New Britain herald., 1924-08-23
HAS MANY RELICS OF REDSkIN DAYS
?. C, hOnler ST. We'll Acquainted
 With Heroes of Wild West

The real .wild West" the west
 which Is fast passing from the mem
 oFies of all except movie and niekel-
 cite deyotess. still lives yiyidly in the
 mind Of F. c, MonieE sr. of l7b
 Maple street Mir Monier was per- sonaliy acquainted with many of the eolorful characters of those bad old days. including Buffalo Bill, Pawnee BliL Chief Bull Rear. Princess we- mona, and the Miller brothers of "ioi Ranch" fame,
 Mr. Monler first came in contact with hts western friends about 1884, when employed st the North & Judd Mfg. Co, he invented and improved several types of bits and spurs which found immediate favor with the plains people. Although the aeqnaintanees he made were at first purely business ones. his careful attention 10 the wants of the westerners soon led to meetings to the receipt of photos and trophies of the plains, and 10 trips in- 10 the west at the invitation of his friends.
 Good Narksmnn, But
 Proud of his famous friends, MT. | Monier has treasured all his letters | from them, and they form what ia a unique collection, combining as they | do tho signatures of old timers with | the flaming ietterheads of q more modern era. Several are from Buffalo | Bill himself, and 1t must be recorded that, however unerring he may have been with a rife. Cody made miss after miss when it came to spelling. Neither was his writing a thing of beauty or iegibiity, but his nasty scrawls arc cherished by Mir. Monier for their association. What the great piainsman thought of Mir. Monier's ability is evident from the following letter, written in i91o:--
 "Mr. F. c. Monier.
 "Dear Sir:
 "I have been so busy please ex- euse me for not writing you before in pleasure in saying your last spur with patent side drops that you have got ten up I think Is the most practical spur I have ever seen or worn. and it will be the only spur bought by the western cowboy when he knows what they are.
 ''very sincerely.
 w. F. CODY.
 Buffalo Bill'"
 Mfr. Monier was also instrumental ( In the manufacture of the widely known watch fobs bearing the por- traits of the two Bills. Buffalo and ( Pawnee, and in his den, along with { he other souvenirs, Is the original . rom which these were made. Be- ,ide the picture are the autographs of ' ,oth men, which Mir. Monier secured :, when the wild west show came to |. Bridgeport. ~
 Original Western Booster ,
 There are many letters from c. ". ! Iillie (Pawnee BilD, the majority of hem asking Mir. Monier to go out to :, Oklahoma to the ranch. Lillie puts r Oklahoma in California's class for ' weather, as in every letter he men, V ions that the air Is like spring. He h ,lso mentions purchasing "the swell S st saddle and bridle I ever saw" for g 240. He called on Mir. Monier for n II sorts of little favors, such as hav- h ng a watch chain polished or t, uned chandelier revivified.
 When the 101 Ranch raised large rop of Caroa melons, J. c. Miller xprassed one to MT. Monier in an n Mexican basket and gave di- II ections for eating it--"with salt and s' epper" In another letter he tells U low one of Tom Mix's pictures was o aken on the home ranch, with the owboys. cattle and buffalo belonging ', V Q the show used to provide the pro- ' CT background. Y Just at present the governments :, uffalo herd in Yellowstone park is ~. rowing so large that the animals are i. ffered free to anyone willing to pay IT and provide home for n, he shaggy brutes, but a few years m go when the buffalo were in danger T extinction, they were sold from i,, 400 to $1,000 & pair, and even fl lounted heads came as high as s150- Iii DO, as may be seen from a handbill yc l Mir. Monier's collection.
 Letter From Bull Bear. " There are several interesting letters aN 'om Chief Bull Bear, written in the co 1dian's spotty but eloquent English. bt ne of these quaint letters is as fol- m WIS: of My dear friend, MT. Moner: df Tt is shame that I did not write ,oner. But I wont to beg to be ex- ise. You know I am always busy S0 ntil last half of this week. I have wi 3 work to do. I have all the time Fl l to myself and I often times speak you how kind you were to lis and - ose bits are just lovely beautiful. I , not find enough words to thank ,u. Mir. Monier. Q its most beauti- | piece of work I ever see. I cer- inly love the bit. I will proudly tell 'eryone who inouires about the bit let them know 1t was given to me my dear friend Mir. Monier of New IT -itain, Conn. Hope you are well and ,ur family Give my best regards
 all. Thank you again.
 Your Redman friend,
 CHIEF BULL BEAR" One of the local mans closest Riurlf