The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1913-08-21
WILD WEST SHOWS
GO UNDER HAMMER
Buffalo Bill" Ends Career; Back
to Private Life
tCopyrtght)

Denver. Colo, Aug, 21.-'Col. William
j.. cody ("Buffalo Bilr) announces
that he definitely retired from public
life Today, by order of the United
States District Court. the property of
the Buffalo Bill Wild West and Far
East shows was disposed OF at public
sale in this city To satisfy the claims
Of creditors The sale marks the end
of Col. Cody's career as a Snowman.
So far as the plthac exhibitions are
concerned. he has shot the ashes from
the last cigar and chased the last In
dian.
OF the hundred of thousands Of
young and old who have visited But
falo Bits Wild West show during the
past quarter of a century. there are
probably few who will not feel regret
at the announcement that because Of
financial difficulties the show has had
it's final "round-up."
Active for SIS Years.
Col. Cody has turned his SEVENTEEN
year. During more than half his life
he has been prominent figure in the
public eye. Mule driver pony express
rider. stage driver, scout, soldier. hunt
er showman-are a few of the occu
pations which made his career prob
ably the most picturesque of living
men.
From the day that his father was
killed in a fight that gave bloody
Kansas" it's name william r. Cody
was never idle At the age of IS, al
ready a man in size and strength, he
had been herder, messenger and eX-
press driver and had won a name as
dead shot aud "A horseman with few
equals.
Under Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston
he saw his first Indian fighting. The
civil war found him a private in the
eth Kansas cavalry, an active jay
hawker" regiment. and for more than
10 years after the close of the war he
saw service, first as scout and later as
chief of scouts, i'm the Indian wars
His commanders included Gems. Sher-
man, Sheridan, Miles, Custer. Crook
ord and Fry-all the famous Indian
fighters of the period 1t was when
he was chief of scouts under Gen.
Crook that he won fame by killing in
single combat the Indian chief, yell
low Hand, knife against tomahawk
Began Stage Career in 1870.
In 1867 he won his title of Buffalo
Rill. II was then that a gang of Loo
men were laying the tracks of the Mis-
| souri, Kansas across the plains and
We're famishing for fresh meat. Cody
volunteered to furnish the meat and
In Is months. with his horse, Brig
ham, and his favorite breach loader.
l"Lucretia Borgia," he killed i,2S9 bison.
In the '70s Col Cody tried acting in
| a melodrama Of The west and Il was
| the success of this which led to the
| formation of the wild West" show,
with which his name has been linked
| for thirty years. The big show was
launched in earnest in 1888. The first
performance was given i'm Madison
| square Garden, New York City. when
Henry Ward Beecher introduced the
| famous plainsman and scout to the
| public. on the first presentation of
| the show in Washington a few weeks
later Gen. Philip Sheridan acted as
master Of ceremonies, riding in the
Deadwood stage coach lin which he
had Travelled to the Black Hills) ac-
companied by President Arthur. The
army officers attended. and the speak
er of the House found II necessary to
adjourn on account of n lack Of a quo
rum.
When Buffalo Bill first launched his
show the experienced men in the busl-
ness laughed at him and said that il