La Junta tribune., 1911-10-14
HE only person now living
who was with Kit Carson At
the time Of the great from


the time Of the great from
tiersman'y death lately told
the story. The telling Of the story
vas In the room where Carson died.
The building is n one-story adobe
structure once used ~ q residence In
the days Of old Fort Lyon and nov
restored Ia some measure again 20
~ to be used. Fort Lyon has been
converted into hospital for United
States sailors afflicted with tubcrcu-
losis The Xii Carson house is on
the main street Of the hospital
ground In the restoration the con
tractor made queer error. He
placed modern windows instead OF
the old fashioned single paned win.
dows In the adobe walls. With this
exception the Carson house Is as II
was when In II the scout and Indian
fighter breathed his last.
Luke Cahill. grey and grizzled from
tiersman himself, %as the teller OF
the story. He accompanied the trail
party down the graveied wall. paused
for time at the entrance TO the
adobe dwelling and spoke almost
reverently OF his friend and com
mander. A tiger lily nodded dreamiiy
upon Its stem at the doorway to the
dwelling. Upon entering a small rear
room. Cahill pointed out a corner In
which he had seen Kit Carson. hand
In his hand. die.
General Carson was stocky built
man." said Carson. about five feet.
eight inches high. He was bowlegged.
pronouncedly so. He weighed about
i75 pounds. He was not an educated
man. On the contrary. he was man
quite illiterate. He could not read.
or II he could. 1t was only few sen
tences such as child might read In
a primer. He could scarcely do more
than write his name. He was OF
very quiet disposition and some per
sons regarded him as taciinrn. which
of course was not true. He cared
nothing for money. but was pas
sionately devoted TO his friends He
would sacrifice anything for a friend
Nothing was too biz for him to un-
dertake to do II he thought a friend
needed II done. | think that Is one
reason he became SO popular through
the west. Above everything else the
westerner admIr.s loyalty TO ones
friends. He was n popular man. too.
more so than almost any man ! knew.
OF course he was much younger than
] was. but for some reason he seemed
specially fond Of me and | was par.
ticulariy devoted to him. II WAS BE-.
cause OF this friendship that | was
present at the time OF his death
General Carson was intensely fond
Of playing poker i, WAS his one
great dissipation. After all II Is not
such bad dissipation. is IL. when
one recalls that General Carson did
not care for the money won In the
game. but only the thrill and es'
cit.mcnt that went In IN. playing OF
IL He never played for high stakes.
but he played hard and enjoyed the
rociabiiity that went with the game.
lie was not drinking man-that Is.
! never heard Of him really being
under the influence OF liquor nor
hav. known OF his taking liquor TO
excess He would drink. however. So
cially. as most men of his type and
age drank. The use OF liquor IA not
as large as II one" Was and the
world u better OF because of II. II
General Carson had lived In the
present day. doubt whether he
could have drank at all.
1T was on III. ed OF MAY. 1865.
tina, General Carson died In this
room. II was about half past ten
In the morning. His wife had died n
month before In childbirth. His
head rested near this window and
he had been looking out through the
window AT IN. growing light He had
been III across the Arkansas river.
where he had been living for some
time. and not getting any better. the
fort physician. DR.. Tiison. and 9th.
srs Of his friends had prevailed upon
him To perni, himself to b. brought
70 the fort for medical attendance.
He had come rather reluctantly. Ev.
eeythinx was done for him BY the
sOrt officials that vas posaibl~ to b.
Aonc TOR any patient. but every It.
fort was unavailins. think only
the hospitsi steward. ~. Triton and
mysclf were In the room when he
1sed. Through the window he hooked
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