San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-12-29
NOTED PIONEER
/. TO APPEAR At
AN I |CS'
Partner Of Buffalo Bill and
Chief Of Pawnees, in
Alamo City.

San Antonl0-clty of dreams IN the
land of romance-has drawn us to her
warm embrace that we may remember
and forget. The scene of some of our
most pleasant experiences. it has call
ed to mother and me this holiday
season that we may live again some
, of the happiest hours Of our youth
and forget the gray ghost of stark
{ tragedy which hovers around our fire
: side in Oklahoma"
/! Major Gordon. W. Lille. known
around the world as Pawnee Bill, part
ner Of Buffalo Bill Cody, was sitting
in his Gunter hotel bedroom Tuesday
! morning in reflective mood. Mrs.
Lille, his companion Of more than 40
years, and known to "the profession
. as Miss May" sat by his side, her
/ hand in his, putting in a word here
; and there when the majors voice be-
came too choked with emotion for
speech.
LOSE SON.
The elderly couple held in their
! hands a picture Of their nine-year-old
boy, Pawnee Bill Jr., who rests in
b new-made grave on the highest hill
, of Blue Hawk Peak, Major Lilies
I famous buffalo ranch in Oklahoma.
I'VE just couldn't bear to stay at
home during the holidays without
Bill" said Major Lille. "The old
house seemed so empty, and we kept
running across little things that re-
minded US of him-his toys or his
: guns, and when we gsZed into the
freight Of evenings his manly little
face smiled to us from the flames.
so we decided to come down here for
the holidays"
PICTURESQUE FIGURE.
Pawnee Bill is one of the most pic
turesque figures in Western American
history. For so years he has been
in the public eye as a typical West
ern figure. Born in 1860 at Blooming
ton, ILL.,, he was educated in the gram
mar schools, drifted to Kansas and
finally to Oklahoma as a mere lad,
where he joined Trapper Toms out
fit, later became an Indian interpreter,
Sud finally the white chief of the
APawnee tribe. He entered the Wild
Vest show business nearly 30 years
go and met with distinguished sue
,ss.
JOINS CODY.
AI Perhaps the greatest influence IN
Rfie life of the young adventurer was
IA mel William +. Cody-Buffalo
'y With whom he started his life as
VA man, later becoming half owner
~ falo Bills Wild West and
~ fee Bills Great Far East. The
nj n travelled all over America and
MANY parts Of Europe, showing sew
Nal lines in San Antonio.
drsa Lille was a Philadelphia girl
II ) left the City of Brotherly Love
~ join heart and hand with young
lille in his romantic life as n show
Nan. Lille taught her to shoot and
Sde. and she was at one time acknowl-
4dged to be the champion woman
horseback pistol shot of the world.
n RETIRE FROM SHOW.
n Pawnee Bill and his wife retired
ffrom the show business more than 10
years ago and bought a ranch near
Pawnee, Okla, which has grown 10 be
the largest buffalo ranch in the world
Here the interesting couple plan to
spend the remainder of their days,
surrounded by the things they love.
buffalo, Indians and horses. Major
Lille, though So years of age, is
still an ardent hunter and horseman,
}and seldom day passes but he and
HMrs. Lille can be seen riding about
their ranch, living again the days Of
their youth when Pawnee Bill and
his bride rode the ranges Of the wild.
wild West and hunted the wild buff
falo.
Pawnee Bill and "Miss May, will
make a personal appearance on the
stage Of the Palace Theater during
1Elcphantics New Years Eve, and
many San Antonians are planning to
avail themselves of the opportunity to
see personally the man who has fig
rred so largely in the tanning of the
West.