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BUFFALO BILL.

HOW THE CHIEF OF SCOUTS BECAME AN ACTOR.

The Story as Furnished by Col. Prentiss Ingraham the Author, an Ex-Confederate Soldier - Some Reminiscences of the late War of Local Interest.

The return of Buffalo Bill (Hon. W. F. Cody) with his attractive play nad combination as elsewhere announced revives of more than oridnary interest the story of how the widely known scout became an actor. It is laid before us by Col. Prentiss Ingraham, a well known writer of fiction and play wright, who has been in the city a few days guest of the Oliver House. Col. Ingraham is an ex-confederate soldier with whom a meeting revives some interesting recollections of the war in which some Toledo soldiers will be interested, The story is thus told in Buffalo Bill's own language:

"It was in the fall of '71," sadi Bill, "that Gen. Sheridan came to the plains with a party of gentleman for the purpose of engaging in a Buffalo hunt to extend from Fort McPherson, Nebraska, to Fort Hayes, Kansas, on the Kansas Pacific railroad, a distance of 228 miles through the finest hunting counrty in the world. In the party were James Gorden Bennett, of the New York Herald, Lawrence and Leonard Jerome, Carl Livingston, S. G. Heckshire, Gen. Fitxhugh, of Pittshurgh, Gen. Anson Stager of the Western Union Telegraph Company, and other noted gentelmen. I guided the party, and when the hutn was finished I received an invitation from them to New York and make them a visit, as they wanted to show me the East, as I had shown them the West. I was then Chief of Scouts in the department of the Platte. And in January, 1872, just after the Grand Duke Alexis' hunt, which, by the way, I organized, I got a leave of absence, and for the first time in my life found myself East of the Mississippi river. Stopping at Chicago two days, where I was the guest of Gen. Sheridan, I proceeded to New York, where I was shown the 'elephant.' During my visit I attended the performance at the Bowery Theatre, in company with Col. E. Z. C. Judson (Ned Buntline), and witnessed a dramatization of Judson's story, entitled 'Buffalo Bill, King of Border men.' The part of Buffalo Bill was impersonated by Mr. J. B. Studley, an excellent actor, and I must say I thought the fellow looked like me, as his make up was a perfect picture of myself. i had not watched myself very long before the audience discovered the the original Buffalo Bill was in the private box, and they commenced cheering which stopped the performance, and they would not cease until I had shown myself and spoken a few words.

"At that time I had no idea of going on the stage, such a thought having never entered my head. But some enterprising managers, believing there was money in me, offered me as high on one thousand dollars per week to go on the stage. I told them I would rather face a thousand Indians than attempt to open my mouth before all those people. I returned to my duties as a scout, and during the summer of 1872 Ned Buntline was constantly writing me to come east and go on the stage, offering large inducements. As scouting business was rather dull, I concluded to try it for a while, and started east in company with Texas Jack. Met Buntline in Chicago with a company ready to support me.

"We were to open