105

Sodenbam, Forest Hill, and
Crystal Palace Times
Saturday, May 28. 1887.

ROUND AND ABOUT.
I have heard it said that if the Crystal Palace Company had been shrewd, Buffalo Bill and his Wild West show would have been located in those lovely grounds at Sydenham. Be it so or not, anyone who has been to the "Wild West" can safely say that Bullalo Bill himself has made a big mistake in not coming to the Crystal Palace. There is a very unfinished, rough, hovel kind of appearance about the show, and do what they can appearances go to prove that it is not the Wild West at all, but a builder's field decorated up.

What would have been more attractive and natural than to have seen the Indian encanp-ment esconsced on the Lower Lakes of the Crystal Palace amid the natural verdure of the beautiful grounds? What a sight to have seen the Sioux and other tribes engaged in a sham attack, by means of canoes, on the lower lake! To have had the cave the home of Mustang Jack, and the Cow-boys located amoung the zoo-logical specimens would have been "Wild" in itself.

The above is now only a vision. The Crystal Palace Company have thrown away a chance that would have made Buffalo Bill and the Crystal Palace Company greater than they are.

I have a little sequel to narrate as to why the Crystal Palace Company did not go in for real red Indians, or rather the Indians for the Crystal Palace. This week I took it into my head to go to the "Wild West." I visited the Indian Encampment and the whole show. My readers will remember that last week's SYDENHAM AND CRYSTAL PALACE TIMES contained some illustrations of the Wild West, and I therefore took with me a dozen copies to show the cowboys and their chiefs what Sydenham thought about them. My little boy being with me, he entered the various tents and distributed the papers, each being received with many thanks.

BUFFALO BILL was unfortunately away, so a copy was left for him, but Nate Salsbury and Miss Annie Oakley, the crack show, were highly delighted with the illustrations. The latter young lady invited me and my friends into her tent, and we then chatted for about half-an-hour. After inspecting Miss Oakley's medals and trophies, she said, "This show ought to have gone to your Crytal Palace." "Yes," I replied, "it would have been more realistic." Well, Miss Oakley said, "I offered to bring a tribe of Indians to the Palace, and give special performances of my shooting exhibition. The Palace Company could only pay a ridiculously small sum, so that I could not think of engaging. Buffalo Bill knowing this, did not trouble himself about the Crystal Palace, or we all might have been there now!"

I EXPRESSED my regret at this to Miss Annie Oakley, and said that the Crytal Palace Com-pany had been brought low by bad management. I added that now there was increased activity, and things were looking more prosperous. Miss Oakley was pleased to hear this, but said it was of course too late. She then took a cabinet photograph of herself and presented it to my little boy. Cordially shaking us by the hand, she bid us adieu.