of this type by the name Of Shu-
nan. Carson was in camp Of trap
pers when Shunan, who had been
making himself very disagreeable
and obnoxious, staggered along and
said
"These Americans are all cow
ards. They are all women. am go
| ing into the bush to cut some rods
and will switch every one Of them.
Carson stepped forward, and in
his calm, unimpassioned voice, said:
I am an American and have no dis
position to quarrel with you, but
your conduct can be no longer endur-
ed. If it continues I shall be under
the necessity Of shooting YOU
"Shunan hurried to his camp, seiz-
ed his rife and mounted his horse.
Carson knew what he meant and
went out to meet him. - 7'-',srs
".Am I the man you are looking
for?' he asked.
thus to throw his opponent off guard,
but at the same instant bringing his
rifle to his shoulder with the muzzle
not four feet from the body Of his in
tended victim.
"Carson's pistol was In his hand,
cooked and primed. Quick as flash
it was raised, not at the heart, but at
the right arm Of the insolent bully.
Shunan's wrist was shattered and the
rifle dropped from his hand.
Carson was q man Of high moral
ity, pure mind and intensely devoted
to his work. These were the qualities
that gained him the universal respect
in which he was held. The impress
sion that he made was always favor
able.
"As an instance Of this was his en-
ployment by Gen. Fremont for the
first Of his perilous expeditions west
of the Missouri. The two men met
on a steamboat as they were ascend
ing the river and engaged each other
| in conversation. Fremont told what
his mission was and Carson said that
he would like to accompany him. The
general was so impressed with hts
frankness and sincerity that he en-
gagged him then and there, practically
entrusting the fortunes Of the expe-
dition to his hands.
1.-The great secret, perhaps, Of Car
sons success among the Indians and
pioneers was his quickness of deci-
sion, combined with his great pru-
dence. He seemed always to be pre-
pared. A gentleman whom he had
guided across the plains said tnat he
had often watched Carson's prepara-
tions for night.
I'm arranging his bed his saddle,
which he always used as a pillow,
was disposed in such a manner as to
form a barricade for his head. His
pistols, half cooked, were placed
above 1t, and the rifle rested beneath
the blanket at his side, where 1t was
not only ready for instant use, but
perfectly protected from the damp.
Except now and then to light his pipe,
you never saw Kit at night exposing
himself to the full glare Of the camp
fire."
Kit Carson was twice married. His
first wife was a beautiful Sioux girl,
and he was devotedly attached to her.
She died only few years after their
marriage, leaving him one daughter.
This girl he took with him to st.
Louis on his first trip to the east, and
placed her in one of the best schools
in the city. His second marriage was
to a Mexican lady named Sonora
Josepha Jarimilla. She bore him
three children.
Carson in spite Of his long resi-
dence I'm the wilderness possessed