79

KEOKUK CONSTITUTION

KEOKUK, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1881

BUFFALO BILL.

The devotees to yellow back literature
were out in full force last evening, the attraction
being the renowned and famous
Buffalo Bill, in his much advertisements of Prarie
Waif, which, it is claimed, is an exact
portrayal of border life. By half past 7
o'clock the house was packed from the pit
to the dome with a sort of a mixed audience.
The hods of the sky-parlor were
out in full force, and plied their customary
vocation of yelling and stamping until they
tired themselves. All with anxious expectancy
awaited the commencement of the
blood and thunder drama. W. F. Cody,
Buffalo Bill, took the leading character.
As a government scout he was a brilliant
success, and won for himself many honors
for his bravery and courage; but as an actor
he is a magnificent failure. He possesses
neither the traits of a tragedian or a
comedian, merely talking his part off as a
schoolboy would, but still, when he would
rush on the stage, fire off a pistol, and perhaps
slaughter an innocent red man,
the gallery gods, as well as those seated in
the parquette and dress circle, applauded
till they were hoarse and could yell no
longer. It is well that Cody lays no claim
to histrionic ability. Jule Keen, as Hans
the dutchman, was the most disagreeable
feature of the programme. His mouthings
were most disgusting, and his impersonation
was sappy and soft. Misses
Jennie Gilbert and Nellie Lingard, as
Onita and Sadie respectively, were very
inefficient, producing no effect whatever
by their lines upon the audience. The remainder
of the cast was in accordance
with the above. The Indian war dance, in
which Sin-sa-retch-kaw, Ma-he-ut-un-kaw,
De-co-ray, Hoo-wa-het-fa and Wau-kon-chaw-nik-kaw
participated, would cause a
leather-lunged and calliope throated Zu'u
to be ashamed of his wildest war-hoop,
and done more than infinite credit to a
chorus of carousing locomotives. If Buffalo
Bill possessed a first-class support
his own defects could be overlooked, but
he is surrounded with an inferior class of
men who have no more life or animation
than a cordwood stick. The performance
of the trick donkey, "Jerry," was the
most creditable of the whole entertainment,
which ought to be considered quite
a compliment to the support. The shooting
of Mr. Cody was good but nothing
supernatural, as a man with a glass eye
could not well miss a mark with a
black background at the distance Mr.
Cody did his shooting. In the audience
there were many undoubtedly who
felt amply repaid for their expenditure of
time and money, but we did not. To
fathers and mothers who desire to refresh
the minds of their little sons and daughters
with blood curdling deeds and give
them a stimulus to the perusal of dime
novels and other trash literature we
heartily recommend and endorse the performance
of Buffalo Bill.

Nov. 11, 1881