El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-01-15
A REMINISCENCE
OF BUFFALO BILL
BY HELEN SHERRY.
AlamOgordO, \. VI.

2 WAS long years ago. It must have
been just before the close Of the
Il civil war I was a school girl in
Leavenworth. Kans.. situated. notori-
ously, three miles from the fort of the
same name. now known chiefly as the
site OF the federal penetentiary. but
at that time one OF the finest and most
picturesquely situated OF all the mill
tary posts OF the country
Among my playmates at the school
were two sisters named respectively.
Nellie and May Cody. May. the younger.
fascinated me BIZ the unnecessarily SOL
enn and avid application with which
she bent her energies 10 sharpening her
slate pencils. while Nellie. the elder.
lives IN my memory chiefly as a gay
and glitterinE dancer.
For. in those days that tried mems
souls. there was-in the vicinity OF mill
tary posts, at lesst-a vast deal Of fes-
tive mirth- Balls were frequent. and
men dancers in blue uniform. pressing
their smiling partners in their arms
with & naive tenderness that has long
gone out OF fashion. Whirled giddily
over the ballroom floors as II bound to
make the most OF their precarious op-
portunities at the banquet of life.
At these functions-the name was IN
known then-Nellie Cody sailed through
the measures of the cOtillon with a
verve and entrain that made her the
central point OF observation and ad-
miratiOn. She was a vivid brunette
black hair. flashing black eyes. and an
olive skin with high rosy color. Nav
had. on the contrary. mouse cOlored hair
and gray eyes and proved everywhere
a more quiet ana incOnspicuOus figure.
One thing has always struck me when
I recalled those two Wild west maiden
sisters: different as they were in their
general physical makeup. they were
sinEulary at one on a certain point:
their noses were peculiarly. not TO say
abnormaly. flat. a fact which. when
I became familiar with the features of
their renowned brother always set me
TO wondering where Buffalo Bill got his
magnificent asUiline nose and aristo-
cratic type of face
one sunday a friend OF mine sug-
Eested that we go out 10 see the Cody
girls with whom we were on pleasant
Terms Unfortunately. we found the
house deserted. though the doors were
Hospitality OPEN Sweating under stress
Of the dog days in the Missouri valley,
We entered 20 rest a bit before resum-
ing our homeward way.
Pointing TO a portrait on the wall.
NY friend exclaimed See that man
thereE That's their brother. William
he's a scout in the army and big In
dian fighter. young as he IS Papa says
that out on the plains they call him
BIZ ana We DQLn lauEued AT
the odd name. just as a quarter OF a
century later We laughed when We
heard that the prim women OF the Eng
Hsh nobility. delighted with the feats
he RECALLED them with during his first
tour OF the Old World. called him that
dear Buffalo william
Many years later 7 heard Of Nellie.
who. as Mrs WetmOre. was running a
paper in Duluth. and 1 wondered
whether she had learned to thread the
mazes Of English phraseOlogy with the
same dexterity which marked her more
physical activities. May. / was told. had
married and settled down in Denver.
and the papers inform us that II was at
her house that the aged plainsman has
just breathed his last
The cottage was. If remember right /
". the home OF another married sister. I
whom 1 was destined never to see, any
more than ] was to see that handsome
scout until after he had become an old
gray haired man, still graceful and
agile as horseman, stin pulling his I
stunts" with ease. but already visibly /
sUccumbing TO that physical decay /
which the assailing years inflict-