Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1879-10-31
HIS STAGE CAREER.


tire line of the Kansas Pacific as
Buffalo Bill"
HIS STAGE CAREER.
How the great hunter became to
be connected with the stage is as
follows, and told in his own lam
guage:
at was in the fall of IT," said
Bill, ''that General Sheridan came
to the plains with a party of gentle
men for the purpose of engaging in
buffalo hunt, to extend from Fort
Mcpherson, Nebraska, to Fort Hayes,
Kansas, on the Kansas Pacific Rail
road, a distance of 22s miles, through
the finest hunting country in the
world. In the party were James
Gordon Bennett, of the New York
Herald, Lawrence and Leonard Je-
rome, Carl Livingstone, S. G, Heck
shire, General Fitzhugh, of Pitts
burgh, General Anson Stager, of the
Western Union Telegraph Compa-
ny, and other noted gentlemen. 1
guided the party, and when the hunt
was finished 1 received an invitation
from them to go to New York and
make them a visit, as they wanted
to show me the East, as l had shown
them the West. Twas then
CHIEF OF SCOUTS
in the Department of the Platte.
And in January, 1872, just after the
Grand Duke Alexis hunt, which, by
the way, I organized, I got a leave
of absence, and for the first time in
my life found myself east of the
Mississippi river. Stopping at Chic
cago two days, where I was the
guest of General Sheridan, I pro.
ceeded to New York, where l was
shown the elephant During my
visit 1 attended the performance at
the Bowery Theatre, in company
with Colonel E. z. G. Judson Ned
Buntline), and witnessed a dramati-
zatlon of Judson's story, entitled,
''Buffalo Bill, King of the Border
Men," The part of Buffalo Bill
was impersonated by J. B. Studley,
an excellent actor, and l must say
the fellow looked like me, as his
makeup was a perfect picture of
myself. l had not watched myself
very long before the audience dis
covered that the original Buffalo
Bill was in the private box, and they
commenced cheering, which stopped
the performance, and they would
not cease until I had shown myself
and spoken few words.
At that time l had no idea of 60
ing on the stage, such thought new
er entered my head. But some en-
terprising managers, believing there
was money in me, offered me as high
as 81, 900 per week to go on the
stage. l told them ! would rather
face 1000 Indians than attempt to
open my mouth before all those peo-
pie. | returned to my duties as a
scout, and during the summer of
1872 Ned Buntline was constantly
writing to me to come East and go
on the stage, offering large induce
ments. As scouting business was a
little dull, l concluded to try it fOr a
while, and started East in company
with Texas Jack. Met Buntline in
! Chicago with a company ready to
support me.
awe were to open in Chicago in
Nixon's Amphitheatre on December
10th, 1872. We were driven to the
theatre where l was introduced to
Jim Nixon, who said, 'Mr. Buntline,
give me your drama, as 1 am ready
to cast your piece, and we have no
time to lose, if you are to open Mon.
day, and those men who have never
been on the stage will require sever
al rehearsals.' Buntline surprised
us all by saying he had not written
the drama yet, but would do so at
once. Mr.. Nixon said, No drama!
and this is Thursday. Well, I will
cancel your date But Buntline
was not to be baked in this way,
aud asked Nixon what he would
rent the theatre for one week for.
'One thousand dollars said Nixon.
'It's my theatre said Buntline max
ing out a check for tho amount. He
rushed to the hotel, secured the SER
vices of several clerks to copy the
parts, and in four hours had written
the The Scouts of the Prairie He
handed Texas Jack and 1 our parts
and told us to commit them to mem
ory and report next morning for re-
hearsal. Hooked at Jacks and then
at my part. Jack looked at me and
said, 'Bnl, how long will it take you
to commit your part?' about sew.
en- years, if l have good luck Bunt,
line said, Go TO work / studied
hard, and next morning recited the
lines, cues and all, to Buntline
Buntline said, you must not reeitC