130

BUFFALO BILL

He Disourses to a Democrat
Reporter of Indians,

And Given his Opinion of how yo Vexed Ques-
tion Might Readily and Simply
be Solved .

"That's my purse, my pockrt book,
said Buffalo Bill to an attache of the
DEMOCRAT Hotel, referring to a good-
sized russet leathersatchel which the re-
porter had endeavored to push out og
the way to make room for his hat on the
desk. The bag seemed a part of the
desk. It was weighty with silver, part
of the $1,240 receipts at the Comstock
the night before. When the scouts and
the reporter had sat down vis-a-vis and
the famous frontiersman had been con-
gratulated on his pecuniary success as
an actor, the writer took the liberty of
indulging in a critical look at him.
Tall, straight as a straight line,
with magnificent breadth of chest, small
hands evidently of great power, a re-
markably handsome though almost
girlish face, hair of which a woman
might be proud, and a soft melodious
voice, it would be much easier to accept
him as aesthetic model of a border
hero than as the veritable man whom
General Sheridan credits with having
done more perilous services and killed
more Indians than any other of the nu-
merous hunters, scouts, and Indian
fighters on the plains. Looking into his
face one can find no feature that betrays
even a reckless disposition. The out-
lines are all delicate, and speak rather of
a gentle character ; and the gentleness
crops out in his conversation, though
rather in a queer way. " I never sighted
my rifle or drew my knife on an Indian
but I left almost sorry for it, and I never
did it when I could help it, " he said, in
speaking of his reputation for having
been the cause of many a savage death-
shriek. Still there was a calm expres-
sion in face and eye that seemed to indi-
cate a tremendous amount of determina-
tion below the surface.
Having been led to talk of Indians,
and of them especially with refernce to
their physical prowess and endurance,
Buffalo Bill said:
" An Indians neither as large nor as
strong as the white man of the West;
but he is full of courage, and his vitality
is wonderful. He can't lift as much as a
white man, but he is fearfully quick with
his weapons and without weapons ; if
you fight him he'll stay with you all
summer. The strongest of them are the
Northern Indains---- the Crows, Sioux
and Oheyennes. When you get into
trouble with one of these hostiles, the
only means of pearsonal safety is in kill-
ing him at once. But as to the manage-
ment of the Indians there is first one
thing to be considered. That is, that
when you promise him anything you
must keep your word ; break it, and the
troble commences at once. Then again,
you can't drive the Indian. You can
educate him ; force him you cannot.
How to manage him is a prob-
lem. If the army takes him
they are too quick enough. Treat
him honesty guide him firmly and the
trouble would end by their all becoming
farmers and stock raisers."
After pausing a moment to answer the
questions of his business agent, Mr.
Cody continued

BUFFALO BILL

He Disourses to a Democrat
Reporter of Indians,

And Given his Opinion of how yo Vexed Ques-
tion Might Readily and Simply
be Solved .

"That's my purse, my pockrt book,
said Buffalo Bill to an attache of the
DEMOCRAT Hotel, referring to a good-
sized russet leathersatchel which the re-
porter had endeavored to push out og
the way to make room for his hat on the
desk. The bag seemed a part of the
desk. It was weighty with silver, part
of the $1,240 receipts at the Comstock
the night before. When the scouts and
the reporter had sat down vis-a-vis and
the famous frontiersman had been con-
gratulated on his pecuniary success as
an actor, the writer took the liberty of
indulging in a critical look at him.
Tall, straight as a straight line,
with magnificent breadth of chest, small
hands evidently of great power, a re-
markably handsome though almost
girlish face, hair of which a woman
might be proud, and a soft melodious
voice, it would be much easier to accept
him as aesthetic model of a border
hero than as the veritable man whom
General Sheridan credits with having
done more perilous services and killed
more Indians than any other of the nu-
merous hunters, scouts, and Indian
fighters on the plains. Looking into his
face one can find no feature that betrays
even a reckless disposition. The out-
lines are all delicate, and speak rather of
a gentle character ; and the gentleness
crops out in his conversation, though
rather in a queer way. " I never sighted
my rifle or drew my knife on an Indian
but I left almost sorry for it, and I never
did it when I could help it, " he said, in
speaking of his reputation for having
been the cause of many a savage death-
shriek. Still there was a calm expres-
sion in face and eye that seemed to indi-
cate a tremendous amount of determina-
tion below the surface.
Having been led to talk of Indians,
and of them especially with refernce to
their physical prowess and endurance,
Buffalo Bill said:
" An Indians neither as large nor as
strong as the white man of the West;
but he is full of courage, and his vitality
is wonderful. He can't lift as much as a
white man, but he is fearfully quick with
his weapons and without weapons ; if
you fight him he'll stay with you all
summer. The strongest of them are the
Northern Indains---- the Crows, Sioux
and Oheyennes. When you get into
trouble with one of these hostiles, the
only means of pearsonal safety is in kill-
ing him at once. But as to the manage-
ment of the Indians there is first one
thing to be considered. That is, that
when you promise him anything you
must keep your word ; break it, and the
troble commences at once. Then again,
you can't drive the Indian. You can
educate him ; force him you cannot.
How to manage him is a prob-
lem. If the army takes him
they are too quick enough. Treat
him honesty guide him firmly and the
trouble would end by their all becoming
farmers and stock raisers."
After pausing a moment to answer the
questions of his business agent, Mr.
Cody continued