Evening star., 1926-11-18

In paving its tribute to Annie Oak
lev, dead in her native Ohio at ripe
old age, the press notes the passing
OF the last Of tho great figures IN the
romantic group which. with Bufralo
Bill. gave the tenderfoot thrilling
xlimpses Of the frontier West.
There will not be another Annie
Oakley" says the Milwaukee journal.
"iust as there will not be another
real West to our country. The day OF
both is sone--the markswoman Of the
frontier and the frontier itself. That
splendid domain that she interpreted,
and which produced the real West
erners with whom she associated In
the show business, Is today g. land
of tame ranches and irrigation ditches.
The West and the East have met
today 1t is mostly East"
"Few who have followed the life
Of the tented amusement world" the
Dayton Daily News observes. have
come to old age possessed OF the
sweetness and charm which marked
this woman's life. The victim of more
than one serious railroad and auto
mobile accident, one Of which brought
gray hair overnight, Annie Oakley
came through each season OF suffer
ing stronger in her love for humanity
and with a deeper faith in the One
upon whom she always leaned. The
rough, uncouth ways Of the circus
ring never penetrated the personality
Of Annie Oakley. To her the oppor.
tunity to entertain her audiences In
a clean, happy exhibition Of marks
manship was too sacred a trust to be
cheapened or contaminated by coarse
ness. Annie Oakley knew her gun
and her Bible. She found happiness
in both
''She was a quiet, modest little fig.
ure," recalls the Springfield Repub'
lican, land, although spare and alert,
one would have thought, to look at
her. that she probably knew more
about knitting needles and grand.
children than about repeating rifles"
Yet the New York Evening World de-
clarea that "she was more of a
heroine among the mon Of her genera
ton than Gertrude Ederle is to those
Of today. The remarkable feature Of
her career" continues that paper,
"is that the passing Of the years did
not rob her Of her cunning. and at
60 she was still a marvel. Thus she
dwelt in an atmosphere OF admira-
ton all her life
"'rhe like of her will not be- seen
again in spite Of the fact that all the
co.educational universities now have
rifle teams of girls" the Buffalo Eve
ming News believes. "Those of the
generation now moving toward middle
age will always hold her in fond re-
membrance as a darling Of the saw
dust ring, in the days when shows
were shows-when the good old Flo
bert .22' was kept handy in the hut
so that one would be ready at mo-
Buffalo Bill against the redskins"
The Omaha World dHerald says but
few remain who once made up the
leading characters of the Col. w. F.
Cody Western show that toured not
only this country for years, but for.
eign countries as we'll OF the many
remarkable marksmen with the
shew," the World.Herald adds, Annie
Oakley shared the highest honors
with the colonel. She was a born
rife shot"
Remembering that her feats thrill.
ed the boys and girls-and the grown
ups-of other years." the Pasadena
Star.News continues: "She died. aged
and in obscurity, but her memory will
linger. She provided rare entertain
nent for millions In her heyday. The
public owes a debt Of gratitude to the
thrilling performers In circuses.
There is a charm and q lure about the
big show under canvas that no one
who has once felt its spell gets away
from. no matter how old or dignified
such person may become"
The Baltimore Evening Sun pays
tribute to the last living symbol Of a
great spectacle. Describing the Buff
faio Bill show, with the climax Of the
Indian attack on the Deadwood coach,
the Sun concludes: "It was just about
then that. at the far end of the field.
there could be sean approaching. all
alone. a frail little figure In big hat.
high boots and knee-length skirt, some
20 years before its time. and carrying
a rife. That waa Annie Oakley. She
began with q deraonstration Of trap.