Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-08-22
Famous Scout Has Now Turn.
ed His Seventeen Year
and is q Bankrupt
His wild West" and "Fal
East Shows Disposed Of
10 Denver Today

liam +. Cody ("ButfalO BID %annouuc
es that he has definitely retired from
public life. Today, by order OF the
United States district court, the prop
erty 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 public ex'
hibitions are concerned, lie has shot
the ashes from the last cigar and
chased the last Indian.
OF the hundreds of thousands vi
young and old who have visited But
.falo Bills Wild West show during the
past quarter OF n century, there arc
probably few who will not feel re
gret at the announcement that be
cause Of financial difficulties, the
show has had it's final roundup
Col. Cody has turned his 10th year,
During more than half his life he has
been a prominent figure in the public
eye. Mule driver, pony express rider.
stage driver, scout, soldier, hunter
sbowman-are a few Of the Ocoupa
llOllS" NIlICu llduc ITO Sdl AODSNDAJ
the most picturesque Of living e
From the day that his father was
killed in a fight that gave "bloody
Kansas" it's name, William +. Cody
was never idle. At the age Of Is,
already a nan in size and strength,
he had been herder, messenger and
express driver and had won a name
as a dead shot and 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
18th Kansas Cavalry, an active Jay
hawker' regiment, and for more than
10 years after the close OF the war
he saw service, first IS scout and
later as chief of scouts, in the Indian
wars. His commanders included Gems.
Sherman, Sheridan, Miles, Custer,
Crook, Ord and FryAall the sfan1Dus
Indian fighters of the period. 1t was
when he was chief of scouts under
Gen. Crook that he won fame by kill
ing in single combat the Indian chief,
Yellow Hand, knife against toma-
hawk.
In 1867 he won his title Of Buffalo
Fill. 1t was then that a gang of 1909
men were laying the tracks Of the
kansas-Pacitic across the plains and
were furnishing for fresh meat. Cody
volunteered to furnish the meat and
in Is months, with his horse, Brig
ham, and his favorite breechloader.
.Lucretia Borgia," he killed 1890 bi
son.
In the '70's Col. Cody tried acting
in a melodrama OF the West and it
the success of this which led to
the formation of the wild West
show, with which his name has beer
linked for thirty years. The big
show was launched in earnest in
1883. The first performance was Civ,
EN- in Madison Square Garden, New
York City, when Henry Ward Beech.
er introduced the famous plainsmar
and scout to the public. On the first
presen .ation of the show In Washing
ton, a few weeks later, Gen, Philip
Sheridan acter as master of ceremon,
les, riding in the Deadwood stage
coach lin which he had travelled to
the Black Hij]s) accompanied by
President Arthur. The army officers
attended. and tile speaker of the
house found it necessary to adjourn
on account of a lack OF a quorum.
When Buffalo Bill first launched his
show sthe experienced men in the
business laughed at him and said that
it wac a wild scheme, butin less than
six months he was making more mo-
.ney than Barnum. The show toured
Europe several times and was as
successful there as on this side OF
the water.
Just how much Col. Cody has left
of the millions Of dollars he has earn-
ed in the show business is problemat-
ical. OF late years the profits have
not been so large as formerly. 1t is
generally believed that he is well fix
ed financially and in no danger of
coming to want in his old age.
lIn talking over his future plans,
Buffalo ELL says: | expect to spend
my remaining years in the West. Ev-
cry cent. that I have made in the
show business ] have invested In this
section. in developing the arid plains
that are now fine home lands. peo-
pied with happy American families.
/ was the first to undertake and sue
cessfully accomplish results under
the Carey Arid Land Act through II
rigation, the locality being in the Big
Horn Basin. Once I spent 100000
in digging an irrigation canal before
I got q cent returned. In addition to
ny large land holdings in Colorado,
Wyoming and Nebraska. ] possess
many valuable mining claims in Arl-