23

13

noted, as are events of importance, as it marks a new era in the history of amusements:---- for originality, adherence to the truth in 'holding the mirror up to Nature,' and a fidelity to fact that is the 'true aim of art.' The reception accorded to his 'show that is not a show, but an illustration,' in the cultured cities of the East, notably Boston, Chicago, Newport, New York, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, and Cleveland, must be gratifying to all in North Platte; in fact, in Nebraska, where, in the incipiency of the scheme, over a year ago, he demonstrated by courage pluck, and perseverance, its feasibility by its introduction in the festivities of our national birthday celebration, and on the followinf natal day presented it on the shores of the Atlantic, to the plaudits of over 25,000 delighted Bostonians. The magnitude of the undertaking, the minutiæ necessary to organizaing, the bringing together from all points the best marksmen in the world, securing admirable and fitting representatives of the cattle trade, getting wild buffalo, elk, steers, mules, ponites, specimens of the red terrors of the prairie, and other features of interest known only to the pampas of the West--necessitating Washington Street, Boston, in sex weeks after leaving the Platte--was an accomplishment that stamps Cody as a wonder in energy, and gained for him the admiration and encomiums of the entire press of the East, recognition from the elite of American society, encouragement from representatives of education, and the indorsement of his methods by the S. P. C. A. and its noted presedent, Professor Henry Bergh.

MAVERICK JOE.

BY NATHAN KIRK GRIGGS.

--From Lyrics of the Lariat.

Don't know
Of Maveric Joe,
That buster of broncos in chief,
And who,
As everying knew.
Waxed rich a Maverick thief?

It's strange.
Out here on the range,
That you haven't known of his name,
Nor heard
How ranchers were stirred
Because of his Maverick fame.

Well, then.
I'll whisper again,
The tale of the cow and her kid
Altho',
Thoguht Maverick Joe,
The trick was a corker they did/

Out West,
With a lucre unblest,
He rangled for others a year.
While budge,
As well you may judge,
Occasion'ly offered him cheer.

One day.
With poker the play--
That game by no tenderfoot learned--
I hear
He rustled a steer,
That wasn't quite honestly earned.

And then,
He built him a den,
Way out where the punchers were few.
And there,
Tho' not by the square,
He soon to a cattle-king grew.

'Twas queer
How often that steer
Raised calves for his Maverick "X" (cross),
Tho' now,
I'm bound to allow,
His gain was some other one's loss.

One noon,
Along about June,
A Maverick daisy he saw--
The best,
And one that he guessed
He'd own by the Maverick law.

And so
He rastled it low.
And gave it a touch of his brand,
Then smiled,
For fortune beguiled,
That happiest chump in the land.

Next morn,
As sure as I'm horn,
It chanced that a round up begun,
And then,
Some blundering men
Caught on to the caper he'd done.

For now,
They circled a cow,
One bearing a "" (square) on her side,
That bawled,
And motherly called,
At sight of his Maverick pride.

The kid
Then bellowed and slid,
And bucked right in for a mean;
And--well,
It's idle to tell
The feelings he couldn't conceal.

Tho' caught,
He swore it was bought,
Where never a seller was nigh;
But all,
Tho' praising his gall,
Yet reckoned no cattle would lie.

And thus,
That ornery cuss
Got "cinched" on account of that paw;
Because,
By cattlemen's laws
A "X" shouldn't tackle a "".

THE PAWNEES ASTONISHED.

