The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-08-19


The controversy over the right to owner
| ship of the title Of Buffalo Bill is going on
| like wild fire in the east. The story that
| William Nathewson OF this city was the
| original Buffalo Bill caused such a furry
| in the syndicated wild west camp OF VIII
| lam f. Cody, that IL was deemed uec,s-
sary to at once rush into print 10 deny il
| and, accordingly. Mr.. Small. the agent OF
| the company, wrote and printed three
column article which Is now broadcast
! A reporter for the EAGLE called yester-
| day OF Hon. James Il. Meade, one of the
early pioneers and plainsmen OF Kansas
| and talked TO him on the subject. No one
| can be a better arbitrator OF this dispute
than Mr. Meade, who is alike friendly 10
Cody and to Ma-hewson; besides be mas
| had the advantage of knowing all the
| famous western characters on account OF
long residence in the wild west" Mr..
Meade said:
"My attention was recently called 10 a
three column article, written by Fra NIX 4.
small Of New York City. Written original
| yto boom the wild West" show, aud 10
depricats William Mathewson of this city,
the original Buffalo Bill" Mr.. Small
must be quite a young man and with DO
practical knowledge of the plains. aud Nh.
William T. Cody evidently never made the
statement attributed to him In the article
| referred to. Cody does knew MathewSon
and so stated al the hotel in Fl Reno last
fall. in fact it would have been impossible
for he or any other man TO have been on
the plains o. Kansas, anywhere between
1855 and 1s6s, and not know William
Mathewson and o. his title OF Buffalo
Bill"
Mr. Small was probably drawing inSpir
alton from the matern ii font at that time.
This controversy has been brought about
by zeal1u, friends of Colonel William
Mathewson, a resident of this place since
the buffalo became extinct, aud those Il
Colonel William L. Cody Of ''Wild West"
fame. Now both OF these are gentlemen
and neither should attempt 10 detract
| from the credit due for skill, bravery or
| perilous adventure OF the other.
If they could get tOge her their differ
| ences could be fully explained and they
| would have a right royal time recounting
battle stories OF scouts aud other adyen-
lures
In the days of long ago. when the wild
| Indian was the mOuaTch OF all he sur
| yeyed and lord of the field and the brute,
| he despised the white man as an inferior
| being, excepting few such plaiusmeG rs
Carson, Mathewson, Baker, BridgeT. ST.
Vrain, and later Cody, Jack Stiiiwell and
others. These men all deserved whatever
| credit and reputation they received.
| Mr. Mathewson has been absent in New
Mexico for several weeks and | have no
! opportunity of talking with him and
| learning his opinion OF this attack on his
title and reputation.
Mr.. Small must be quite ignorant of the
| history OF western frontier life or else well
! paid for booming the wild Vest and
| its chief attraction, for the fact of Mathew
! son being known "a the original Buffalo
| BilP' has been mentioned ia papers both
east and west for the past twenty five
years 10 my knowledge.
! Now the facts are that both Mathewson
| and Cody are entitled to their bOnOrs
| plsinsmen. and the title OF Buffalo B.Ii"
and each earned the title independent Of
| the other.
! Mathewson. who is an older man than
| Cody, was on the plains and mountains,
and had won bis spurs IN many hand TO
/ hand encounter with indians, wild beasts
and the dangers of the.wilderness during
years from the head waters of the Missouri
down through the mountains OF Montana,
Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico and
Arizona. finally stopping at the great bend
OF the Arkansas, In the heart OF The Wild
Indian country, where be built a ranch in
-, and had proved himseltH leader smOag
men on the plaIus, while Cody was yet
little boy playing about his mott hers knee.
came on To the plains Ia 1889. and en-
gagged IN the fur and Indian trade aud
hunting among the buffalo, roaming about
on business or pleasure, bent at my own
sweet will, and personally or by reput alton
knew every man of note between The Mis-
souri, river and the mountains. and for
years there WAS but Que Buffalo BiiP'
known among men, and that mau was
Mm. Mathewson. And by that
title WAS he known in every
hamlet IN Kansas. as well as
throughout the length OF the 81 nta Re
trail, at that time the great and only
/ artery Of commerce between the Missouri
river aud New Mexico. The territory OF
| Kansas 1t that time extended TO the sum
/ nit of the Rocky mountains. Ia 1850 not
a mile Of railroad had been built In Kan
Z sas. Mathewsou acquired his title Of Blf-
/ falo Bill IN 1888 aud leUO, when he killed
| thousands OF Duiftlos Tor needy settlers,
| who came with tbeiT teams Ia droyes uut
on the Santa re trail. aud fOuHd after get
! ting onto tie range that u require! some
! experience 10 bag the wary buffalo ia
/ the generosity OF his nature MathewsOu.
/ who was an experienced huateT and dead
shot, would 70 out n un afternoon and
xii fifty or sixty buffalo giving them 10
/ the settlers without compensation. A
/ everyone called him Bill, ;hey added tie
! appropriate Jitle If Buffalo, and thus
l he became p9ssess0r OF the title In dispute.
! Crdy came on To his crosec field OF action
where lie won renOsu aud n8t0rie'y. aud
| isiI the foundation q wealth galore years
later than NafLswso1. lie first became
+ known by the title Of -i}-iLslo Bi..' in I>sJ-
/ e., ,sheu te took the contract oi supolyig-
( a construction CouPsay - the Kansas Pa
J cific railroad Ia western kt-l.-s Win but
I falO beef for tue money there was "a i-,
and with the ald q L4s associates ana EN-
/ ptoyFs flied his contract satl-iact5r- y.
4 furnishing several thOu,sJd bead o.
( this WORK ne won ais soDTsC aet, bus for q
Z number Of years PRIOR - t..-s .dsf nsyF-ol
was the well huOEu soc owner sl be
| title but failed 70 have LIs fitl- or trade
/ mark registered II such "a thlug wsgr pos
: bic: and IN course OF tine another '-l5ls..
Invented the -ame machine aui run u To-
all % wzs worth But Ssl4ug buHtiJ
wac mere pastime 20 one Who anew how
/ l. was 10 more q fi5Cuit than shooting
rattits. 10 JUNE. Js,-3. I allied 80 JgIs.O
/ and number % elk aud ante.op- wifliu
/ short di-ttrcs 81 the present sIts OF W en-
Z saved their hides eni tailow. al Ia .s-s
+ doing anything worthy Of mention
! Ia al the qualities - ~ 1is fnsuho3d
and a sucoes-tci 9lainslnaa Thirty -
I forty years aso Aat aeE-oa had DO
I super OF, 10 MAJ eICei.ed IA stTeogt Z.
: act Iyify, courage, Aor-einausalp, JuIE-
At this Season