The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1912-04-12

- N ished in the desert
but the genuine march.
ed the trail unhurt. The story OF the
trail IS the story OF great frontiers
men. There were giants In those
DAYS. Strong men and weaklings were
attracted by the pot OF gold which
the rainbow stories OF the trail To-
Gated in Santa Fee. the end or the traii'
where the rainbow touched the ground.
The weddings fell by the weary way
side or fled back TO the silken COM
forts of civilization. The strong stay
ed. Courage was characteristic
Fear was foreign to the frontiersmen'
They knew how 10 fight, 10 fight al
close range, and to fight hard. Ihey
did not know much about books, but
they knew of men and the open SKY
and the trail. They lived ont oil
doors. They were honest Hide my
gold?" said one old-timer talking over
his yesterdays. II never hid my gold.
No thieves travelled In the caravans.
They were hospitable. They would
share the last pipeful OF tobacco. Dan
gerous as was the life the early trav-
elers upo nthe trail necessarily led
they found fascination in the very dan
ger. II would like to go again" said
Judge John ID. Turley, one OF the IN
dian lighters OF yesterday, rising from
his chair and tapping with his cane
the elm under which We had been
seated. He seemed 80 years young in
stead o. IS years old. Il certainly
would go again II the railroad had
not taken away the danger and spoiled
the fun"
The most conspicuous figure among
he frontiersmen on the trail was hit
-arson-"Gen. Carson" as he Is spok-
IN Of. almost with reverence, by
Daniel L. Taylor. six times mayor
" Trinidad, Colo, who has given
5000 to erect a statue 10 Carson in
kat bustling border town. Kit Car
ION lived and died upon the trail and
vas there buried. The automobile
travellers. following the old trail, found
eminders Of this foremost frontiers.
nan from Franklin, Mo, to Taos, y.
". Ready and willing to talk OF Kit
Carson were the old-timers who had
Known him. "Of all the great men on
he trail" said Mayor Taylor. who
knew him intimately for years, Gen.
Carson was the chief" Not all the
,ld.timers agreed with Mayor Taylor
Xxi, Carson was not an extraordinary
man." said Capt. Smith II. Simpson o.!
raos. There were many others who
we're better and older Indian fighters
[ was Gen. John c. Fremont's re-
ports that made Kit Carson's reputa.
ion"
II is not strange that the trail
lbounds with stories Of Kit Carson
and his adventures. In Howard cOun-
", Missouri, where the trail really be-
gan, he lived as a lad. At Pawnee
Rock he had his first fight with the
Indians. At various posts on the trail
ae was stationed as Indian agent He
married on the trail. His body, buried
Lyon on the trail. His body buried
first at Las Animas. on the trail, was
and In a cemetery in this quaint Span.
sh town in the mountains now rests.
Kit Carson was part and parcel of the
old trail and much OF the romance OF
The trail is interviewer with his name.
lie was only II years old when he
eft his fathers home in Howard coun-
~, Missouri TO join a Santa Fe Cara
van. From that time until his death
on the Arkansas river in 1868 the San.
In Fe trail was his home. Many stor.
les are told of Carson. some OF which
are doubtless apocryphal, but all II.
lustrate the character. At Great Bend.
on the Arkansas river. he amputated
a mans arm to save his life. using as
instruments all that were available. a
razor, saw and the king bolt OF a
wagon. At Bent's Fort he was the
chief hunter for eight years. provid.
ing game for food for the 40 men in
the fort. lie was on intimate terms
with the Indians, who admired re-
spected and feared him. He could
make peace as well as war. The
Sioux, one OF the most numerous and
warlike tribes" relates Mayor Tay.
lor. had encronched upon tho hunt.
Ing grounds OF the southern Indiana
and the latter had many skirmish
with them on the banks OF the Arkan.
sas river along the trail. Carson. who
was In the upper valley OF the river
was sent for to come down TO helm
them drive the obnoxious Sioux back
to their own stamping ground. He
left Fort Bend and went with the
party OF Comanche messengers to the
main camp OF that tribe and the
Arapahoes. with whom they had
united. Upon his arrival he was told