W. F. CODY, althoguh having established his right to the title of "BUFFALO BILL" for years before, had not had opportunity to convince the Pawnees of the justice of his claim previous to the time of the following incident. A shoer while previously a band of marauding red-skin renegades from that nation, while on a stealing excursion near Ellsworth, had occasion to regret their temerity, and cause to remember him to the extent of three killed which fact for a time resulted in an enmity that needed something out of the usual run to establish him in their favor. While on a military expedition, under Gen. E. A. Carr, upon

13

noted, as are events of importance, as it marks a new era in the history of amusements:---- for originality, adherence to the truth in 'holding the mirror up to Nature,' and a fidelity to fact that is the 'true aim of art.' The reception accorded to his 'show that is not a show, but an illustration,' in the cultured cities of the East, notably Boston, Chicago, Newport, New York, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, and Cleveland, must be gratifying to all in North Platte; in fact, in Nebraska, where, in the incipiency of the scheme, over a year ago, he demonstrated by courage pluck, and perseverance, its feasibility by its introduction in the festivities of our national birthday celebration, and on the followinf natal day presented it on the shores of the Atlantic, to the plaudits of over 25,000 delighted Bostonians. The magnitude of the undertaking, the minutiæ necessary to organizaing, the bringing together from all points the best marksmen in the world, securing admirable and fitting representatives of the cattle trade, getting wild buffalo, elk, steers, mules, ponites, specimens of the red terrors of the prairie, and other features of interest known only to the pampas of the West--necessitating Washington Street, Boston, in sex weeks after leaving the Platte--was an accomplishment that stamps Cody as a wonder in energy, and gained for him the admiration and encomiums of the entire press of the East, recognition from the elite of American society, encouragement from representatives of education, and the indorsement of his methods by the S. P. C. A. and its noted presedent, Professor Henry Bergh.

MAVERICK JOE.

BY NATHAN KIRK GRIGGS.

--From Lyrics of the Lariat.

Don't know
Of Maveric Joe,
That buster of broncos in chief,
And who,
As everying knew.
Waxed rich a Maverick thief?

It's strange.
Out here on the range,
That you haven't known of his name,
Nor heard
How ranchers were stirred
Because of his Maverick fame.

Well, then.
I'll whisper again,
The tale of the cow and her kid
Altho',
Thoguht Maverick Joe,
The trick was a corker they did/

Out West,
With a lucre unblest,
He rangled for others a year.
While budge,
As well you may judge,
Occasion'ly offered him cheer.

One day.
With poker the play--
That game by no tenderfoot learned--
I hear
He rustled a steer,
That wasn't quite honestly earned.

And then,
He built him a den,
Way out where the punchers were few.
And there,
Tho' not by the square,
He soon to a cattle-king grew.

'Twas queer
How often that steer
Raised calves for his Maverick "X" (cross),
Tho' now,
I'm bound to allow,
His gain was some other one's loss.

One noon,
Along about June,
A Maverick daisy he saw--
The best,
And one that he guessed
He'd own by the Maverick law.

And so
He rastled it low.
And gave it a touch of his brand,
Then smiled,
For fortune beguiled,
That happiest chump in the land.

Next morn,
As sure as I'm horn,
It chanced that a round up begun,
And then,
Some blundering men
Caught on to the caper he'd done.

For now,
They circled a cow,
One bearing a "" (square) on her side,
That bawled,
And motherly called,
At sight of his Maverick pride.

The kid
Then bellowed and slid,
And bucked right in for a mean;
And--well,
It's idle to tell
The feelings he couldn't conceal.

Tho' caught,
He swore it was bought,
Where never a seller was nigh;
But all,
Tho' praising his gall,
Yet reckoned no cattle would lie.

And thus,
That ornery cuss
Got "cinched" on account of that paw;
Because,
By cattlemen's laws
A "X" shouldn't tackle a "".

THE PAWNEES ASTONISHED.

W. F. CODY, althoguh having established his right to the title of "BUFFALO BILL" for years before, had not had opportunity to convince the Pawnees of the justice of his claim previous to the time of the following incident. A shoer while previously a band of marauding red-skin renegades from that nation, while on a stealing excursion near Ellsworth, had occasion to regret their temerity, and cause to remember him to the extent of three killed which fact for a time resulted in an enmity that needed something out of the usual run to establish him in their favor. While on a military expedition, under Gen. E. A. Carr, upon