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"BUFFALO BILL."

Incidents and Facts in the Famous Scout's Life.

The Grand Duke Alexis - Encounter With Yellow Hand - A Little Grave.

The coming of Hon. W. F. Cody (Buffalo Bill) at the Opera House tonight, in the beautiful drama of May Cody, representing scenes from actual life, lends additional interest to the following sketch of the hero, whose portrait is given above. It is from the Rochester (N. Y.) Sunday Morning Herald:

Wm. Cody, or "Buffalo Bill," as he is familiarly known from New York to San Francisco, has been playing with his company, to crowded audiences, at the Opera House in this city during a portion of the past week. It is not our purpose, however, to speak of the play, but of the man, in this article.

Several years ago, when he first visited our city, he, Texas Jack, and two newspaper men took a sleigh ride up East avenue, one fine winter afternoon, bringing up finally at Prof. Ward's whose acquaintance Buffalo Bill had made on the plains. One of that party had not met the famous scout to talk with him since, until yesterday morning, when, on a pressing invitation, Mr. Cody walked into the Herald sanctum; but he has an observing eve and a retentive memory, and instantly recalled both the individual and the occasion.

Mr. Cody's [illegible] did physique, frank and daring looking and long, flowing hair, are familiar to thousands who have seen him on the streets but have never met him personally. In appearance and manner he is the beau ideal of the western hunter and Indian fighter, the chevalier of the plains. Every feature indicates power and courage, but all are softened by the light of a naturally kind and courteous nature.

The story of his life has been often told. Orphaned at an early age by an Indian massacre in the West, he grew up the foe of the red man, and in many a fair fight has paid off the Indians in leaden coin, for that butchery that robbed him of his parents. He was chosen by General Sheridan to accompany the Grand Duke Alexis and his party on a hunting expedition over the plains when that Russian Prince visited this country. Since then on several occasions he has acted as Chief of Scouts for our troops in their expeditions against the Indians, and was with General Crook, in that capacity, engaged in the same general movement with Custer when the latter's command was massacred.

For several years Buffalo Bill has been giving dramatic exhibitions, and he has become really an actor of considerable merit. His exhibitions are immensely popular. He has acquired quite a fortune, and now owns a large ranche, about three hundred miles west of Omaha.

While talking about the Crook exhibition, Buffalo Bill told us the story of his encounter with Yellow Hand. Our troops were engaged in a skirmish with the Indians, when Yellow Hand shouted out a challenge to the "long hated man" to come out and fight single handed. The challenge was accepted. To have declined it would have lost him his prestige among the Indians, and might have been followed by serious results. The Indian and the "pale race" warriors rode toward each other, firing their rifles; both horses were killed, Yellow Hand was shot through the thigh, and "Bill" was slightly wounded. The two men were then close enough to grapple, and before Yellow Hand could prevent it, the scout had finished the fight and slain the Indian with his knife.

The hero of our article was for one term a member of the Nebraska Legislature, and has popularity enough now, or will have, when he settles down on his ranche, for election to congress. Mrs. Cody and the rest of the family are now in Nebraska. Friday afternoon Mr. Cody paid a visit to a small, snow-covered mound in Mount Hope, where a little son -Kit Carson Cody- was tenderly buried when the family lived in Rochester. The far away mother could not consent to have the father visit Rochester and carry back no word from the little one's grave.

HON. W. F. CODY (BUFFALO BILL.)

The Buffalo Bill Dramatic Combination, led by the noted Government Scout, Guide and Hunter will appear at the Opera House, next Saturday evening, in his reconstructed drama of "May Cody." He comes this season with a strong dramatic combination, his own brass band and orchestra, and a band of genuine Indian Chiefs, including Master Eddie Burgess, the Boy Chief of the Pawnees, the youngest chied of which any record is given in the entire Indian nation.

Few men have gathered in their real existence, enough of romance and adventure to make the theme entertaining or thrilling to others. This is one of the great charms of Buffalo Bill, for he presents incidents, in his own personality, stage representations of his own escape, triumphs and exploits beyond the bounds of civilization.

The press this season compliments Mr. Cody very highly on his improvement as an actor, and the audience on this occasion, besides seeing the noted scout and guide - the very impersonation of physical manhood - will be entertained with an interesting drama of border life.

BUFFALO BILL AT BAY.

Not only was the gallery at the Corinthisa academy of music crowded densely last night, but nearly all the seats below were occupied by an audience as enthusiastic as even the wild Indians could desire. "Buffalo Bill" was given a cordial reception, and the applause his every appearance elicited was bestowed with unistinted generosity, if not always with discrimination. Mr. Cody's new play "Buffalo Bill at Bay," is much better than anything he has given the public heretofore, and while the author will hardly claim for it high dramatic excellence, it seems to introduce a variety of western characteristics as a background for theg reat scuot, and preserves a connected story, which gives the hero an opportunity to perform his many feats with a fair degree of consistency. Mr. Cody shows a marked improvement in his acting, and when disguised as Denver Dicks, is surprisingly good. In the third act he gives an exhibition of fancy chooting with the rifle which is rather startling in its nature, and whatever else may be sai, the interest of the audience is never allowed to flag. Mr. Cody is given an excellent support by Miss Denier, Miss Nellie Jones, Mr. London, Mr. Willard and the others, and the performance is one that merits all the popularity it has won. The orchestra is exceptionally good, by no means andunimportant matter, and the entertainment is one that will undoubtedly draw full house for the remainder of the engangement.

A Woman's Opinions.

BUFFALO BILL
was greeted by a large and very select audience,-- that is to say it was selected from every class of people to be found in the city and there were more of some classes than of others. There is nothing immoral in the tendency of the play, which cannot be said of the many opera bouffe troupes that our most refined ladies do not hestitate to patronize. If any lady wishes to behold one of the most perfect and handsome specimens of manhood in existence she will have to go and see Wm.F. Cody. Tall, straight, well-knot, supple and commanding, he adds to a complexio, fair as a woman's, the dark eyes, hair and mustache of a man. With each annual appearance one notices an improvement in grace and refinement of manner. As he enters upon the stage in dress suit and kid gloves, he is the last person you would select as the brave, daring, dauntless Indian scout but, as the play progresses and hisskill, markmanship and strenth ecome apparent, we no longer wonder at his famous reputation. The play is poor in plot and weak in dramatic effect. The performance of the Indians is disgusting and yet not without a weird attraction as a representation of a custom that will soon pass away forever. Judging from these specimens of tame Indians one does not wonder that on the frontier they are universally names "the red devils."

We can hardly eudorse the dramatic critic of the Express in his enthusiastic admiration of the trick mule "Jerry" but, as he is probably the more experienced judge, we defer to his opinion.

There could hardly be a wider distinction between two plays than that of Buffalo Bill and