The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-07-23
THE REAL BUFFALO BILL"
He Is a Modest Man Who Lives
Quietly at Wichita, Kan.
From the Great Divide.

quietly at wichita, han.
From the Great Divide.
! There lives at Wichita, Kan, the man
who is rightly entitled to whatever fame
and honor belongs to the name of Buffalo
Bill" William Matthewson carried that
title through twenty-five years active
| service on our western plains and noun
! talns before the country west of the
| Mississippi was settled by the whites.
! Mr.. MatthewSon is hale and hearty vet
eran of &c. quiet unassuming man, who
since his residence in Wichita in 1863 has
! been one of its most philosophical and
influential citizens. In appearance he is
not unlike the pictures of the typical
! Uncle Sam" With the exception of a
pair of eyes of eagle keenness he is very
unlike the popular impression of the
| western scout, Indian trader and buffalo
hunter. He is not all given to talk of his
exploits, but careful and interested ques-
tioning will thaw him out, and the lis
! tener will be rewarded by "reminiscences
enough to fill book.
In answer to the writer's inquiry, Mr..
'Matthewson said
No have never written a word of my
life for the public, although there have
| been one or two short sketches in the
western newspapers. But as TO writing
history of my life, why, ] should hardly
/ huOW WuGIG W Utklu. Anu WHY SuOulu II
The trials and hardships which | endured
in the early days were part of the neces-
| sites of pioneer times, which | shared in
| common with the first settlers. If il has
been my fortune to risk my life, it has al
ways been in the endeavor to save human
life and property. If ! had thought of
gaining any renown for the few good deeds
| was fortunate enough to do, perhaps
might not have accomplished them But
| the TrOn tier in Tbnga daVg
thinking of making material for history or
| dime novels. He lived face to face with
| actual peril, and was toe busy with the
emergencies of the present to care for the
curiosity of the future l did, however,
! for fifteen years keep diary of my daily
| life, as ! lived in connection with Kit Car
son and his party-the two Maxwells,
James and John Baker and Charles and
John Atterby / had the record of all
our adventures through the Rocky
| mountains, and the country where Den
yer now stands; of our getting the In
dians together TO prevent them raiding
into Mexico; of my life with Col. ST.
| Vrain and Col Bent; of all the years that
| | acted as Indian trader, at the great
bend in the Arkansas river, at Cow
creek, and at the post on the Little Ar
| kansas, on the old Santa Ee trail. | had
several memorandum books, that would
1 be priceless to me now, burnt when my
| ranch on Cow creek was burned in '64 "
did the Indians give me the name of
Buffalo Bill2' Oh, no, the white settlers
gave me that title; not simply because
was great buffalo hunter, but because
they were grateful to me for saving their
lives during period of great scarcity.
| 1t was this way: In 1860 there was ter
rible drought in Kansas, the crops having
failed entirely. l suppose the people
would have suffered some if hadn't been
| a hunter There were plenty of buffalo
roaming the plains, but the Indians were
thick and hostile, and the settlers unused
! to Indian warfare. | took wagon train
and some men and set out TO the buffalo
grounds, and from September until Feb
| ruary we killed buffalo, and sent train
after train to the famine-stricken people
! of Western Kansas"
"How did William Cody happen to call
| himself Buffalo Billl'
well, you see, Cody worked for me
| when he was young fellow-he is only
about 45 now. | reckon he had begun TO
read Indian stories, and see how much
was to be made by that kind of reputa-
| ton, and he was always fond of talk and
show. never was any hand to wear my
hair long, and go blowing about what |
had done. I've had my hair pretty long
at times, but was always glad TO get it
cut, when l could get back to a place
where | could.
Cody knows he has no real right to
the name. but if he wants TO show off as
dime-novel hero, have no objections. /
reckon seeing so many of those Indian lies
has sort of disguised me with talking
about my adventures, though I've had
about as many and thrilling escapes as
any OF 'em can tell"
MIR. Matthewson is one of the best IN
dian scouts employed by the government.
He has been instrumental in managing
several important treaties with the In
dians In 1855 he was sent by the govern
ment to gather together for council the
KiOwa, Comanche, Arapahoe and CheY-
enne Indians. A treaty of peace was con-
Guided in October. 1865. He entered into
a private treaty with the chiefs of the diff
ferent tribes, in which they agreed 10 al
low him to come and go and trade amongst
them, and be agreeing never 10 take up
arms against them again. This treaty was
never broken, although Mr.. Matthewson
has several times acted as mediator De-
tween the government and the Indians. In
1855 he pre-empted the quarter-section of
land on which his handsome residence
now stands and built on II one of the first
houses in the town-a log house, which
stands vet on the banks of Chisholm
creek, an object of interest TO visitors,
who like to hear of the famous Buffalo
BILL
MIR. Matthewson is wealthy and lives in
a beautiful residence on Central avenue.
He is a Mason, a knights OF Pythias and
an odd Fellow, having been grand master
of the state for three years. He has the
confidence and esteem of his fellow-tOwns-
men, as William Matthewson, and that Is
more 20 him than notoriety as Buffalo
Bill"