Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1913-09-25
BILLS EXPLAINS HIS
PURCHASE OF |SHAM
Old Time Friend of Buffalo
Bill Returned Famous
Horse to Colonel Cody

The story of the purchase Of
lsham the famous old horse of "Euf-
falo till." by Col. G. J Bills of Lincoln.
is not nearly so pathetic nor dramatic
rs it has been painted.
Colonel Fills admits that lle. p1r-
chased 'lsiam OFF the :luctionecr's
block and further that he gave the
horse to colonel Cody known 10 fame
as .Euffalo sill. Esut the Indian friend
nj the latter. who i'm the romance is
painted as bidding the whole amount
% his Finances to give the horse back
to Buffalo ltill' is more or less in the
nature of IA dictionary character The
following is the story as told by Mr..
Fills:
II was at Steamboat Springs when
| first read of the auction of buffalo
I;ill's' belongings. I needed 40 head of
heavy horses for work in my lumber
camps near Denver during the winter.
so ! went to the sale One report OF
the incident stated thai rode 500 miles
automobile. | tlicd To find Colonel
OF buying lsham. That is not true !
didn't even know lsham WAS to go ON
the block
When 1 arrived in Denver. ! was
Joined by James Mc(iill. owner of the
Denver ban club. and the two of us
planned to go TO the sale in McGills
automobile II tried to find Colonel
Cody in Denver. but failed that after
that he was in Il Denver newspaper
office and met him there. Mc1;ilI Was
With me
You know. ! have known cody for
4 long while. Whcn ] WAS i'm the Sioux
campaign he MAS serving as scout
Some OF the reports have said that he
WAS my scout but he wasn't We met
quite frequently. however. and became
very close friends
.'When we met / suggested that
Cody go ont tn the sale With MS in the
automobile. He said no. he couldn't.
j urged him To come aud he explained:
YOU KNOW, colonel could stand
10 SEQ anything own go ON tho block
and sold. 1t wnulesn't bother ,lc u bit.
But when they put old lsh;lm UP. i
couldn't stand that
Tears came into his eyes as he
spoke and ! knew th;t. he felt it deeply.
l couldn't influence him TO come, so
Ii WAS ON tho Way out that deter
mined tn buy the animal ut amy cost
and return him Ia Cody. Two ties
bound me To Cody. ono Was the old
friendship. which We haze cherishes
for Years The other Was his love for
horses and mine. This last tie was
the strongest. | knew just exactly how
| would feel If that black riding horse
of mine were sold under the hammer.
| knew that Cody would spend his last
cent on earth To buy him and give him
back to me There are only a few of
us old fools left But the ties which
bind US together are Just as strong.
The ordinary man cannot understand.
suppose. just the way Cody and l
feel about horses
Well we went out ia the sale 1
pure llased my 40 head of heavy horses
and then fsham WAS put ON the block.
There were Il Very few scattered bids
at first. but later an bidders simmercd
down to three They We're Charley Ir-
Min. owner of the Irwin Bros. SHOW,
another. the owner of the "l0l ranch.
and myself There was no Indian bid
, der when the price began 10 get 9
lttle high.
Well, took lsham at $50. And
here is where another writer drew on
, his imagination lsl,anl is worth as
he stands between SIPS and $3.50. That
is exclusive of all sentiment. He ism t
nearly 50 old MS some of the stories
have said. The horse is NOW I 4 years
and in the best OF condition. Buffalo
Bin has ridden him since he was A.
year-old.
When met Cody tina, night. said,
Well, I've been out to the sale
WHO hough, lsnan. he asked me
right away.
II did | said.
- hope he'll be treated kindly
colonel he said in II kind of II question
We'll, that's UP t. you. He's yours
! don't want him
II won't try to tell you what hap
pened them. Cody bawlel that's all
That great big six foot westerner stood
up and wept like baby. Tears ran
Iown his face and soaked his shirt.
Il guess that's ali there is to the