The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1911-10-26

Was drinking ! took = good look a. the man
II "at Nlii iI! lie sho, 2 Gui,h glance at
ulr. 1850 ! had grown since be- last saw mo
md 800 my disguise he did not recognize mo
! waited nI he had finished bis mca! aud
followed him 20 the road As ho prepared to
NOUN; bis horse | stepped ,!a.o and said In
A loss zone Bill don't you remember me- /
drought saw q CLEAN OF recognition in his
"fos. lut b" sal simply. 40 don't I'm
l1s cody ! said Well we'll returned Wild
N. are you little Billy Cody
Then be gave me "A dressing down You
haven't any business in this pant OF the cour.
n.y. he said You ought ~ be In the Union
army" low do YOU know I'm not. asked
You IN ID" lUiuh army? he sand Maybe /
aw. answered What are yoI doing In those
clothes. hau" 10 asked I suspect m doing
rho avn" as YOU, ! replied. 1911 smiled Get
ON soar horse he said And We rode together
back into the Union lines. For the remainder
~ III" war We dd much scouting together in
Missouri and the southwest
When Joined General Sheridan as chief
u scouts In the campaign against tho Indians
Of the northwest IN 1865 found WiId Hill with
III" command. went to General Sheridan
and General raid. Wild pll Is the best
scout, the best shot and tho brayest man In
he western country lie IS seven or eight
year, older than / and hay, always looked
upon him rs my superior I'm everything that
goes TO tho making OF a plaIusmau. / don't
like To Eiyo orders to such man would
rather serve under him Make him chief y.
scouts
Well. ! won't said General sheridan Won
are chief Of scouts " the United states army
When YOU pct ready to give Wild 1911 an or.
der give It.
- wen, to Wild Bnl and told him how felt
about the situation and what tho general had
said"
why. that's All right Hily' wild UilI said
I'm r soldier and IN take orders from anyone
who has tho right 20 give mo orders I'd Just
as Lief work under you AS anybody | know
IN obey YOU as my ranking officer as readily
AS I'd obey the commanding general OF the
United States army
And he did Tie did fine work under me
through that stirring compaign. lie held in
check that turbulent spirit that brooked dicta.
ton from no one aud obCycd my orders like
he soldier that he was
Il first entered the show business In 1872"
buffalo Bl continued General Sheridan had
been ordered TO Chicago TO take command Of
the Department Of the Lakes and went with
him as inspector OF horses Ned Buntline,
whom ! had known out west. had written a
drama Of the border named Scouts OF tho
ftNlnS. lie OHcTeu me SbUU week 10 take
the leading role / hesitated to ask General
Sheridan for permission for fear he would
laugh at me and perhaps refuse. / finally got
Col Mike Sheridan, his brother. to prefer my
request 1t was granted readily
THE drama was produced In Nixon's ampi.
theater. which used to stand near the site of
the modern Hotel Sherman. On the opening
night when was to make my bow before the
footlights for the first time tho immense the
alter was packed to tho walls. General Sherl.
dan and oil the officers OF the post occupied
boxes in all the glory OF fulldress uniforms
! was worse scared I stepped out OF the
wings and faced that great audience than
ever was in an Indian fight with bullets and
arrows singing about my ears, But carried
II of as braveIy as ! could What | didn't
know about acting made up for by struttIng
about the stage. stormng out my lines and
firing my navy revolyers after every other SEN
tenCe. There was an amazing amount OF gun
powder burned In that play. After II was all
over imagined ! had scored n triumph Next
day the Chicago papers said the play was 80
bad II was good. But We packed the theater
nightly and the reserve police had to be called
out TO quiet the crowds that fought at the doors
for admission.
The management offered me $1,000 n week
10 go to St Louis, where our success was re
peated
II decided at the opening OF the next season
that It would be money making scheme to
have Wild Bill as member of our troupe.
He was then In Hays City, where he had killed
several people, and ] wrote him telling him
OF the money he could make by appearing on
the stage You won't have to do much acting
told him. You Will only have to shoot and
pose around. He wrote back that he would
accept my proposition ! wrote him he would
have to agree TO stop fighting and killing
while he was with the show lie sent me an
agreement to that effect b. return mail. Then
sent him money TO come TO New York. where
the show was to open. In this last letter |
gave him instructions as TO what he must do
when he reached the city
- am stopping at the Brevoort hotel
wrote him. and you will land in New York at
the Forty.second street depot To avoid get
ting lost In the big city take a cab at the
depot and you will be driven to the hotel in