The chronicle=news., 1913-05-30
CHRISTOPHER CARSON
tcontluued from Pare ons.)


roamed through the widest parts Of
the continent. and somehow came
through safe. though not always
sound. There IL Il well attcSted xtory
which tells how Carson took the fire
of y Blackfoot indian. IN order to
shoot another Indian who had drawn
. bend on Carson'x friend. When In
camp on this plains. his horses were
hobbled. not picketcd. \ picketcd
horse can pull up Its pin II scared.
but hObbied horse In almost help
icaA. and therefore secure. The In
dians could never stampede the hors-
&c Of Carson'S parties.
For eight :ars. from 1894 to 1SAe.
Carson was ''huatcr" 10 Fort Rent.
not far from where La Juntn now
stands. Tits me.nt that he WAS cx-
Isrtcd IN supply the post OF forty men
with fresh meat by his rifle. II was
were thick. aud other game was not
lacking: but II demanded good rid
or aud dead shot. During this time
ho married au Indian Girl: but she
died lcSs than year later. leaving
him with u baby daughter.
In Isi:. he went back to Missouri
which he had left sixteen years be-
fore. Ills parents were both dead.
his very name WAS all but forgotten.
aud he turncd from the old home.
stead To ST. I.ouis ~ so0n ~ he
could. Here. he made the arqusin.
tancc os John &. Fremont. command
~ of force which the authorities
u, Washington had seat to explore"
Tho Rocky Mountain region. f.c-
mont engaged Carson sx guide. There
~ss nothing exciting about the first
part al tho expedition. and when
Fremont returned TO Fort l.ariniic
In the fall. Carson went back to
tents Fort. aaL there married =
young Mexican Riri.
This vas In February. Ikt3. In
May Of the 1ame year. Fremont sent
Tor Carson s.sia. This time he WAS
across the mountains. and cl.,r on
until Il should connect with the ter
riiory mapped ont from the Pacific
ride by Wilkes. Under ordinary cir
rumstane.n. there would have t-cn
no unusual harishi!rs about surl, n
march. Hut To the rnd o. his life.
Fremont ~as much norc ready to
meet danger than adept ut pr-parnr
tn master IL: ami the expedition saf.
fcrc,i frikhituiiy before II ~rs
through. II reached The Er-a' Salt
Lake In August. aud after short
northwest aud made It's ~uy acIoes
the dcsrrss 'o Osreuu: aud then
southwark over the pas~~s of the
Si~rsss to the sacramento valley.
Tho passage Of the mountains uas
made In the depths ef winter: aud
aud the mules we're eating each 9th
rr's tails before tho valley vas won.
Tho mountains here were a. new
TO Carson ~ so Fremont. but his
skilled pianc~tins was invaluable to
tho expedition: and on onr orcysion
hc saved rrcmon,'s life. II ~as
characteristic that the moment he
came near a trsion he had seen f't.
teen years before. he s~rosais~,i II,
though approaching from th- onI-'.
rite direction.
They soi io suis-r'. Miii. Msr-h
q. isu Under their feet IA they
rude u-r- the golden sands that five
years later s~t the world rushing to
California. but ncn- of the riders
knew IT,
/ The expedition turned back with
hut = brief rest. tor Mexico could
not h- cNI.-,i-d To iih- the prrMa-
ncBt presence of oven q small body
NJ Yankee ttup.,s on her soil. Thcr
reached Iscn,s t"r, again in July.
1All: after almost continuous marvh
inA for eight months. in which time
they had rirtumpssira,~d tho Great
American Desert" Carson now ui- /
hts hand at farming. hut had barely
got started when Fremont sent for
him once more. To guide another c>-
y.,,ii,,on To California by y more III.
rect rou;r. lie accepted: and the
little party uot tn California in time
,o participate In the csrcIling of the
M-Nirans.
And here Ne come. I think. to
ai-out the most heroic exploit of Car
sons life The McNicans had been
driven tut casii, enough. hut later
In tSi. they returned. Nj, Car,on
Vas sent cas, with dispatches To tell
the United States government what
tho Californians had done. and to
ask assistance. Tie had croescd the
Rockies ON hi. long trip when he
met Gcncrai kcarncy. leading a
smai force OF United States regulars
to the wcrt. kcarney sent on the
dispatches by other hands. and Or
dercd Carson To turn back with him
az guide. II was well for kearncy