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A large audience attended the Theater last night to witness the first performance of the Buffalo Bill combination, which appeared in the new play of The Knight of the Plains. The company embraces some very good actors, and the play was put on the stage in an acceptable manner. Mr. Cody, as "Buffalo Bill," the hero of the play, acted quite naturally. With an elegant figure, a pleasant face and a good voice, he made as much out of the character as could be expected. In the prairie scene, where the Indians give a war dance and "Buffalo Bill" gives an exhibition of this skill with the rifle, his wonderful shooting produced the liveliest enthusiasm. Miss Nellie Jones, a very pleasing and efficient actress, personated "Rose"--a pretty character--in which she produ ed a good impression. Mr. Willard made an excellent "Jew," while Mr. Loudon was very effective as the villainous "Ralpj Royster." One of the most interesting characters was "Judge Shyster," in which Mr. Beverly made a decided hit. All the people in the cast gave evidence of a thorough acquaintance with the characters they assumed. Even the donkey seemed thoroughly posted as to his duty to amuse the audience. The play was written by Colonel Ingraham, manager of the troupe, who left out, as far as possible, the blood-and-thunder business that usually takes up so much of the Indian drama. Most of the incidnts are such as might be expected to transpire on the plains. The plots are well laid, and the characters, with one or two exceptions, are not exaggerated. The company has drawn well all over the country, and have given satisfaction to the most critical audiences. People generally want to see Mr. Cody, whose exploits on the plains have been so extgensively read about. It is a rather pleasant surprise to find him a very fair actor. His support is first-rate, and the company deserve the liberal support they have received. The Indians on horseback, and headed by the brass band, will parade the streets this morning at eleven o'clock.

AMUSEMENTS,
Buffalo Bill and May Cody.
A rousing house greeted Buffalo Bill last night. Wheeler's opera house was packed to its utmost capacity. Every seat was filled and not an inch of spare room was to be found. But rarely in Toledo has such a house greeted any actor, and it was worthy the celebrated personage who was to appear as the chief character. The vast audience was delighted and highly entertained throughout the entire performance. the representative of wild life upon the plains was true to the letter, and the instruction received by young and old alike was well worth the price of admission. The Indian war-dance, participated in by real, genuine, live Indians, was an immense feature. The wonderful rifle shooting by Bufalo Bil, with a Winchester rifle, brought the house down with applause, and indeed the whole entertainment, from the first to the last, was a grand success.

Davis' Theater--"Buffalo Bill."
The Buffalo Bill Combination scored large recepts last night at Davis' Theater. There are several scenes of genuine interest in the play, and the company do them nicely. Two or three "simon pure" Indian chiefs add to the interest of the play. The prairie fire scene in the first act is very effective. During theis act "Bill" gives an exhibition of his marvellous accuracy as a rifle shot. The war dance of the Indians of couse pleases the young folks immensely. One of the funniest things in the play is the donkey. He is as well-trained an animal as ever we saw beind the footlight. There will be a big matinee this afternoon.

"BUFFALO BILL."
The man whose name is amongst those fond of adventure "familiar as a houshold word" will be in the Academy to-morrow night, with his large company. A reporter of the Cleveland Herald interviewed "Buffalo Bill" when he was in the "Forest City," and questioned him in regard to the many strange and romantic incidents of a life which is more fit to adorn the pages of a romantic reality than any facy of the brainwhich could suffest any of the heroes of the "Leathern Stockings" tales. Born upon the Western Prairies, and reared amid wild scenes of tumult, his father murdered in the early days when Kansas with the struggle of a young giant was shaking off the yoke of Afican slavery, a trained Indian fighter. Taking his first scalp, at the age of twelve, and having served his young State in earliest manhood of the Legislature, it is probably that William F. Cody is as well acquainted with all that pertains to the West as any other living man. "Buffalo Bill" acquired his name when the Kansas Pacific road was being build. The company hired him at $500 per month to shoot buffaloes for meat for the workmen and in eighten months he killed 4,208 buffaloes. The men employed on the road grew tired of buffalo meat, and when he was seen coming with a fresh supply, they said one to another, "Bedad, here comes Buffalo Bill again; sharpen up your grinders, we'll have more buffalo meat now."
In relation to Indian troubles Buffalo Bill says:--"I think I can sum up my policy in a single sentence. It is this: Never make a single promis to the Indians that is not fulfilled. Agents promise too much. Men of calm, prudent determination must be sent among the Indians as agents. Those who are snet often know nothing of the Indian character and either through fear, ignorance, or dishonesty are led into making promises which the Governement cannot or will not fulfill. Every Indian outbreak that I have ever known has resulted from broken promises and broked treaties by the Government."

