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BURTIS OPERA HOUSE.
TWO NIGHTS ONLY,
MONDAY & TUESDAY. SEPT. 1 & 2.
The Only SCOUT ORGANIZATION on the Road!
HON. W. F. CODY,
BUFFALO BILL!
And his Monster Combination of 24 Artists, is the new Four-Act Drama, written expressly for him by Col. Ingraham, entitled
THE KNIGHT OF THE PLAINS; or, Buffalo Bill's Best Trail.
During the Drama, he will introduce Master EDDIE BURGESS, the Boy Chief of the Pawnees, and C. A. BURGESS, Governor, Scout and Guide; also, a Band of INDIAN CHIEFS from the Ponca and, Pawnee Reservations.
Fancy Rifle Shooting by Buffalo Bill!
A GRAND STREET PARADE
will be given on horseback by the Indians, headed by Buffalo Bills own Military Band and Orchestra, led by Prof. Rampone.
Persons wishing to purchase "The Life of Buffalo Bill" can do so by applying in the bookstore of E. A. Day & Co., or at the hall during the performance.
Prices as usual. Reserved Seats, 75c to be had at E. A. Day & Co.'s three days in advance.
JOSH E. OGDEN Business Manager.
162
THE KNIGHT OF THE PLAINS
A grand audience in every respect greeted the native Scott county boy, Willian F. Cody, whom all the world knows as Buffalo Bill, at the opera house last evening, with his well-chosen dramatic company. Mr. Cody had a protean character in the dramas "Knight of the Plains," and when he appeared in the first scene, horse-back, in the character of a scout he was welcomed with tremendous applause, which must have been highly gratifying to him. The pray presents life on the frontiers and on the plains, as Buffalo Bill saw it in his young days when he was a pony express rider, scout and guide, several of the scenes representing actual experiences in the life of the hero. It is an interesting and exciting play, with not hardly so much shooting and murder play as generally accompanies dramas and stories of border life. There is a great deal of humor in it, and frequently the house pars with laughter. "Buttermilk", (Harry Irving) and his mule invariably brings down the house. As for the characters, Buffalo Bill himself is excellent as Buffalo Bill; a splendid-looking man, to begin with, a piercing eye and fine voice, he proves a good actor; Miss Nellie Jones as Rose Melton became a favorite with the audience, and Lydia Denier as Wild Nelie, also did well. Londen as Ralph Royton, Willard as Moses Molock, Beverly as the shyster, were excellent, while the minor roles were well sustained. The performance opened with the laughable farce "Joppin's Latch-key," which put the audience in a very receptive frame of mind. Buffalo Bill snd company can be well commended to the patronage of amusement lovers.
The company repeats the drama this evening, Go and enjoy it.
The Company appear in Rock Island to-morrow evening, at Clinton Thursday, Dubuque Friday, Cedar Rapras, Saturday and Iowa City Monday Evening next.
163
Hon. W. F. Cody, renowned as "Buffalo Bill," arrived at the Burtis last evening, and will organize his dramatic company here. The members, most of whom were with him last year, are expected from New York to-morrow, and eight Ponca and Pawnee Indians, from Montana territory, will arrive on Saturday. Monday evening the company will present the thrilling drama, "The Knight of the Plains, or Buffalo Bill's Best Trail," and repeat it Tuesday evening. To-morrow Mr. Cody takes a drive out to his old home at Walnut Grove, and will visit the tomb of his brother Samuel in the cemetery at Long Grove. He will return to the city by way of LeClaire, where he lived three or four years, and visit the place where he was born, several miles south of that city.
164
BUFFALO BILL. A Short History of this Distinguished Native of Scott County.
Hon. W. F. Cody, perhaps better known to the world as "Buffalo Bill," arrived from New York by the train from the east last evening, and took up his quarters at the Burtis. A GAZETTE reporter had the pleasure of making his acquaintance an hour later, and from him learned a very little concerning his eventful life. Mr. Cody was born in Scott county, near Le. Claire, in 1845. His father, who is well remembered by early settlers, was Isaac Cody, who on arriving in the then territory of Iowa first made his home in Davenport, afterward residıng at Walnut Grove, 15 mıles north, and still later near Le Claire. When his now-famous son was eight years of age, Mr. Cody removed to Kansas, where a few years later he lost his life in the endeavor to make Kansas a free white State. After his father's death, when young Cody was but 12 years old, the support of his widowed mother and sister devolved upon him, and he took to the plains for a livelihood. Growing up under such circumstances, his natural fondness for excitement and adventure led hım to become a scout and guide, and the most of his life since has been passed as such. For the past 12 years, he has been a guide and chief scout for nearly every military expedition carried on in Nebraska, Dakota, and Wyoming. He was with General Crook, within thirty-five miles of the scene of the Custer massacre at the time of that terrible slaughter in 1876. The sobriquet of Buffalo Bill was earned while the Kansas Pacific railroad was being constructed when he was employed by the company for eighteen months as a hunter, to provide meat for the scene time The 1,500 men who were working on the construction of the road. During that time he killed 4,280 buffalo. In a single run through a herd one day, on a hoise without a saddle or bridle, he slaughtered 69 buffalo.
For four years past Mr. Cody has been engaged in the stock business, running a ranche at North Platte, Neb. He now owns a herd of 4,000 cattle at that place. On Monday and Tuesday evening of next week at the Burtis Opera House, he will open out for his eighth annual theatrical season, with the largest combination he ever had. The dramatic portion of the troupe comes from New York, arriving Friday night, while the Indians, from the Indian Territory, accompanied by the Boy Chief of the Pawnees, a white child adopted by the tribe and made chief at the age of 13 years, will come in Saturday morning.
165
A grand audience in every respect greeted the native Scott county boy, William F. Cody, whom all the world knows as Buffalo Bill, at the Opera House, last evening, with his well known dramatic company. Mr. Cody had a protean character in the drama, "Knights of the Plains," and when he appeared in the first scene, on horseback, in the character of a scout, he was welcomed with tremendous applause, which must have been highly gratifying to him. The play presents life on the frontier and on the plains, as Mr. Cody saw it in his young days, when he was a pony express rider, scout and guide, several of the scenes representing actual experiences in the life of the hero. It is an interesting and exciting play, with not hardly so much shooting and murder play as generally accompanies dramas and stories of border life. There is a great deal of humor in it, and frequently the house roars with laughter. "Buttermilk" (Harry Irving) and his mule invariably brings down the house. As for the characters, Buffalo Bill himself is excellent as Buffalo Bill; a splendid looking man to begin with, a piercing eye and a fine voice, he proves a good actor; Miss Nellie Jones as Rose Melton, became a favorite with the audience, and Lydia Denier as Wild Nellie, also did well. Louden as Ralph Royton, Willard as Moses Molock, Beverly as the shyster, were excellent, while the minor roles were well sustained.