East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1917-09-20

/ Plainsmen did not think much
about the fine points of right and
wrong They lived their life as they
found it. quick to resent an insult,
| just as ready to give up life as To
take it. their philosophy is best ex-
pressed by the epitaph they placed
on the headboard over the grave of
a young cowboy
HE DONE HIS DAMDEST
And so William Frederick Cody. 4
native son of Iowa and an adopted
son Of Kansas, lived his days Kind
to all whom he thought worthy, gen
erous to a fault, brave and true to
his trust he carved his initials in
the western hall of fame with a six
shooter and a pair of silver spurs
If there was any one thing in the
world that made Buffalo Bill more
angry than anything else it was for
one to say something about IA survi-
vor Of the Custer massacre. Every
once in a while such an imposter is
found During his last visit to Port
land cody told the writer Of an eX-
perience he had in San Diego not
long before.
When | got through with him
there wasn't nothing left to say" the
colonel stated. And l didn't talk
much. either"
Some of my friends told me when
reached town that the only survi
vOr of the Custer massacre lived
there l said to them that any white
man who said he was a survivor of
that fight had no regard for the
truth"
The colonel paused a moment to
explain that those were not the ex-
act words he had used but that
they expressed the meaning he had
impaired.
We'll. he came to see me in my
dressing tent. just like you are here,
but he never sat down. He walked
in and said How do you do, Col
mel Bill | am the only survivor OF
the Custer massacre
Il looked clean through his ugly
carcass for a minute, and then T
said. You are liar,'
He turned on his heel and pulled
his freight. l was told he left town
that same night. And sir. I wish TO
say without one word of boasting that
it was mighty good thing for him
that he didn't say any more than
he did
That night. as the former pony
express rider sat in his tent with his
good ear turned towards me-he ex-
planned that he had frozen the drum
of the other one while guarding an
army pack train back in the '70s--
he told of startling adventure he
had right here in Oregon in the
peaceful city of Albany mind you
An old woman, crowned with the
grace and beauty that years give TO
womanhood. called on him. She ex
planned that she had wanted to see
him ever since she was a little girl,
for she declared he and her grand
father had crossed the plains to-
Gether in 1S45. This sure did star
tie the good old scout, for he didn't
happen to be born until February
26, 1916. But he just bowed again.
and smiled
How is grandfather " asked the
plainsman.
"Oh. he's been dead many years
was the reply. "But he lived to be
quite an old man. He used to tell
me that you were just so years oil
when his party crossed the plains"
Albany was a dry town then. so
Buffalo Rill did not get over his
scare until after he had spent the
day in Portland. His fair visitor had
made him out to be 9S years old. He
often declared that he was the most
pestered man in the world. for in
every town he visited he was called
upon by takers of all ages. who told
OF weird adventures they had gone
through with him all the way from
the time he helped Paul Revere warn
the sleeping folk Of Lexington and
Concord down to the charge at san
Juan hill