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Buffalo Bill
Buffalo Bill, the well-known scout of the plains, will appear at Rouse's Hall this evening in his new play, "The Knight of the Plains." He has appeared here before, and is well known to the public, who have patronized him liberally here tofore. The New York Herald says of him:
The Hon. W F Cody, better known to fame under his earlier title of Buffalo Bill, has introduced four genuine Indians into the combination of which he is the head, and it is not improbable that they and their race may yet take a leading part in the great work of the elevation of the drama. There are various ways in which the standard of the stage may be raised, and it is not yet certain that the scalping knife and tomahawk are to be despised as reforming influences. Aside from these, however, the aboriginal has some dramatic qualifications that the profession in general lack. He is far fonder of acting than of talking, for one thing, and though he does not understand the influences of dress, and that converse which is with poetic license denominated full dress, he seldom regards these as the full duty of a man. He has, in a marked degree, the faculty of repose, in which some artists, otherwise excellent, are lamentably deficient. He is not averse to cosmetics, though when he paints he never attempts to make art take the place of nature. Should he volunteer for a "benefit" performance of any sort,

he is not at all likely to play Romeo or Claude Melnott, so the theatre going public is likely to be saved from many an oft told tale. And lastly, his philosophical mind has not absorbed the mysteries of injunction; so when he is billed to appear in anything, there is a reasonable chance that purchasers of tickets to new plays will not be disappointed by beholding old dramatic stand bys instead of novelties. Room for the Indian, even if he should draw the scalping knife upon the histrionic battle field, it is not certain that he will hurt the public as much as his may benefit it.

"The Knight of the Plains."
Never was a name more appropriate than is the above, given to Hon. W. F. Cody, Buffalo Bill, who is indeed a most chivalrous plainsman, and one who has done the government and country good services, as vouched for by General Sheridan, General E. A. Carr and others.
Drawn by accident, as it were, into the dramatic arena, Buffalo Bill has steadily won a reputation as an actor, until his talent is recognized by the elite in the orchestra and dress circle as well as the "gods" in the gallery, with the latter he being especially the hero of heroes.
His new melo-drama, "Knight of the Plains," we are glad to see possesses great merit, being wholly free from the red fire, terrific, and flash of all other border plays, and well worthy the boards of a fashionable metropolitan theatre, for his support is really par excellence throughout, and the impersonations of the Jew money lender, Shyster Judge, Wild Nell, the border heroine, and other character parts undeniably dramatic "hits."
The play is the work of the author and dramatist, Colonel Prentiss Ingraham, of Mississippi, and he deserves credit for having produced a piece of great merit, and wholly free from vulgarity.

The Knight of the Plains
Buffalo Bill, his Indians and his scouts succeeded in attracting to the Opera House last night an audience large in numbers and demonstrative in applause to witness the presentation of the drama of "The Knight of the Plains," which is one of the most sensational kind and abounding in thrilling situations,
hair-breadth escapes and dramatic enough to arouse the enthusiasm of readers of ten cent literature and weekly sensation papers to the highest pitch. The play is similar to those already presented here by this famous scout, but is minus the glare of red fire and the continual crack of the rifle which have heretofore been characteristic of his dramas.
Buffalo Bill assumed four characters and shows no improvement in his acting over his former visits. The parts of Ralph Royston, Shyster, "Wild Nellie" and Rose Melton were well taken by Messrs. Louden, Bravely, Misses Denier and Jones, while the others were hardly up to the average. A little more attention to stage setting would have produced a more realistic effect. A prarie on fire with the stage floor covered with a red carpet is hardly the proper thing.

Buffalo Bill's Drama.
The melo-drama in which Mr. Cody appeared on Thursday night is properly named, for no one holds a better right to the title "Knight of the Plains" than he does, for he has long been distinguished in the army, and on the frontier as the "Prince of Prairiemen."
Though essentially a border play, Colonel Prentiss Ingraham, the author, has so interwoven social life with wild scenes upon the praire, and introduced into it the refining element of lovely woman that it is toned down form the "blood and thunder" of the stereotyped frontier drama.
Buffalo Bill as "himself," exhibit a fine bit of acting, and the character he impersonates of English noblemen and detective, rre exceedingly natural and good.
"Wild Nellie," the border heroine, and a wild, passionate outcast of the plains, is strongly taken by Miss Lydia Denier, who also has the advantage of being a handsome woman as well as a good actress.
Miss Nellie Jones, as "Rose Melton," is simply perfect--the refined, lovely, high-spirited girl she represents, while Mr. J. J. Louden as the designing villian, sport and outlaw, "Ralph Royston," proves himself a dramatic student who fully grasps the character he has to play.
The millionaire, "Mushroom Melton," is well acted by Mr. Harry Melmer, "Noel Marmaduke, the fop and puppet of the Jew most cleverly taken by Mr. Charlec Wilson, and "Red Eagle," Pawnee chief, a natural impersonation by Mr. Delancy Barclay. In fact, Mr. Cody has a star combination this season, and with his marvellous fancy rifle shooting, the war dances of the red skins, and the attractions of the frontier heroes Eddie and Charley Burgess, the play will without doubt draw crowded houses at every performance.

Buffalo Bill
The famous "Buffalo Bill," Hon. W. F. Cody, and company presented his new play at the Opera House last evening, entitled, "Knights of the Plains, or Buffalo Bill's Best Trail," written for him by the well-known author, Col. Prentiss Ingraham. The play was preceded by a very entertaining and amusing farce, entitled "Joppin's Latch Key." The play of the envening and that which drew is made up of exciting scenes from real life on the plains and the border towns, as experienced by Mr. Cody among the Indians, in which is presented some fine situations and effects.
The play was altogether well presented. Moses Moloch (L. R. Willard), and Judge Chincapin Shyster (Alf. Beverly), furnished the comic element and did it well. J. J. Louden as Ralph Royston did some clever acting, while Wild Nellie (Miss Lydia Denier) and Rose Melton (Miss Nellie Jones) aided very materially in adding interest to the play. Buffalo Bill we suppose does not pretend to be an actor, but his presence usually attracts enthusiasm. He did some fine rifle shooting, and the Pawnee braves went through a series of amusing antics called war and scalp dances. Taken altogether the play is much better than a mere dramatization of a yellow back novel, and is destined to have success.

Buffalo Bill Last Night
--Durley Hall was crowded last night to welcome the knight of the plains. The plot of his play is not as well connected as in some other plays, but it bristles with stirring scenes throughout, and, as the curtain is rung down at the end of each scene, the boys in the gallery and the young men in the parquet and dress cicle fairly yelled and howled in the excitiment of their pleasure. Buffalo Bill's life is the is the ideal career of all the dime-novel boys in America, and they applaud him to the echo. The boot blacks squander their hard earnings on him, and all the enterprising news-boys in the United States patronize him with a joy unknown to them when they put their "nickles in the missionary box." The various characters in the play are well represented, except the Jew, who overdoes his business in some particulars. The buttermilk negro was immense, and Judge Shyster was equal to the efforts of a broken-down Chicago lawyer. The play takes well.

Buffalo Bill To-night
--To-night Buffalo Bill, who is a great favorite with the amusement public of this city, will appear at Durley Hall, supported by a well selected company, having been chosen with reference to their particular abilities in the different characters of the play to be given this evening, entitled "Knights of the Plains; or, Buffalo Bill's Best Train." During the play Buffalo Bill will give an exhibition of some of his remarkable long-rifle shooting, which has given him a reputation as being one of he most expert marksman in the country.

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