The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-09-02
TIE BUFFALO BILL SCARE.

The EAGLE is with William Matthew
son in this Buffalo Bill matter, and this
| paper believes that as far as the disputa-
ton has gone, the quiet Wichita gentle
man who lives out on Central avenue
has much the best part of the argument.
In this paper this morning, there is an
! article by Nym Crinkle. a New York
writer of worth, on this subject. He
apparently does not think much of Mr..
Matthewson's claims and spits out q
playful sarcastic shot or TWO which will
be regarded as ''great stuff" by Buffalo
Bill and his crowd of hangers-ou.
Nym Crinkle'S article is significant.
When a writer of note takes the trouble
and finds it remunerative to come out in
such a philippe there are wires being
worked which are not visible to the pub
lie.
Cody is frightened. When the article
in the EAGLE first appeared it created a
great commotion in the camp of the
though Riders of the World" Cody
was excited. His managers were ex-
cited. The newspaper iick-sPittles who
are kept in hand with complimentary
tickets TO the show were excited.
The managers of Buffalo Bal or Cody,
attempted to rush into print. They must
have failed. 1t is one thing to know a
writer on a city paper. 1t is another
thing TO succeed in getting the matter
he has written through the city editors
hands, and the managing editors hands,
and past the editor-in-chief's watchful
eye. Cody's managers did not get the
Afathewson story refuted in any eastern
paper of prominence. 1t is true bogus
interview printed on slips was sent over
the country. In this interview the re-
porter for the supposed paper winds up
the article by drinking to the health of
Cody with Cody's friends. The reporter
who would write of his own drinking
for the average metropolitan paper of
repute would politely be dropped down
the elevator shaft.
Nym Crynkle's article indicates one
thing. Nym Crinkle has been called to
the rescue. He has protected people in
the show business before, and he prob
ably now feels it his duty to save Cody.
The funny thing about it all is that
Cody does not need defending. He has
had a wonderful experience on the
plains. He had the tact and the genius
to turn that experience to good account.
If he has colored his exploits little, he
has done nothing unusual There is no
need for him to get excited or for his
Mathewson. Mathewson is not going
into the show business. In all the wears
he has lived here, and with most of the
community knowing of his earlier ex-
perienceS, not dozen have ever sue
ceeded in getting him to relate them.
Bill Cody and his show are safe.
Mathewson is not going to injure he
business or to steal Cody's alias. Ie is
not necessary for Nym Crinkle or any
one else to rush to the rescue and at
tempt to ridicule Mathewson. He
doesn't care.
But this fact remains. There are
some things that Nym Crinkle with his
hackneyed wit and stale stories does not
know. He has no better idea of the
western plainsman than the western
plainsman has of the first night in New
York theater.
lie does not know that the western
plainSman is and has been in all western
history a silent man. Kit Carson wore
short hair and did not speak half dozen
words day. He was not booster or a
drunken tough. Mathewson does not
wear his hair long or spit fire. But in
pinch he could make a fight that would
turn every hair on Cody'S head gray in
three seconds.
The east has been writing fallacies of
the west for years. They have made the
most dissipated cowboys and the --LATEST
of freighters, the noblest of warriors.
That practice has about ended. The
west is rearing Its own writers Owen
Wister, who is writing stories for the
magazines is telling the truth about the
west. He is describing il exactly as it
is and has been. He does not sacrifice
the human nature of the plainsman for
a blood-curdling effect.
His stories are being read and COM
mented upon all over the country. They
are enhanced by illustrations by Fred
eric Remington, another westerner.
Wister's stories are of great literary
worth. They will live. The yellow
back novel will die, Cody aud MN
Itrir-la Notwithstanding