"Buffalo Bill" thinks, if the Indians are properly treated and faith kept with them, that they will gradually drift into agricultual pursuits.

The man who has acquired so much fame as a scout and hunter, did not think of the stage, as a means of making money, until some speculators gor hold of him. Then, having acquired a taste of how popular he was, and finding there was money in the calling, he gave himself up to it. The change in his life dates bakc to 1871. Of the introduction to the public he tells some laughable stories. The concluding part of the long interview we give in Buffalo Bill's own words:--

"Our business was immense all that season, and if we had been managed properly we would have each made a small fortune. As it was I came out $10,000 ahead. In June, 1873, I returned to the plains, came east again in the fall, this time my own manager. I got a company, took the noted 'Wild Bill' with me, but could not do much with him as he was not an easy man to handle, and would insist on shooting the supers in the legs with powder, just to see them jump. He left a few months later and returned to the plains. He was killed in August, 1876, in Deadwood.
"In the summer of 1876 I was chief of Scouts under General Carr, afterward with General Crook and General Terry.
"On the 17th of July I killed Yellow Hand, a noted Cheyenne chief, and took the first scalp for Custer. I returned to the stage in October, 1876 and during the season of 1876, and 1879 I cleared the $38,000. I have generally been successful financially on the stage. I am now in the carrle business in Nebraska, to which place I will return as soon as the season is over, providing nothing serious occurs to call me home earlier."

AMUSEMENTS.
LEUBRIE'S THEATER.
The late arrival of Buffalo Bill and his Combination prevented them from giving a matinee yesterday, as advertised, but the crowd that assembled at the Teater last night, in spite of the miserable weather, to witness the "Knight of the Plains," proved that a good performance was expected; not was the audience disappointed. Buffalo Bill has a good company, and the scenes depicted in the play presented last night are realistic in every sense. There was a refreshing absence of the bloody murder business, which so often renders plays of the kind stale and unprofitable. Buffalo Bill alone is well worth seeing. He is not pretender, but a man who has faced death on the plains a thousand times, and knows the pathless plains better than the painted warriors that roam over them in search of buffalo or scalps. His acting is true to nature, and his shooting with the rifle was really wonderful. He was well supported by the members of this combination, who are far above the average of traveling actors.
Miss Lydia Denier, as "Wild Nellie," well deserved the hearty applause she received. Her enunciation is remarkably clear and distinct, reminding one of Kitty Blanchard.
Miss Nellie Jones is the ideal of the part she played. Her "business" is correct in the minutest detail, and her voice alone would entitle her to no mean position on the boards. She is not only distractingly pretty, but a true artist.
The Indians introduced in the first act are genuine red skins of the plains, and their war dances and other savage ceremonies excited great interest.
To night, Buffalo Bill and his combination in Ingrahan's great realistic frontier play, "Knight of the Plains."
Lotta will appear at Leubrie's Theater for only four night, commencing Monday night next. She will appear in "Musette" Monday, "La Cigale" Tuesday, "Little Detective" Wednesday, "Zip," Thursday. The sale of seats will begin at Hollenberg's Saturday morning. There will be no matinee during Lotta's engagement.
Friday and Saturday evenings of next week the Saville and Lee Pinafore Company.

HOWARD ATHENAEUM. The Howard has not had such a night since it opened, as in Monday night March 22, when "Buffalo Bill" opened in the "Knights of the Plains," with his band of genuine Indians. The play is a strong one and crowds the old Howard every night.

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