 The Cavalcade of America, presented by DuPont. Last Saturday, 150,000 people from all parts of the nation passed to the portals of the great pageant of the Pacific on the opening day of the 1939 San Francisco World Fair. Here, on man-made treasure island in beautiful San Francisco Bay, approximately 20 million people are expected to visit the towers and palaces in this wonderland of the new west. I wonder how many of these people will recall the days when the great empire on the shores of the Pacific was being built by men of vision and courage. One of these daring American frontiersmen was the colorful Indian scout Kit Carson. It is his trail that we follow on the Cavalcade of America tonight. Many songs have been inspired by the land of Kit Carson, by the vast lonely prairies of the west. And as our overture tonight, Don Voriz and the DuPont Cavalcade Orchestra play one of the most popular melodies of the romantic west. Carry me back to the lone prairie. For his life practically spanned the whole spectacular story of the old west. Kit was born in Madison County, Kentucky on Christmas Eve of the year 189. But while he was still a baby, his parents loaded their household goods into a covered wagon and moved down west to Franklin, Howard County, Missouri. The first step in Kit's lifelong restless pilgrimage. He grew up on the edge of the Indian country and learned to shoot and ride almost as soon as he could walk. By the time he was 17, he'd been working for two years as apprentice in a saddler shop. Kit didn't like it much. It was too confining, but he had his dreams. I thought you would. I'd just come to tell you something, Tommy. You don't like sitting around here in the store now, do you? No, I don't, Pa. Here, if you were still alive, there's lots we could do together. You need to be opened up. They'll be calling it a new empire for a long. Those great frontiers out there. You've got to lead the new settlers on the right road on Kingdom Commonback. Sounds all right to me, Pa. You'll be too dog-gone busy to settle down yourself. Don't forget what I said. I've got to be getting back to myself. I'm waiting for you to get started. Stick along with me. I've got a lot I want to ask you, Pa. I got you. Oh, man, boy, what was your mumbling about, anyhow? I'm sorry. I guess I was asleep. Your boss wouldn't care none for that middle of the afternoon like this. Got the saddleman to get? Oh, Mr. Martin, yes, sir, your saddle's ready. All right, give her here. Where you going, Mr. Martin? Santa Fe. I sure like to go along with you, Mr. Martin. Santa Fe. A boy like you? Why, Santa Fe's 800 mile away. I know. That's why I want to go. It's west. I'm serious, Mr. Martin. Honest I am. See, I'd work hard, too. And what would your boss think about that? You're his bound apprentice. I've got to get out west. Yeah, I reckon your father wouldn't like it much, youngster. My father wouldn't mind. How old are you, anyway? Right now, 17. This to me like you'd never get your full growth, son. Mr. Martin, you've got to take me. All right, boy. But we've got to see about it that quick. We're leaving at age. This is hereby given to all persons. That Christopher Carson, a boy about 16 years old, small of his age, but thick-set, light hair, ran away from the subscriber living in Franklin, Howard County, Missouri, to whom he'd been bound to learn the Sadler's trade on or about the 1st of September. All persons are notified not to harbor, support, or assist, said boy, under penalty of the law. One cent reward will be given to any person who will bring back the said boy. October 6, 1826, David Workman, Franklin, Missouri. But kids with his restless spirit was on his way. 800 miles to Santa Fe, 800 miles of cloudbursts, blizzards, and dust storms, 800 miles of stampeding buffalo, of wolves, of raiding Indians, 800 miles of rivers and gullies, of forests and plains, and then down into Santa Fe lumbered the caravan, down into the enchanted city with its ancient governor's palace, its public inns, its cottonwood and locust trees, where guitars were softly strung behind adobe walls, where church bells toll the hours, and colorful crowds gathered in the sun-baked plaza, then up to the little town of Tower. With his wages in silver, his hair slicked down, he and his friend William Bent set out to see the town. And in a little cafe, I'm always glad to get back to Tower to meet a powerful lot of nice folks here, kid. Yeah, I reckon you can. Well, we've been in this place long enough. Let's go somewhere else. Bill! Hey, Bill! Well, anyway, thank you. Ain't you a young old? You ain't how I want you to meet Kid Cox. You're the famous chopper, ain't you, sir? I might be proud to meet one of the mountain men. Haven't been back to Missouri, have you, Ian? Nope. Reckon I'll never go back east again. This suits me. I've been trapping up in the mountains. Say, it was pretty fine, Bill. Ain't you tired of living here with all these Spaniards and Mexicans? You better come on back to Bent's fort with me and Kid. Now, wait a minute, Bill. I