Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1911-10-26

battle when thousands OF men {
ing. But he killed more than thirty in per-
sonal encounters. lie killed ten in one fight
single handed. That was when he wiped out
The McCandlass gang at Rock Springs, Kan,
in 1861. and 1t was the most heroic single
handed fight In all the. history of the frontier.
Imagination has not colored or enlarged his
record. 1t is a sure-enough record OF men
killed Ia fair, stand-up fights. II one cares to
search, one can find their graves with their
names neatly carved on little headstones scat.
tered from the Missouri river to the foothills
of the Rockies"
Col. William +. Cody, better known all over
the world as Buffalo Bill, was in reminiscent
mood. He paid this tribute to the pro|ess OF
his dead comrade of early daysaon the plains.
He was intimately associated with Wild Bill.
FIe fought by his side in the Civil war, ne
secuted with him in the Indian campaigns, he
shared the same blanket beside many a lonely
camp fire. For years there was q bed and a
chair and the table for wild Bill at the ranch
of Buffalo Bills mother near Fort Le~avenworth,
and to the very end Of his stormy and wander
ing career Wild Bill thought of this spot as
home.
Buffalo Bill is himself one of the most pic
turesoue characters OF the old west lett to
these piping, prosaic times. Though the pub
lie knows him chiefly as a Snowman, he is the
last of the great scouts. His life has not been
all blank cartridges and calcium lights Back
Of his spectacular career as ar exponent or
wild west dra:la is a frontier life OF daring,
hardship and danger. He is an old man now,
cnly a few years on the sunny side OF three
score and ten. His sweeping mustaches and
imperial and his long hair that falls upon his
shoulders in the waving abundance OF early
wears are as white as snow. But his tall figure
" 4s1, .s-I.-a- .-t ~. ~ no n ynHnO
nine on the mountains. his step Is elastic and
his eye bright, and he still wears his white
sombrero tilted at a iaunty angle on the side
nf his head as in the brave days Of his youth.
Il was eleven years old when I first met
Wild Bill in 1857" saiS Buffalo Bill. II was
making my first expedition across the plains,
It was the expedition led by General Albert
Sydney Johnston. afterwards killed at Shiloh,
against Brigham, Young and the Mormons in
Utah. was connected With the supply train
as the driver OF the extra cattle. A big bully
in my mess seemed TO think ! was meant to
be his servant and ordered me around at every
opportunity. | grew sulIy and resentful under
his badgering. but { was a mere kid and was
helpless. One evening as We were eating sup
per he ordered me to get him another cup OF
coffee. Get your own coffee | said. He
reached over from where he sat and slapped
NE over. rolled into the ashes at the edge
of the camp fire aud narrowly escaped getting
badly burned. | ran to the big coffee Kettle,
caught It up, and stepping up behind the bully,
doused the scalding coffee over him from head
to foot. He roared with pain. Then he rushed
for me. A young man stepped between us,
knew him casually as Jim Hickok. The men
OF the wagon train called him Jimmy
Say he said. facing the bully %squarely,
you leave that kid alone
MY unexpected champion was about twenty
wears old, tall, slender, bron2ed and athletic
looking. The powerful brute he confronted
would have made two Of him. The bully stopped
in surprise. He sized up the stripping with a
glance. The inventory doubtless convinced him
he had nothing to fear,
What have you got TO do with this" he
beloved and he charged at the youth like q
mad bull
The men OF the outfit expected to see
Hfckok beaten to a jelly or killed. He gave
us the surprise OF our lives. He proved to be
the quickest man ! ever saw. A catamount
could not have been quicker. He stepped into
the bully fearlessly. He was all over his man.
He rocked his head with terrific BLOWS. III
ripped punches into his midsection. He closed
his eyes, bloodied his lips, knocked the teeth
down his throat. lie ended by dropping the
bully to his knees and making him blubber out
i've got enough and beg for mercy. After the
fight my ancient enemy was the worst battered
up man | ever saw. Hickok didn't show q
mark. He walked away and sat down on a
wagon tongue and smoked a pipe serenely
That was my introduction to the man after
ward known all over the west as Wild Bill
and from that day We were fast friends.
Il enlisted In the Union army In 1865 anC
was sent to Tennessee. was employed as
scout and spy. / was peculiarly fitted to plal
the part Of spy in Confederate camps. Mos
OF the people with whom | had been throw
all my life on the plains were from Missouri
Kentucky or Tennessee. 1t was second mature
for me to talk in the drawing lingo OF tn,
south.
ION one of my excursions as q spy l wa
disguised as a Tennessee farmer boy wit
d ragged hat, a homespun shirt and pants Q
butternut Jeans. ! was riding along a roa
when | came to a farm house. Hitched to tn
palings Of the fence was a fine horse, saddles
Through a window | saw a man In the uniforr
Of a Confederate officer sitting at q table ca
ing Something about his face looked famiIia
! disrnounted and stepped to the door OF tn
house and asked for a drink OF water. Az
~ ~ - .hc NMNH y. s# &IM s4FS