The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1930-01-24

His final score was SO to Comstock's
4S. Cody continued to hunt for the
Kansas Pacific until it reached Sheri-
dan and In the space of II months he
killed 4.2S0 Of the animals, an addi-
tional reason for his right to be known
as the champion buffalo slayer of the
plains.
A few months after this match Com
stocks career came to a tragic close.
While out on scouting expedition on
Walnut creek with Lieutenant Beecher
Qater killed at the battle Of the Aric-
karee or Beecher's Island In east
ern Colorado). Comstock and Grover
were ordered to visit the camp OF
Chief Turkey Leg of the Cheyennes,
who was a special friend OF both
scouts, on the headwaters of the Solo,
mon to learn If any Of his people had
taken part in a murderous raid in the
Saline valley. Their reception was very
cool one and finally Turkey Leg told
them that they had better leave, since
his young men were greatly excited
and he could not control them.
Accordingly they started out, &C
companied by the chiefs son and six
other young warriors who professed
the deepest friendship for the scouts.
But in the midst of a friendly CONVEX
sation some Of the braves fell quickly
to the rear and opened fire. Comstock
fell from his horse at the first fire.
instantly killed. Grover, badly wound
ed, also fell to the ground. Then, using
the body Of his dead comrade to pro-
tect himself, he opened fire on the
Indians and quickly drove them out
of range. For the rest of the day he
held them at bay. Then under cover OF
darkness, he managed to escape and
reached Fort Wallace two days later,
half dead from the pain Of his wound
and the exhaustion of his long jour-
ney.
Nor was Comstock the only one to
have a claim to the title of Buffalo
Bill" prior to Cody's. NEARLY thirty
years later, after the name had rocked
the arena in every capital in Europe
and America, a rival claimant was
brought forward as the original pos
SCISSOR Of the title" writes Richard ].
Walsh in "The Making of Buffalo
Bill" published by Bobbs-Merrill last
year. He continues:
He was william Matthewson of
Wichita. It was said that in 1860, the
year of the great drought, when grass
hoppers darkened the Kansas skies and
fell on the crops as thickly as bliz-
gard, Matthewson had gone out to kill
buffalo, sending back wagontrains of
meat to feed the starving settlers. And
in their gratitude they dubbed him
Buffalo Bill.
How did William Cody happen t.
call himself Buffalo Bill?" an inter-
viewer asked Matthewson.
WELL" he replied, you see Cody
worked for me when he was young
fellow. I reckon he had begun to read
Indian stories and see how much was
to be made by that kind of a reputa-
ton, and he was always fond of talk
and show. I never was any hand to
wear my hair long and go staggering
around the country blowing about what
I had done Cody knows he had no
real right to the name. but IL he wants
to show off as a dime novel hero,
have no objection"
The querulous outbreak shocked and
grieved the public of 1894. Reporters
hurried to quiz Cody about Matthew
SON He replied: 81 never laid eyes
on him and Of course never worked
for him. But this is the first intima-
ton I have ever had that any reput-
able preson other than myself has ever
claimed the title of Buffalo Bill. A
few years ago there were as many
claimants for my name as there were
wild yellow flowers that gave their
name to the state. 1t reminds me Of
a portion Of a sonnet finishing:
But as fondly loves on to the close,
AS the sunflower gives to his God as
he sets
The same look he gave as he rose.
The aptness of the quotation was not
made clear by the interviewer.
Considering that in the sixties the
plains were black with fifteen million
buffalo and that thousands of men were
killing them, IT was not strange that
many a nickname was based on the
magic word There was Buffalo Jones.
there was Buffalo Chips, and there
were other Buffalo Bills.
"But Cody seems to have won the
title fairly" says Walsh in conclusion
and then tells of the famous contest
with ComstOck, after which "the ref
erees declared Cody winner of the
prize money. and by the same decision
as he claimed. finally confirmed his
right to be known as Buffalo Bill"