The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1874-12-02
miscellaneous.
correspondence OF the Courcr.J0urnal
WELD pSYhA.

WELD HYHA.
\ DAYS RIDE WITH NOTED WESTERN
CHAKACTER--TliE SCOUT AS He REAL
tx la.
After a months sojourn in Colo
RADIO | stepped on board the eastern
bound train and babe the city of
Denver and the grand old Rocky
Mountains Il final ndicu.
had seen the wonLrous Garden
of the Gods; had Toasted my eyes
upon the glorious sunsets equal to
those of Italy had stood on noun
tain tops, with eternal snow around
me, and the gray, misty clouds roll
ing at my feet, and yet L Was re-
turning home, weary and disap-
pointed man. L was returning
home to meet the jcors Of sarcastic
friends, with no better record to
show than Il few insignificant squir-
rcls and mountain grouse.
In the bitterness Of my spirit l
went into the bagyagc car to wrcak
my. vengeance upon all lucklcss
prairie dogs or jack-rabbits that
came within range. I WAS so for
tunate as to knock over two or three
Of the comical little ''pups and u
rabbit, while tho train vas at
full speed, much to the delight of
the train-boy, as true u type of
bright, saucy young America as I
ever saw.
In the course of the day several
passengers dropped in to see the
sport. Among them was one who
appeared to be "a spirit kindred
with my own," for he stood by and
watched the success Cor failurc) Of
each shot for full an hour with una
bated interest. He was dressed in
n neat gray suit, and was to all ap
pearanccs only an ordinary travel
cr, of medium stature; but L have
since fancied that l might havo do
tected in his keen, sparkling blue
eyes some of the traits which have
made him famous.
Now one of the plcasantcst
things in the Colorado tour is that
you are liable to be thrown in con-
tact with some distinguished person
at any time without knowing it
Still, L WAS really much surprised
when the trainboy whispered in my
ear, as the gentleman walked leisure
~ away, that Gle was tho regular
old injun fighter, Wild Bill"
had heretofore clung to tho
stage conception of the Western
despcrado-a being some six and n
half feet high, with long, flowing
hair, SCARED face, tobacco stained
mouth, and buckslkin vcstments
adorned at all available points, with
some offensive or defensive weapons.
SO when / was informed that the
mild, gcntlcmanlyyoung man, look
ing exactly like clerk out on q
holiday, was tho celebrated scout
and Indian fighter, Wild Bill, 1
naturally supposed that the train
boy WAS exercising his propcnsitics
for mischief upon me by cndeavor-
ing to pcrpctrate "glorious sell, "
and it required tho united asscr-
tions Of several passengers and the
conductor to convince me this was
really the vcritablo "Wild Bill"
ooh, what q fall was there" etc.,
and was this dappcr little fellow,
who, from all appearances, might
have been patent right man, or q
dry goods drummer, tho same 70,
mantle dare dnvil of q scout who
figures so largclyin the dime novels
and the imagination Of Young
America. cit is all on account of his
hair," softly whispered the train,
boy, seeing my look of incrcdulity
eff you could only SEQ him when
his hair is long" The cllipsis was
left for my imagination to fill, but
the impression intended doubtless
was that 1 would be rooted to tho
ground by awe and amazcmcnt.
Actuatcd by u pardonablc c,,rios
i"y, l seated myself by his side an0
proceeded to interview him accord
ing to the best known models. II
this [ succeeded far beyond my OK
pcctatioDs, as Wild Bill is usually
very shy and reticcnt with stran
gers.
He informed mo that he was thcr
on his way to an Eastern city tc
meet large party of English gen
tlcmcn to whom Buffalo Bill, Texas
Jack and himself were to act a.
guides during u three months hun
in the Yellowstone country and i,
the Rocky Mountains. They were
to receive for their services til,
small sum of $4,000 These famous