ain't so sure I want to leave town. Hey, say this. Fine freightin' at the fort, cousin. Hey, Kid, you hear what you intend? Who's that girl dancing up there? Oh, so that's why you don't want to leave town. Oh, I never said that. Say, throw your hat out on the floor. If she dances on it, you're the favorite. Yeah, I gave you this who you had out there, Kid. Hey, Bill, come on, Sonic. You shouldn't have done that. Now we'll see if she does. My brand new hat. Why'd you do it? Dancing on your hat, cousin. How do you like that? You'd better stop. You're sapplin' on the brim. Oh, cousin will never leave town now. I like to get that hat back. I thought you wanted to go somewhere else tonight. Oh, thank you, ma'am. Josef, this here is Kid Carson. Kid? Kid, not kid. Christopher, I reckon. But he's so young, and I thought... As a matter of fact, he doesn't like your dancing at all. You don't like the dance? Oh, now listen, pal. He said you trampled on the brim. You, Josef. Oh, I didn't mean that. He wants to go somewhere else tonight. He said so. Well, I guess I don't know anything about these things, ma'am. I would never destroy your hat, senior chief. No, never mind them. You stay with her safe, sir. We will walk outside, eh? I'd like that. You'll stay in town, won't you, senior chief? Well, I hadn't been figurein' on it, but now... Wouldn't you like to come with us, sir, Carson? With a mountain, ma'am? Yeah. Quite a parcel, obviously. Startin' out on an expedition tomorrow, the next day. Where you goin'? Heela Mountain. We're huntin' beaver. West, you goin' west, huh? Yep. Always did want to get further out. Well, let's get goin' yet. Come on! Come on! Senior chief, you said you'd stay, chief. You want me to? Yes. Yes, I do, senior chief. Well, ma'am, I gotta get further west. I'll be back, though. Yes. You'll come back to Towers, senior chief. You'll remember, Josefa? I sure will. I won't be long. I promise. So, keep left Towers and Josefa. Proud of his new role as a mountain man. In Kitt's mind, the highest honor in that wild and tactless land. A few days later, the band of trappers were making camp one afternoon. Young confessed to him that hunting beaver wasn't the only purpose of the expedition. Uh, Kitt, I, uh, I got something to tell you, boy. Yes, sir? Ed Bailey's been out scottin'. He just rolled back in to tell me he'd seen Indians. You ain't never been in a fight with Indians, have you? No, sir. But I ain't afraid. I, uh, got something else I better tell you, Kitt. Of course, we're hunting beaver after a fashion if we come across any. But first and foremost, Kitt, uh, we're after apaches. Well, that's why you give me a skin and knife. Sure thing. There's any scalp and you might as well be in on it. We're as good at taking hair as any Indians. You see, these apaches around Salt River's been making trouble. Killed about 20 of our mountain men last year. We're out to punish them, that's all. Hey, you and her comin'. Watch yourself now, Kitt. Watch yourself. They're ridin' to attack. I'll watch myself with the young... Seems like I heard that drum somewhere, sir. Gentlemen and our boys, they're ridin' fast. I remember now. That's first, Ed Bailey. You always do flick on the trigger. Sir, I started it. We learned here enough to do some photo for your fire, Kitt. I wait for the young. That was quick work. We'll look out for them again tomorrow unless they come back tonight. Why, what you doin', Kitt? Puttin' a brass tack in my old rifle stock. This here is my father's gun. I brought some tags along just in case I could decorate it up. That was my first engine. With delight, Kitt learned that Ewing Young was blind to push up right on to California. The restless spirit of the boys stirred within him once more. Only 18 men were picked for this long trek. But Kitt was one of them. The others were sent home. Even the Arizona desert, days without water, almost without food, couldn't dampen the boys' enthusiasm. And he was dazzled by his first sight of the Grand Canyon. At last, pushing westward, the little company reached San Jose in California. By now, they really were trapping people. But the Mexican authorities do still... Reminding the Americanos that they were there without permission. Well, I don't know, Kitt, looks like we might have trouble with these Mexicans. They act like we was an invading army. They've been treating us pretty mean since we got here. A couple of rancheros have been all right. One of them even asked me to drink some wine yesterday. Maybe it was your personal charm, Kitt. No, I tell you, they don't like us. They don't like to learn Spanish. He's such bad fellas, once you get to know him. Well, I'm cursed if I'm going to pull out on a kind of a few scowls. If they want to make trouble, let them try it. Hey, what's up over there? That's the mayor of the town, ain't it? I'll go over and see. All right, Kitt, watch out for him. What's the matter, friends? Señor, los indios es loco. Molista las casas con cueco. Maniola es exuelto. Somos los caballos es promos. Hey, young, come