, 1924-04-30

HIS great generosity to actors was
an outstanding characteristic of Col,
Buffalo Bill Cody, according to
Hugh Darcy, veteran actor, who
knew the great scout as a Snowman.
Mr.. Darcy, who is eighty-one years
of age, sat in the parlor of his hotel,
the America, on West Forty Seventh
street and reminisced about the
Years when he used to meet Buffalo
Bill in the cities throughout the
country. when they were both play
ing engagements at various houses.
1t was during this recital hat he
> told about the open-handedness of
the picturesque Snowman, and of
how he never heard of the need of
one of his colleagues in the show
business without giving generously.
The Buffalo Bill American Asso-
citation, of which General John ].
Pershing is chairman, is interested
in all data concerning the pioneer
scout, and is placing in its files this
material which shows a new face
to Buffalo Bits brilliant and YER
satile character. The association
will erect a handsome bronze eques-
trian statue of Buffalo Bill, the work
of Mrs. Harry Payne Whitney, near
Cody, Wyoming. The fund will be
raised by public subscription, and
the statue unveiled July 4th.
AS Mr.. Darcy pulled back the
curtain of the years he dug up from
his storehouse of memory recollec-
tons of his days of comradeship
with Cody.
why, Buffalo Bill would just as
willingly give $1,000 to a needy
actor as 10 cents" said Mr.. Darcy.
There wasn't anything small about
him. He was notably generous, and
a story about a pal in his profess
sion who was temporarily in finan-
cial distress always met with quick
response He didn't believe in red
tape. However, he was never osten-
tatious in his charities, but gave
quietly, and many people never
heard about his man. philanthropies
of this kind.
Col. Cody was exceedingly pop
ular among the people of the thea
trical profession and undoubtedly
this was due, in a measure, to his
/ heart and open hand. But, in
addition, he had a magnetic person
atty. Personally, l believe he was
h handsomest man 1 have ever
seen in my life. Certainly he was
the most courageous and gorgeous
creature 1 nav ever met on earth.
/ am afraid that I will crow verbose
and use a lot of adjectives when
7 CnnnE nf FOL rndr Dat ha fr,,a
my fancy from the first, and the
memory of him which I carry thru
the years is a pretty tender one. He
was my ideal of manly perfection.
Rough as he naturally was as a
result of the rough and hardy out
door life he had always led, he was
not rough inside. 1t was only su-
perficial. He was a gentleman thru
and thru. His manners were excel
, lent, almost courtly. By nature he
was mild and gently. and, along
with his generosity, he was noted
for his good nature. I believe
these two qualities go hand in hand.
while Buffalo Bills appearance
was picturesque, it was not studious-
ly so. He was just naturally en-
dowed by nature with a physique
and appearance which attracted at
tention. OF course, as he was ira
yelling with a western show, depict
ing the life of cowboys, he had more
or less of a western makeup on the
stage. But off-stage he affected
quiet street clothes. though his hat
was wide-brimmed, and anyone
would have known at a glance that
he was a westerner.
81 first met Buffalo Bill in Louis
vile in 1878. He was then with a
stage production, a border play, and
with him were Wild Bill and Texas
Jack. I was with another theatrical
company and we met as fellow show
men. After that I frequently met
him in cities from coast to coast,
and always he was kindly, genial,
glad to resume old friendships.
I met him again in Toledo when
he was managing his OWE company.
We both stopped at the same hotel.
/ spoke to him at the time about
the opportunity there was for him
to put on a border play in England,
as the craze for this type of show
He said he thought he might go
over in a year or two, and asked me
to 90 with him. Not long after
wards Buffalo Bill came under the
management of Nate Salisbury, a
manager, and head of the Salisbury
Iron ha dnl1rC n fnrnO RnmndU nnna-