Yerington times. [volume] (Yerington, Nev.) 1907-1932, 1917-01-13
William F. C0DfEbAl
HUNTER AND sCQuto
DIES At DENVER

William +. Cody. known as "Buf
falo Bill" died Wednesday in Den
yer at the home Of his sister, Mrs. +
l.. Decker. His wife and daughter
4 who arrived from Cody, Wyoming
few days before, and his sister
were at his bedside when the nd cam
William T. Cody was born in Scot
County, Iowa, February 20, l84o
Ills father was frontiersman, who
was killed while defending wagor
train from an attack by Indians.
Cody, when still young, became Z
crack shot, and while still i'll his teen:
took his place among the men of the
frontier i'll the dangerous work of
tween sctleemnts.
In 1860 he became a government
pony express" rider, but soon alter
joined the Seventh Kansas cavalry
in which he served through the civil
war until he was mustered out II
1865.
He earned his title of Buffalo
Bill' in 1867. when the Kansas Pa
tion by killing buffalo to supply the
workmen with food.
In 1862 he was elected to the Ne
braska legislature. When the lndiar
wars broke out i'll 1876 he offered his
services to the government as scout
I'm the battle OF Indian Creek he rode
out in front OF the battle lines am
met the Cheyenne chief. Yellow Hand
who at the head of his braves. haf
taunted Cody to duel with hunting
knives. Cody killed the chief after
a hand-to-hand combat which was no.
interefered with either by the Indian
or Cody's followers.
For his services during the lndiai'
wars Cody was made chief of scouts
with the rank OF Colonel. and re
maincd in the service of the govern
mcnt until the Indian troubles were
finally settled.
Following his discharge from the
army lie went cast and was enticet
OH the stage by offers from variou
cnterprising theatrical managers. His
early ventures for the most part were
failures. and lie returned TO Wyoming
In 1888 lie went East with tho
first wild west show ever seen III thif
countrv. His success was almost III
stantaneous, and his show grew ii
size yearly.
lie made tour of the world witt
his aggregation OF rough riders anf
Indians. and was decorated by almos
every monarch in Europe. While IL
Russia he conceived the idea OF bring
ing back to America a band of Ural
Cossacks. and the success @ fthis ven
ture induced him 10 add Arabs. Sin
balese, laps. South American CAD
chos and representatives OF almost
every nation i'll the world TO hi
show.
In 1905 he formed partnership
with Major Gordon b. Little, C'Paw
nee Bill.") wrich proved the begin
ming OF his downfall. In 1914 the
show went into the hands of re-
ccivcr. and Cody announced himself
dead broke"
Numerous friends came to his res
cue. and late in the spring OF l9l4 II
IL. Tammen, OF Denver. who owned
the controlling interest i'll the Sells
Floto circus, put Cody at the heaC
of that enterprise. and at the age OF
sixty-eight the venerable frontiers
man again made his bow to crowded
grandstands.
In 1916 the Miller brothers, owners
of the lDl Ranch. at Bliss, Oklahoma
offered Cody an interest in their Wild
West Show. and he finished out the
circus season with them.
In November. 1910, he showed signs
of fast failing health, and returned
to his home at Cody, Wyoming
where. on December Is. he was re-
ported dangerously i'll.
Although Cody was an expert shot
with all firearms. he was not one OF
the bad men" type prevalent during
never known to kill white man in
the settlement of the West. He was
any sort of gun fight" His phys
ical qualities made him feared among
the riff-raff of the fgrontier He was
often known to take gun away
from so-called bad man. and ad-
minister to the offender a terrific
beating,
The Indians made him a triba'
member of many occasions. and he
spoke many of the n; tive dialects
He represented the Red Men in many
important government deals and was
considered one of the foremost cham
p;noc NJ THAR riuhtS