here. What's up, Kitt? I think the Mission Indians is out on a rampage. Burn down two houses. Out for scalps. He says they're stowing some horses. Scape their own tribe back in the hills. Think we ought to help out some, Kitt? I sure do. I'll find a few of our boys and go out after them. Bring them killers back. See you, ladies. I'm going for my horses. Señor, you go for us? Yeah, he goes for you. Señor, we Mexicanos have made a big mistake. We are very sorry. You stay with us as long as you like. After staying in California for a few months, a new longing stirred in Kitt's vagabond heart calling him back to town. To the warm, colorful little town that was home to him. And there he married Josefa Jalameo. And always Josefa dreamed that his roving spirit would be soothed, that his restless heart would tire of danger and wandering. And Kitt had quite seriously decided to become a farmer. He was through with trailblazing forever. He bought oxen and plow and told his friends that he'd settle down. And it was joy in the heart of Josefa. You are happy, my Kitt? Happy. Well, sure, honey. I'd like to know why not. No, each time before you ever said that you were content, my Kitt. But then you have listened to the thunder of horses and gone to wait the mountain to the wind. No, I'm here to stay. Once and for all, I'm through with all that roving, Josefa. And you will be happy just to stay here at town with me. Yeah, honey, with you, sure. Sometimes there ain't much action around here, of course, but I always liked ours. You see, I remember the last time that kind of friend was here. No, I'm finished with him, too. He's a wonderful man and safer. Oh, but his explorations take too dark on much time. I got a home now in responsibility. There's someone in the room. Well, I'll go out and see who it is. Yeah, what is it? Oh, hello, Kitt. A letter for you, Kitt. Yeah, we just brought dinner down. Oh, thanks, Kitt. I had some grubs? No, I'll be getting home. Bye, Kitt. Bye. All right, it's funny. Bright official looking letter from the government or something. What is it, my teeth? Leaping buffaloes from Fremont. Oh. Going on another of them expeditions. Can you imagine, said he needs me? Is that fellow crazy? Is it if I give up farming? Farming up at Dense Forest. Heading for California by way of Great Salt Lake. Taken 40 good planesmen, but he needs a scout. You don't want to go, do you, my Kitt? Well, of course not. Well, what did I be doing that for? Says they're bound to be trouble soon between us and Mexico. And California is going to be right in the thick of it. Listen to me, Kitt. We ought to be there, Kitt. There'll be plenty happening. It seems to me, my Kitt couldn't affirm that he's looking always for trouble. Oh, no, you can't say that, exactly. Honey, don't you forget how we surveyed the Rockies and I'll never forget crossing the sea and the valleys with Fremont to get to Sardis Fort. Those are pretty good days we had together. Yeah. Yes, my Kitt, I suppose they were. Well, save her. Yes, Kitt. Now, if I did go, just this time, just to help out a friend, you... Oh, Kitt. Well, now, honey, don't look at me like that. You will leave me. I know. Well, if I go, it'll be the last time. The last time was safer. Of course, he went, and in California, both Kitt and Fremont found all the excitement they were looking for. They had a good deal to do with securing California's independence. Next, we find Kitt on his way east to Washington from California in the spring of 1848. His saddlebags full of mail and official dispatches to the White House. He and his companions, some army men, have come as far as the Grand River in Utah. The river is a raging torrent. Slowly, Kitt Carson and his men launch their frail raft into the seething river. Cautiously, they propel themselves mid-stream, whirled and buffeted by slashing sheets of foam, and at last they reach the opposite shore and hurry on to the port. The great stockade gate creaks open. Hi, Kitt. Well, I'm so glad to see you again. I suppose you're heading back east. That's right, Tom. The mailbag is mighty precious on this trip. I've got a suspicion they're carrying a lot of news about the discovery of that gold in California. All right. Fair say, Kitt. That reminds me. A couple of fellows here the other day were in a couple of letters for you. You've been to Taos. Oh, sorry I missed it. You heard you'd be passing through left the letters with me. I said I'd give them to you. Got them in my pocket. There you are. Well, thanks, Tom. Well, this one here is from Jack Taylor. It was on the farm next to mine. It says my sheep are doing fine. I ought to get home for the shearing. Yeah. All right, my sheep must be sheared, but now I thought it was written quite a while ago. Yeah, who's the other one from? Yeah, let's see. Oh, it's from Joe. Works my farm for me. He says, Kitt, what's the matter? Oh, it's safer. Come on inside, Kitt. I'll get you something. Oh, it's safer. The lonely Taos to which Kitt ultimately returned. After a few years, he was appointed