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BUFFALO BILL.

He Discourses to a Democrat Reporter of Indians,

And Gives his Opinion of how the Vexed Question Might Readily and Simply be Solved.

"That's my purse, my pocket book," said Buffalo Bill to an attache of the DEMOCRAT yesterday morning at the American Hotel, referring to a good-sized russet leather satchel which the reporter had endeavored to push out of the way to make room for his hat on the desk. The bag seemed a part of the desk. It was weighty with silver, part of the $1,240 receipts at the Comstock the night before. When the scout and the reporter had sat down vis-a-vis and the famous frontiersman had been congratulated on his pecuniary success as an actor, the writer took the liberty of indulging in a critical look at him. Tall, straight as a straight line, with magnificent breadth of chest, small hands evidently of great power, a remarkably handsome though almost girlish face, hair of which a woman might be proud, and a soft melodious voice, it would be much easier to accept him as a very aesthetic model of a border hero than as the veritable man whom General Sheridan credits with having done more perilous services and killed more Indians than any other of the numerous hunters, scouts, and Indian fighters on the plains. Looking into his face one can find no feature that betrays even a reckless disposition. The outlines are all delicate, and speak rather of a gentle character; and the gentleness crops out in his conversation, though rather in a queer way. "I never sighted my rifle or drew my knife on an Indian but I felt almost sorry for it," he said, in speaking of him repuation for having been the cause of many a savage death-shriek. Still there was a calm expression in face and eye that seemed to indicate a tremendous amount of determination below the surface.

Having been led to talk of Indians, and of them especially with reference to their physical prowess and endurance, Buffalo Bill said:

"An Indian is neither as large nor as strong as the white man of the West; but he is full of courage, and his vitality is wonderful. He can't lift as much as a white man, but he is fearfully quick with his weapons and without weapons; if you fight him he'll stay with you all summer. The strongest of them are the Northern Indians--the Crows, Sioux and Cheyennes. When you get into trouble with one of these hostiles, the only means of personal safety is in killing him at once. But as to the management of the Indians there is first one thing to be considered. That is, that when you promise him anything you must keep your word; break it, and the trouble commences at once. Then again, you can't drive the Indian. You can educate him; force him you cannot. How to manage him is a problem. If the army takes him they are too quick to punish and the peace men are not quick enough. Treat him honestly, guide him firmly and the trouble would end by their all becoming farmers and stock raisers."

After pausing a moment to answer the questions of his business agent, Mr. Cody continued":

"While I have been in the East I have heard men say 'you ought to exterminate the whole lot of them,' and I have invariably replied, 'Did you ever take an Indian by the hand and make him a friend?' Of course they had not. Just as after the civil war everyone but the men who fought wanted to keep it up, so now those who know nothing of Indian war clamor most loudly for it. I have fought Indians since I was a boy and God knows I've killed many; but I never sighted a rifle or put my knife in one that I didn't have a feeling of pity for them and regret at the act."

"How would it do to let each State or territory take care of its own?" the reporter asked.

The scout trurned a look of mild suprise on his questioner as though he thought to himself, "well you are green."
He answered:

"Why, if that had been done this last time," referring to the Ute war, "there would have been one of the most savage massacres ever heard of. No that wouldn't do."

Mr. Cody seemed to be of the impression that a joint government of the Indians by the Interior and War Departments was the most sensible and most likely to result in a successful conversion of the nomad into a farmer.

Speaking of his histrionic career he siad that his appearances in the West were as popular as in the East.

"I went into San Franciso," he said, "and said I would play there five weeks and everybody laughed at me. But I did and made money where evey one else had been losing. Then I went to the California theatre, that's the Wallack's of 'Frisco, you know, and the proprietor was angry because the manager had made the contract. I played there one week only because I wanted to get home to my ranche. The first night we took in $2.300 and the week brought in over $9,000.
It was drawing near train time and the famous frontiersman bade his guest adieu with all the grace of a man bred in city maners.

