The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-08-15
WORD WITH BILL.
Anew Pertinent Suggestions for
His Wild West Show.
How He Might Improve the
"Stupendous Exhibition"
THE DARING COWBOYS.
Also Served as British Regulars,
u. s. Cavalry and Romans.
Indians We're Almost as Fierce
as the POttawat0mies.
THE DARING COWBOYS.

All. there, Buckskin Bill. we have seen
your show. We are onto your curves.
You are not as bad as you might be.
but there is room for Improvement.
William, there certainly is.
II you would multiply your show by
ten, Bill, get some new performers to
take the places of those you already
have and hire good man to appear
as a continuous understudy for your
self your show would be we'll worth
going to see You missed three out of
five shots yesterday afternoon, Bill, and
Il might be a good scheme for you to
have your gun cleaned so that the
ejectOr would work without SO many
vaca tons.
1t isn't fair, perhaps, to criticise your
show simply because you are trying TO
save expense by making your cham
pion cowboys from Texas and other for
eign countries do duty as British reg
ulars, United States cavalry soldiers
and Roman bareback riders. But there
are a few details which might be rem
edied with small expense
For instance, you should buy some
matches for the Indians. 1t must have
been exceedingly embarrassing for that
ferocious savage to walk three tim es
across the arena yesterday afternoon
and borrow three distinct and separate
matches from the sringnaster to set
fire to the unfortunate trapper's cabin
when he could see the brave cowboys
impatiently holding their horses and
their fire. waiting for him to perform
his incendiary task
Neither is it right to cause the howl
ing band of Indians to suspend opera
lions at a critical point in the stage
coachrobbery while the driver got down
and unts-ngled couple of his mules
which had got themselves hopelessly
mixed I'D in the trace-cha ms.
OF course Indians are not supposed to
wear chime of jangling sleigh bells
about their horses necks when they are
sneaking I'D on an enemy at the dead
of night, nor would any sensible immi-
grant party start a big bonfire in the
middle of the prairie Immediately after
the ringn aster had distinctly warned
them that the hostile redskins We're as
thick as flies on a successful piece of
adhensive fiy-paper. But let that go.
Would 1t be too much to ask why you
left your big show tent wagons inside
of the arena? It may be that those
wagons are of some particular style
which merited attention from the audi
ence, but nothing was said about it.
Topeka audiences are rather slow to
see the beauties Of a row of big, dirty
blue wagons as a background for d
wild west show.
You have very nice old OK in your
show. William 1t isn't every OK that
would obediently stand and allow
itself to be lariated and mauled around
the way that OK does. The man who
trained that OK must be a regular Lock-
hart. You should feature him in the
snow An OK like yours would be worth
good money to a New England farmer
to haul in his summer crop of hay. 1t
does not look right to force such a docile
animal to pose as a Texas steer.
1t isn't everybody who can throw
lasso like Big Jim Haskins and Wild
Joe Leach, the champions. For instance
we verify believe that even Governor
Stanley could not But if Big Jim and
Fighting Joe are the champions then
Woe to the cowboy profession in this
country. Big Jim is said to own a
thousand head of steers in Texas, and
. to be man of wealth. Lucky Jim 1t
, would be difficult to believe that he
makes his living out of the Champion
ship business. He would starve to
death.
Your Indians are very nice. we'll be-
haved fellows, who try hard to please
and who are perhaps the best thing in
the whole show. Fill them up with fire.
water and they mi ght be eveninteresting
AS far as looks are concerned, they did
not have much the advantage of several
score of Pottawatomies who contributed
literally to the gate receipts of the
show.
As your Cossack troop of four came
tearing around the arena, hanging by
their toes to their folding-bed saddles,
and waving their murderous scimiters,
q man in the audience said:
We'll, who couldn't do that with
whole harness shop to tie him on with ?"
And his companion replied:
They may be the sczar's pride but 1
wonder what some of tie Seventh cav
airy boys would do to them ?"
That's not your fault, however. If the
Cossacks want to fight standing on
their heads. it is not your business, is
IT?
There is one man in the show that won
some applause from the audience-did you
notice that? 1t was Little Jim Casey the
Bold Broncho Buster from the Missouri
Bottoms. Little Jim gave the most lively
exhibit of the afternoon when he attempted
TO ride skinny dun-colored beast called
Texas pony After Mr. Casey had
squeezed all the SllrnluS of he
animal by means of a double cinch he
climbed aboard. and the pony started.
1t made three jumps forward, turned
handspring. fell backwards and COM
menced to roll over and over in a cloud
of dust People expected to see them dig
the remains of Little Jim out of the arena
and carry them off in tub, but instead
they caught sight of the leather-legged
buster kicking the daylights out of the
PROSTATE horse, and thereby assisting him
TO arise Jim got on the horse again.
and rode him across the arena If some
body had not stopped him. he would have
gone clean through the canvas and prob