The Washington herald., 1913-07-06
Asst but not least. Of the great

Christopher Carson, universally
known "a KIT Carson. As huL Jer,
guide, Indian fighter, pioneer and ex-
plorer, he ranks along with Davy
Crockett, the hero of the Alamo, and
with Daniel Boone, the "Fsther of
Kentucky" representing type that
has passed away, but which was es-
sential TO the extension of civilixa-
ton throughout the savage wilder
ness Of days gone by.
KIT Carson was born In Madison
County, Kentucky, December "a,
1909, but his family removed to How.
ard County, Missouri, while he was
yet an infant. He never acquired much
Of the knowledge Of the schools; but
he learned how to shoot straight, to
trap wild game, and TO retain his
nerve and presence Of mind no mat
ter what danger might threaten or
what emergency might arise. As It
happened, this sort Of an education
was Of much moro service to him in
his later years than would have been
any degree of skill In the construc-
ton of howery compositions, or In
the translation Of the dead languages.
What WAS known ~ the "Boone's Lick
Country" In which his boyhood was
passed, was the frontier Of westward
conquest, between 1910 and 1890, with
everyone at all times prepared to
fight or run, 80 that he grew up in
ured to danger and accustomed to In
dian warfare. When fifteen years of
age he was apprenticcd to o saddler.
With the training he had received
and the blood of Daniel Boone in his
veins the was Boone's grandson) IL
Is not strange that he rebelled. He
was o born pathfinder, and to shut
him In by the walls Of village work.
shop was not possible. So he ran
away, after two years Of bondage.
At that period, the commerce of
was just beginning 10 rise in import
ance. So he Joined caravan bound
for the Southwest, arriving In Santa
Fe In November, 1895. From Santa
Fee, he journeyed north TO Fernandez
de Taos, eighty miles distant, where
he learned the Spanish language and
made lasting friendships. Taos at
time was the most northern outpost
of Mexican civilization. the center of
the most productive valley north of
Fl Paso, and general mart and dis
tributing point that rivslled Santa
Fe itself In Importance. From that
first visit until the day Of his death,
he regarded Taos as his home.
r ROM Taos, Carson made numerous
journeys that gave him q greater
familiarity than any other man en-
joyed with the mountains, plains,
deserts and canyons Of the far West.
First as tesmster, and later In the
capacity of cook, he journeyed south
to FL Paso and Chihuahua. In 1920,
as Q member Of q party Of trappers
in pursuit Of the beaver, he explored
parts Of the ella and Salt River val
leys Of Arizona. and entered the
Grand Canyon, then followed the old
Spanish Trail, crossing the Colorado
where Yuma now stands, to the San
Gabriel Mission of California. Then
he went up the San Joaquin Valley
to the Sacramento, and returned to
Taos in 1880. Still trapping beaver
for their skins, 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, fighting
the Blackfeet and Grow Indians as
an incident of the trip. Next he Is
heard of back on the Arkansas, and
from there he set forth blithely on a
aAriea ~ fra vv,iun avvS>dSx;op. that