Buffalo Bill.

A very interesting person indeed is Hon. William F. Cody, or, as he is commonly known, Buffalo Bill. A man whose reputaion was first gained through superior "backwoodsmanship," and whose greatest triumphs have been won through the double agency of rifle and lasso, would hardly be supposed a gentleman who betrays in the parlor no trace of the prairie or the rough manners of a scout. But during his short stay in this city we found Mr. Cody just the type of a man we had supposed he was not, and our opinion of mankind particularly of that portion whose home is the stage, rose above par. Not only is Buffalo Bill a gentleman, but he has, either by example or force, led all the rest of his company into the same good habits. Even the "untutored savages," who moped about in red blankets, had a courteous, considerate air which they never learned on the prairies. Cody has a figure to envy. His bearing is lordly and his physique splendid. The nobility which characterizes his part on the stage seems to cling to him after he has resigned his costume. If Buffalo Bill is what he seems, and we have no reason to doubt that he is, he is indeed an interesting man.

BUFFALO BILL.

Buffalo Bill, with the Indian chief, the donkey, and the features of his company drew two more very large audiences to Music Hall yesterday. The applause was most vociferous and the play went off with great spirit. There is no doubt that Mr. Cody reaches a large class of lovers of the drama that no other actor can.

BUFFALO BILL.

The renowned scout and his company played to a packed house at Music hall last night. Every seat was taken and about all the standing room occupied. The performance opened with a farce entitled "Turn him out." The drama is rather better than the last one played by Buffalo Bill here, and though there is little or no stabbing and shooting it contains plenty of exciting incident and striking tableaux. Buffalo Bill assumes three different characters in the course of the play. He was received with enthusiastic applause, and shows that as an actor he is improving. The Indians in full costume gave a specimen of Indian music and singing and their scalp dance was very realisitic. The part of the exhibition was completely novel. Buffalo Bill also gave an exhibition of his skill wih the rifle and the "bull whip." A matinee was given this afternoon, and to-night will be the last opportunity to see "Buffalo Bill at bay."

COUIERS.

The Remkable Rides of Buffalo Bill.

The English papers have recently been loud in praise of Mr. Archibald Forbes who made a really tough ride across the Zulu country. He rode 110 miles from
9 p. m. one day to 5 p. m. the next. His ride was in six stages, and at each stage he obtained refreshment and a fresh horse. He had guides and an escort part of the way, and followed a well marked trail across the country made by an advancing army of 6,000 men. The ride was really wonderful; but what would they say to such rides as those made across the trackless plains and forests of our great Western country with the dread probability that at any moment the flying hoof beats of the steed might be stopped by the whizzing of an Indian ball or arrow and the bones of both horse and rider left to bleach and whiten on the desolate plain? Rankin, the scout who rode out of Payne's lines and carried to Rawlins the intelligence of the plight of what was left of Thornburg's command, made a remarkable ride and well worthy the attention of the muse of history. Buffalo Bill, in his autobiography recently published, presents some figures which are worthy the attention of those who are disposed to glorify dangerous and difficult rides.

In August, 1868, Buffalo Bill rode in twelve hours from Fort Larned to Fort Zarah and back, sixty-five miles; in the succeeding twelve hours he carried dispatches to General Sheridan from Fort Larned to Fort Hayes, sixty-five miles. From Fort Hayes he rode in the next twenty-four hours to Fort Dodge, ninety-five miles; on the next night he went to Fort Larned. thirty-five miles on foot and thirty miles on a mule; and again the next night from Fort Larned to Fort Hayes, sixty-five miles. He made on horses, mules, and afoot 355 miles, and he was in the saddle or afoot fifty-eight hours. These successive rides were made through a rough, irregular country, swarming with hostile Indians, where there were no roads and hardly a perceptible trail, which had to be followed in the obscruity of the night. Early in life Buffalo Bill made a continuous ride of 322 miles, making that distance in the incredibly short time of twenty-two hours, a wonderful feat of human endurance.