The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1902-10-02
Scout, Bon Vivant, RacOn-
teur, Friend Of News
paper Fraternity

world, he Is especially dear TO the .
newspaper fraternity, for his very !
personality exudes a good story-and
when was the time that the newspa-
per man would pass by a story as a
child would a faded flower?
Major Burke, however is of local
interest He was a friend Of Payne
and Couch in the days when those
brave hearts were struggling against
mighty odds for the accomplishment
of a life's dream-the opening of Ok
lahoma to settlement For an hour
or more Major Burke chatted in the
Leader office yesterday--an hour fill /
ed with interesting "reminiscences of
days when Oklahoma was the home
of the Indian, cattleman and coyote. /.
"In 1884" said he, 81 drew f.om
memory a rough map of Oklahoma 70,
Colonel Henry Watterson, editor of
the Courier Journal, who printed it
in his paper accompanying page de-
scription Of the beautiful land known
as Oklahoma The map must have
been fairly accurate inasmuch as
received the personal thanks Of the
then secretary of interior, Lamar"
Major Burke is the general man
ager of Buffalo Bill's Wild West show
According to his own statement his
duties are those OF one who goes
ahead Of the show a. a sort of in
dorsement Of the atmosphere previous
TO the coming of the real thing.
MY interest in the west began in
1865" he continued, when left
Washington in company with Green
Clay Smith of Kentucky, who had
been appointed COVE. nor of Montana
to succeed General T. F. Maher. |
went to Nebraska City then an out
: post in use as an Quitting place for
those who would cross the plains. The
great rush westward at the close of
The war had caused Leavenworth to
! overflow and it was necessary to have
another outitting spot One firm Of
freighters-Russell, Major Wardell
& Co., of pony express fame-kept
+ $4,000 oxen with wagons in the pro
p. portionate number. These were the
: principal factors in the government s
+ communication with the army post,
situated In what were then the GASES
Of the great western so-called desert
Salt Lake City and Denver. This
was the firm that had first employed
! little Billy Cody aged g. al a man s
wagea, TO look after some of their in
terests and to do plain riding This
? was the foundation Of the latter s
career as a pgecocious all-around
prairie man.
Sherdan's Indian Campaign.
cat the time of my arrival at Ne
{ braska City all proceedings had been
Z stopped 10 make way for Gen. Sheri-
} daa'" aggressive campaign against the
J. Indians General Sheridan presented
q 10 the government a plan for an earn.
4 est effort to subdue the hostile In
& dams at the close of the war of the
p rebellion, because at that time the
government was more thoroughly
equipped with experienced fighters
than il had been before. and many
Confederates were willing and anxi-
Gus to get into the service. and pro
:. ceed again the aboriginal warriors
. The government entered into the plan
. and instructed Generai Sheridan to
> follow, find. trail, track, attack and
= punish the Indians who had been com
/. mitting depredatlons throughout the
: winter, but Sheridan said he would
keep up the fight throughout the year
Among the scouts he employed was
young Cody. While engaged in the
work in 1869 and 1871 was when
met him. and / have been with him
y ever since.
zone Of the first lesson learned
from him was always TO tell an In
: dian the truth and thus retain his
y confideBce personally. One time
when comforting with White Eagle
that chief went through my vest
pocket for cigars had none, but
playfully told him | would bring him
a box next day. On the following
l day when started back TO White
Eagle, Cody asked me where waa
= that box OF cigars. | laughed and
4 said wasn't going to give that IN
dian any box OF cigars. He said:
> Yes, you wiz So long as you
stay with me you will tell an Indian
{ the truth