207

and Rock Island. Immediately opposite
is another thriving town that welcomed
me with a rousing house, proving that its
citizens are enthusiastic theatre goers.

Running through Iowa, I met the same
success at Clinton, Dubuque, Cedar Rapids,
Iowa City, Des Moines, and Keokuk,
until I struck Illinois at Galesburg everywhere
my dramas receiving the highest
praise from the press, with the exception
of Clinton, where a column was devoted
to criticising a play which it was evident
the reporter had not seen, having doubtless
been absent at some temperance (?)
meeting, and written the criticism from
his fertile imagination, for he spoke of
Indians being sacraficed, horrid scenes,
blood curdling deeds, and other things
that do not exist in the play.

At Clinton, I played against the one
time circus champion, Dan Rice, and my
receipts of the evening, my vanity causes
me to state, doubled the amount of his
three performances. Poor "Dan," his
days of greatness are over, and the sawdust
ring will never again be the scene of his
olden triumphs.

Also at Clinton, I was agreeably surprised
by a visit from my partner, Major
Frank North, than whom no truer, better
man, has existance. I also met other
bordermen there whom I had known and
hunted with away off on the prairies towards
the setting sun.

At many of the towns we played it was
"fair time" and my Indians were gazed
at with open-mouthed wonder by the
countrymen as well as townsmen, and of
course their curiosity to see "Poor Lo"
in all the glory of his war paint and
feathers, helped to fill my pockets with
silver, oh yes! silver! from pennies to
trade dollars with ten cents off the latter.
It is enough to make a man sigh to
be a greenbacker, or anything else, to
get rid of very precious, but very numerous
metal, yet I do not complain for
a dollar is a dollar for a that.

And right her let me remark that the
dull times are over in the places that I
have visited, the cities are brisk with
trade, the country loaded with grain of
all kinds, the fairs were never better attended,
the theatres never better patronized,
and thrift is upon everything, so
that the dark days are over and prosperity
rests upon the face of man and nature.

In the theatrical business, one meets
with many funny people, and beholds
many ridiculous scenes, while to study
human nature, there is no better school.
For instance, many railroad men, to
whom combinations pay large sums yearly
think it their perogative to come free to a
theatre, bringing with them their "cousins,
their sisters and their aunts," If refused
admission gratis, the "baggage
smashers" in some instanes, " get even."
But I am always glad to extend courtesies
in season, though do not like to be
imposed on. then we have innumerable
"members of the press" who never drove
a quill by midnight oil or set a type

inmates of the hotel.

"Will never play Pinafore no more?"
cried Burgers.

"Never!"

"What, never?"

"Hardly ever."

"Where my tomahawk?" shouted Burgers,
and the tenor of the Englishman becoming
so great, the jokers were alarmed
and Burgers fled from the room, leaving
his tomahawk in the hands of the terrified
man, but he took the joke kindly after all,
though he changed his room-mate.

But I have fear I have already trespassed too
much upon your valuable space, so will
close, with the promise of another letter
from the "laud of the sugar and cane,"
if you care to hear from

Very Sincerely Yours,
W. F. Cody.

and Rock Island. Immediately opposite is another thriving town that welcomed me with a rousing house, proving that its citizens are enthusiastic theatre goers.

Running through Iowa, I met the same success at Clinton, Dubuque, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Des Moines, and Keokuk, until I struck Illinois at Galesburg everywhere my dramas receiving the highest praise from the press, with the exception of Clinton, where a column was devoted to criticising a play which it was evident the reporter had not seen, having doubtless been absent at some temperance (?) meeting, and written the criticism from his fertile imagination, for he spoke of Indians being sacraficed, horrid scenes, blood curdling deeds, and other things that do not exist in the play.

At Clinton, I played against the one time circus champion, Dan Rice, and my receipts of the evening, my vanity causes me to state, doubled the amount of his three performances. Poor "Dan," his days of greatness are over, and the sawdust ring will never again be the scene of his olden triumphs.

Also at Clinton, I was agreeably surprised by a visit from my partner, Major Frank North, than whom no truer, better man, has existance. I also met other bordermen there whom I had known and hunted with away off on the prairies towards the setting sun.

At many of the towns we played it was "fair time" and my Indians were gazed at with open-mouthed wonder by the countrymen as well as townsmen, and of course their curiosity to see "Poor Lo" in all the glory of his war paint and feathers, helped to fill my pockets with silver, oh yes! silver! from pennies to trade dollars with ten cents off the latter. It is enough to make a man sigh to be a greenbacker, or anything else, to get rid of very precious, but very numerous metal, yet I do not complain for a dollar is a dollar for a that.

And right her let me remark that the dull times are over in the places that I have visited, the cities are brisk with trade, the country loaded with grain of all kinds, the fairs were never better attended, the theatres never better patronized, and thrift is upon everything, so that the dark days are over and prosperity rests upon the face of man and nature.

In the theatrical business, one meets with many funny people, and beholds many ridiculous scenes, while to study human nature, there is no better school. For instance, many railroad men, to whom combinations pay large sums yearly think it their perogative to come free to a theatre, bringing with them their "cousins, their sisters and their aunts," If refused admission gratis, the "baggage smashers" in some instanes, " get even." But I am always glad to extend courtesies in season, though do not like to be imposed on. then we have innumerable "members of the press" who never drove a quill by midnight oil or set a type

inmates of the hotel.

"Will never play Pinafore no more?" cried Burgers

"Never!"

"What, never?"

"Hardly ever."

"Where my tomahawk?" shouted Burgers, and the tenor of the Englishman becoming so great, the jokers were alarmed and Burgers fled from the room, leaving his tomahawk in the hands of the terrified man, but he took the joke kindly after all, though he changed his room-mate.

But I have fear I have already trespassed too much upon your valuable space, so will close, with the promise of another letter from the "laud of the sugar and cane," if you care to hear from

Very Sincerely Yours,
W. F. Cody.