Indian agent from New Mexico and made a good one. When the Civil War started, Kitt promptly enlisted with the Union forces in the west and was promoted to the right of Brigadier General. After the war, he came back once again to Taos, aging now and troubled by an old injury received on a hunting trip years before. Somehow Kitt knew he hadn't much longer to live. The old tough-spin-dominable spirit was still there. General Carson, sir? Oh, Kitt Carson will still do for me, son. What can I do for you? I'm the son of Frank Mason, sir. Do you remember him? Frank Mason. Well, sure I do. California. He went back east years ago. He left his heart out here, though. When I wanted to come west, he gave me this letter to you. I had just arrived in New Mexico. I'm mighty pleased to see you, boy. Never you mind no letter. Frank Mason's son, huh? That good scrapper he was. Smart little horses, too. Yes, sir. So you think you'll try the west, huh? Well, the west's changing pretty fast. What's your aim to do out here, son? Anything I can find to do at first. Of course, later on, I'd like to get into transportation when the railroad comes through. Yeah. That's the next step in it. It would interest the young fellows, naturally. And don't you get roving too much, though? Roving? No, I mean following trails until you don't know how to stop. I did too much of that. If you do, you'll never have a home. General, you oughtn't feel that way. Look at the homes you've made possible for all the new settlers. Thousands of them. It'll be millions, aren't they? Maybe. Wandering is hard on the women folk. I wish I'd spent a little more time with my horse safer. Oh, I tried to, but somehow I always had to be on the move. Remember how she cried the last time I left her? I never saw her again. No, I'm sorry. Well, the old days of the west, they're gone. Son, you go ahead and do the thing, Jane, to do. I had the old west, and now you'll have the new. But remember, it's still got to be built. I reckon I wouldn't understand the new west very well. The young men who are coming out, they will. I'm satisfied to have known it as it was. A symbolic figure representing the old pioneers who blazed trails over the west and from whose camp fire dust a thousand cities arose. The legends and memories of Kit Carson, the great frontiersmen, form an immortal chapter of a vanished era in the cavalcade of America. That's a rise deal with another story of the far west. Last Saturday marked the opening of the San Francisco 1939 World's Fair on 400 acre treasure island in San Francisco Bay, the largest island ever created by man. 20 million people are expected to visit Treasure Island in 1939. 20 million people who will thrill to the side of the towers and countless exhibits in this pageant of the Pacific. In the homes and garden building facing the great court and World's Fair tower, every phase of housing and home planning is displayed in vast indoor and outdoor exhibits. And outstanding among the exhibits in this building is the wonder world of chemistry presented by DuPont. This exhibit is a cavalcade of science, fascinating marvels from the chemist laboratory. The methods of research behind some of the most spectacular DuPont achievements are shown with the amazing apparatus of chemistry performing before your eyes. There you see steps in the manufacture of transparent film, the process of making exotic perfumes and a rainbow of dyes from coal, methods of making plastic products, and the way Chinaware is decorated. A visual demonstration of DuPont's new sink and float process shows how coal is separated from slate and other minerals from rock. There's a dramatic presentation of neoprene. Man-made rubber. A clever diorama pictures the construction of the Grand Coulee Dam. Another shows a scale reproduction of a Hollywood movie set. And tiny mannequins strut across the stage of a miniature fashion show displaying smart dresses made from DuPont ray on yarn. Yes, the wonder world of chemistry at the San Francisco World's Fair is full of surprises, full of sights to interest everyone, young or old. I hope that all of you will have the pleasure of visiting this fair to say nothing of having the great experience of making a trip through the Rocky Mountain States and to beautiful California. In a later broadcast, we'll tell about the New York World's Fair where there will be another wonder world of chemistry exhibit. Both of these DuPont exhibits will stir your imagination. They give you a glimpse of the future, a promise of the better living that chemical research is planning for all of us in the days that lie just ahead. And the simplest description of all is found in the words of the DuPont pledge, better things for better living through chemistry. Next week, the Cavalcade of America will present the story of one of our own musical masters, a man whose music is known to us all, George Gershwin. So until next week then at the same time, Mrs. Thomas Jalmer saying good night and best wishes from DuPont. This is the Columbia Broadcasting System.