Daily Kennebec journal., 1895-07-20
THE WILD WEST.
Buffalo Bill and His Cowboys and
Indians in Augusta.
1--WE a Rattling Good Show Before Hundreds
o. kennsbec Valley Spectators.

"hiio Win us and after they had
sohe were glad they had come.
ihere wore many early "risers" in
henheDec county, Friday morning. and
7 no' few OF them were on hand at the
I grounds and about the place where the
oars We're being unloaded. The wild West
Oh the past will long have a fascination
.or people and those who saw the exposi-
'loh OF 1t yesterday, were afforded better
I ioea OF life upon the great Western plains
twenty years ago than they otherwise
could have obtained
In his earlier days Col. Cody visited
augusta, but this was the first visit of
the great exhibition, which he alone of all
men was able to conceive and to carry
1 FORWARD to success unparalleled.
. throughout his eastern trip the press and
the people have had only commendation
ior the Wild West Such an exhibition
Vi rough riding. such an aggre, cation of
: rough riders was never seen until Col.
Oody found the way to make 1t possible
Inc street parade in the forenoon, led
by Col. Cody, seated In barouohe drawn
py pair OF elegant Arabian horses, was
seen by hundreds of people. 1t was made
up OF cowboys, Indians, Mexicans
dauohos, soldiers of various nations
. Arabs Cossacks and other features of
note One particularly interesting part
that drew special attention was the old
stage coach, which has history and
has undergone Indian attacks In its
palmy days. This coach was built in
1863, by the Abbott, Downing Co. of
Concord, N. H., and only few days ago,
(July A. returned for the first time to the
spot where 1t was built. 1t Is battered
and torn, rent and scanned and SCARED,
but it rocks easily still upon its old
thoroughbrace, and looks good for years
to come. When Col. Cody purchased 1t,
1t was lying at the bottom of gulch
where 1t had been thrown by Indians.
Since he acquired the old vehicle 1t has
been across the ocean, on the Mediter-
ranean sea six times and has also been
taken across the Baltic and North seas.
1t has been on the Bois de Boulogne and
all the other famous avenues of Europe,
and during It's pilgrimages with the show
many distinguished people In this country
and abroad have enjoyed the novelty of
riding In It,
The Indians in their war paint and
mounted upon "saddleess" horses com
manded great amount of attention and
were numerous, showing that Col Cody
was bound to have enough to please peo-
pie.
In the afternoon Journal man went to
the Augusta driving park, where the great
show was held, and was met by Mr.. Eel
lows, press agent for the big show. In
company with him the reporter was given
glimpse behind the curtains, as it were,
saw the Indians in their tents decorating
their bodies with various colored paints,
and looked over the 576 horses accom-
panying the show, all of which are fine
ones and of the best stock, thoroughly
suited to the performance Col. Cody pro-
vides 1t has been the colonel's aim, and
he Is very particular to have the repre-
sentations exact in every part, and it can
truthfully be said that the Autographs are
but photographs of what can be seen with.
In the tents
The Journal man met Col. Cody, bet
ter known to the world at large as Buff
falo Bill, the famous scout, Indian fighter,
hunter and guide,in in his private tent He
said he took pleasure In visiting Augusta,
as he knew we'll Hon. F.. C. Allen, whom
he met In New York and Europe and
considered a very fine man. The colonel
said his tour of the State has been success
full and pleasurable.
The exhibition was given inside large
enclosure, with a seating capacity, Mana
ger Burke said, of 16. 900 people, and one
of the ticket handlers said that, yesterday,
afternoon, it was about half filled. The
people were delighted with the perform
ancc because IL Varleu IrOlll Ine ClrcuS anu
was production of something novel, In
structive and thrilling.
!, The Performance.
It was but few minutes past o'clock
when the performance opened with an
overture, 1.-The Star Spangled Banner, "
finely rendered by the Cowboy Band, VIM.
Sweeney, leader, and then tho official an
nouncer took his position in the arena, op-
posite the grand stand or reserved seats,
informing the great audience that he
would keep all thoroughly posted regard
ine the features and progress of the per-
formance. The first grand spectacle was
the review, an imposing feature introduc-
ing the rough riders of the world, consist
,nu of Indians, Cossacks, Gauohos'
Arabs, scouta, guides. and de-
tacbments of fully equipped regular
= so,diers of the armies of America, Eng
. Uronca Germany and Russia AS