Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1872-05-16
The Original Buffalo BILL"

The most prominent man among the
white scouts, was ovid Bill" whose
highly varied career was made the sub
ject of an illustrated sketch in one of the
popular monthly periodicals few years
ago. &" wild Bilp was strange char
actor, just the one which q novelist might
gloat over. He was Plainsman in every
sense Of the word, yet unlike any other
Of his class. In person he was about
six feet one in height, straight as the
straightest Of the warriors whose i'm
placable foe he was: broad shoulders,
wcll-formed chest and limbs, and a face
strikingly handsome; a sharp, clear,
blue eye, which stared you straight in
the face when in conversation q finely
shaped nose, inclined to be aquiline ;
a well-turned mouth, with lips only par
tally concealed by handsome NOUS
tachc. His hair and complexion were
those of the perfect blond. The former
was worn in uncut ringlcts falling care
lessly over his powerful formed shoulders.
Add to this figure costume blending
the immaculate neatness Of the dandy
with the eXtravagant taste and style of
the fronticrsmAn, and you have Wild
Bill, then as now the most famous scout
on the Plains. Whether on foot or on
horseback he was one Of the most per-
ect types, of physical manhood ! ever
saw. OF his courage there could be no
question it had been brought to the
test on too many occasions to admit OF
a doubt. His skill in the use Of the
rifle and pistol was unorring; while his
department was exactly the opposite Of
what might be expected from a man Of
his surroundings. 1t was entirely free
from all buster or braYado. he seldom
spoke Of himself unless requested to do
50. His conversation, strange to say,
never bordercd either on the vulgar or
blasphemou8. His influence among the
frontiersmen was unbounded, his word
was law; and many are the personal
quarrels and disturbances which he has
checked among his comrades by his sim
pie announcement that "this has gone
far enough" if need be followed by the
ominous warning that when persisted
In or renewed, the quarreIcr "must set
tie it with me-" "Wild Bill' is any
thing but quarrelsome man yet no
one but himself can enumerate the many
conflicts in which he has been engaged,
and which have almost invariably re-
suited in the deNth of his adversary. [
have a personal knowledge of at least
half dozen men whom he has at various
times killed, one Of these being at the
time a member OF my command. Others
have been severely wounded, yet he al
ways escapes unhurt. On the Plains,
every man openly carries his belt with
Is inyar liable appendages, knife and re-
yolver, often two of the latter. "Wild
Bill always carried two handsome ivory
handled revolvers of the large size he
was never seen without them. Where
this is the common custom, brawls or
personal difficulties are seldom if ever
settled by blows. The quarrel is not
from 4 word to blow, but from word
to the revolver and be who can draw
and fire the first IS the best man. No
civil law reaches him 1onc is applied
for. In fact, there is no law recognized
beyond the frontier but that of Knight
makes right" Should death result from
the quarrel, as it usually does, no cor
oner's jury is impaneled to learn the cause
of death, and the survivor is not arrest
ed. But instead Of these old-fashioned
proceedings, n meeting of citizens takes
place, the survivor is yep"ested to be