Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1915-10-21

In telling the story OF bofdeflahu
and its environments, of the passing
of the buffalo, the cowboy and the
pony express and the vernacular of
ranchland itself | know or nothing
more appropriate than one of Walt
Mason's effusions in the Empor1a,
kan. Gazette. which fully describes
the situation in poetic prose, and was
written in appreciation of the last
visit of the 1.-TWO Bills to that city
few years ago.
The Two Bills.
Buffalo Bill and Pawnee Bill!"
Thinking of them sends thrill
through this old fat heart OF mine,
likewise up and down my spine. Years
ago, when l was young, ere my knees
we're badly sprung, ere the lines were
on my cheek, and my joints began to
creak ere the teeth had left my jaws
Buffalo Bill my hero was! How |
longed to ride with him through the
forest vast and dim, killing lnJuns
by the score, wading to my knees III
gore! How ! longed with him TO SAL
down the long and lonely trail, doing
in his knghtly way deeds of Yalor
old. and the prairie trails are cold,
and no more the wood and dell echo
to the Injun's yell. Where the bison
used to roam, now the cows are
coming home; where the campfire
used TO glare. now the farmer Whacks
his mare These two Bills bring back
The zest of the Wild the vanished
Westi For an hour again we see
Kansas as she used to be, IN the
golden days of yore, days that shall
return no more! WALT MASON.
Closely associated with Buffalo BIZ
and the history of the Wild west eN-
hibition there is no one VINO mas
figured more extensively In the rec
ords than Major Gordon W. Lille
pawnee Bill--who was born February
IA. 1860, at Bloomington, H., where
he was educated in tho grammar
school, and when a boy of seventeen
started out for himself. lie drifted
ia Kansas and finally to Oklahoma,
where he Joined Trapper Toms out
fit. and later became Indian inter
prefer and was finally proclaimed the
white chief of the Pawnee tribe. lie LED
the "Boomers" in their effort to open
Oklahoma to white settlers When
Buffalo Bill started his first Wild
West exhibition, of which Colonel
Frank North was a member. PaWnee
Bill accompanied Colonel North as his
orderly. In time however, Major bil-
lic branched out for himself ana met
with distinct success with smaller
show. which he took to Europe ana
continued for a number or years, or
until he returned to America with a
Far East contingent and finally con
solidated with Colonel Cody, when the
exhibition became known as Buffalo
Bill,s Wild West and Pawnee BllFs
Great Far East" I remained as IT'S
advance and general manager until
the dissolution of the finn.
During much of this career Major
Lille was accompanied by his charm
ing wife, formerly Miss Mary Emma
Manning. who was born of modest
Quaker family. in Philadelphia, "a,
and was married to Major Lille III
that o4tY. something over Twenty-Five
Years ago, as is attested by the fact
that in celebrating the silver ami
versary of that event, quite recently,
the members of the Buffalo Bill and
Pawnee Bill shows presented the
happy pair with a magnificent silver
service of great value, with which TO
decorate the table In the beautiful
new home then just completed on
Z Blue Hawk Peak, at Pawnee, Okla
honna, where Mrs. Lille retired from
public life at the end of that season
TO quietly enjoy the rest and luXuries
sl1e had well earned by years of
studious endeavor and close applica-
ton to a profession that is most eX-
acting.
AS young and enthusiastic artist,
Mrs. Lille was the first woman to
exhibit her skill in shooting at NOV
ing objects, while mounted on horse
back and using the side saddle. She
won great fame and favor in many
lands by reason of her expert marks
manship and many equestrian accom-
plishments, while her true, womanly
Qualities always endeared her to
large coterie of warm personal friends
who will ever cherish her memory.
Perpetuating tho Buffalo.
AS Gordon W. Lille advanced in
prosperity he became interested in the
propagation of the buffalo on his large
ranch at Pawnee, Oklahoma, where
he now has, without doubt, the largest
herd of buffaloes in existence. 1t is
pleasant sight to gaze out OF your
window, if you happen to be for
tunate guest at his bungalow home,
and see a vast herd of these animals
grazing and roaming at will over the
broad acres, frequently coming to
within few feet of the bungalow for
water or to receive some dainty NOR
sci thrown to them by the visitors or
servants as a reward for their friend
ly attitude.
1t has been Pawnee Bills ambition
TO preserve to future generations the
fast dying race of American bison.
Numerous cowboys and keepers are
retained at the ranch year in and
year out to herd the animals and to
look after their welfare, while the
hulk of the animals are permitted to
roam in the open fields, in their own
natural way to propagate ana per
petuate the species. Many sclentlhc
experiments have been made IN cross
ing the breeds with native cattle, and
some queer combinations, freaks of
nature. have been developed in this
manner.
have in my possession heavy
long fur robe taken from one of these
half breeds or catalo, with its Pc
culiar stripes and long soft fur which
defies identification as to the nature
of the animal. 1t has been found thai
many of the full-blooded buffalo are
not productive in captivity and from
time to time these animals are taker
from the herd and slaughtered, the
heads and robes being greatly sought
after for decorative purposes. The
flesh of the animal is in demand as
rare and delicate morsel to grace
banquet table or to serve as a re-
past for those who can afford the
luxury.
The Slaughter OF the Buffalo.
To illustrate the passing of the buf
falo, as decreed by fate and agricul
tural progress, which has been un
necessarily harsh, not to say brutal
il is only necessary to refer TO th'
stafisfics given hY Henry Oldys, o