| 205CODY THE ACTOR
History of a Theatrical Ven-
true Started in Chicago.
-----------
Star Engagment Played Here
Twenty Years Ago by the
Heroes of the Plains.
Buffalo Bill, Ned Buniline, Texas Jack, Sid France and Others who Conceived and Produced the First Wild West Attraction Ever Put on the Stage--The " Scouts of the Prairie " and the Cast that Presented It---Immense Finacial Success---Houses Crowded to the Doors.
" Do you know, " inquired a well- known
New York alist, with the air of a Private Secretary, " do you know that Buffalo Bill made his first appearance on the stage in Chicago twenty years ago? Its a fact, "
he continued, " and I may recall the circurstance to some of the old campaigners who used to sit around Kid Hyland's desk down at the old rookery years and years ago.
" Bill's" histrionic aspiration were undoubtedl inspired by Ned Butline.
The latter used to haunt the wilds of Wyoming less than a century since and chase the antelpe over the plains of Nebraska drag up drowned honors, so to speak, from the swamps of Iwoa, and drink Anbeuser-Bush beer in Chicago before the fire. We'd met Cody on one of his western trips at O' Fallon's Bluff's on the North Platte and at the time suggested that the latter would succesed before the public in the character of a typical resident of wooliy weat. Later on Cody came to Chicago accompanied by Major Burke, who is still manger of the company, on a tour of inspection, and determined to venture upon a dramatic career. Buntline met the part here, and a acnvass of the situation participated in by Butline, Burke and John Allen, or " Long" John Allen, as be was styled,
the same man who afterwards managed the Adelphi, when " Old Fel" Grover operated that institution in the building located on the site now occupied by the First National bank, decided that a play of the wild western type would be the proper medium for Cody's introduction to the public.
" Cody, J. B. Omohondro (better know as Texas Jack) and Buntline, were guests at the west side Briggs house, corner of Madison and Clinton streets, where it also happened that Mile Morlacchi, who was filling an engagement in the city, was also entertained.
" So after sleeping over the suggestion, Buntline, Burke, ' Long John ' Allen, Major Andy Burt and Cody assembled in one of the 10x14 sleeping rooms of the hostery, since know as the Washington hotel and proceeded to business.
" The Scouts of the Prairie. "
" Buntline, who had written 'The Scouts of the Plain,' a story setting forth Cody and Omohoundro's military powess and Navarre-like achivements, for Street & Smith's New York weekly , toghter with Major Burke, mapped out of a plan of operations while ' Long John' Allen arranged the R. U. E. and L. U. E. and other stage entrances and exits from The Tormentor to the Finale, being specially familiar with stage topography, methods and history. By this time it was about 11 o'clock and the wilerateurs adjourned for lunch. Upon resuming deliberations, and outsider, who had smuggled himself into the confernce, became very lippy' and advised that someting classic ought to be ' wrapped up in the business.' The suggestion was the first intimation the party had of his presence and he was ejected from the room by Buntline accompanied by benedietion The classics be durned !' These preliminaries, inculding the naming of the piece, having been disposed of, the literary grind was inaugurated, and by 3 o'clock in the afternoon of the same day the first act of ' The Scouts of the Prairie' was brought into the world.
" On the morning following the company, which had been engaged, assembled in the greenroom of Nixon's amphtheater on Clinton street, near Randolph, and while the rehearsal of the first act proceeded the remaining two acts were dashed off and sent to the theater, page by page. Its is said that the entire play was completed in six hours.
However this is, of course, I am not specially informed. The cast in The ' Scouts of the Prairie' was substatially as follows :
Buffalo Bill (by the orginal hero), Hon. W. F. Cody Texas Jack (by the orginal hero). J. B. Omohondro Cale Durg........................................Ned Buntline Dove Eye ( her first appearance in speaking part.................................... Mile. Morlachhi Razel Eye................................................Senorita Floe Carfano
Big Eagle, Wolf Slayer and Little Bear, three bloodthirsty and uncomproising " Injuns" were assigend, respectively, to Joseph J. Winter, once heavy man at the old Bowery theater. Sid France and George Beach. Harry Wentworth enacted the role of a Mormon, Walter Fletcher that of Carl Pretzel, and George Daveport the character of Phelim O' Flaherty. Twenty five Pawnee Indians in paint and feathers were introduced to execute the realistic business.
There were fifteen scenes in the three acts, all vivdly lifelike, as the playbills have it, supplemented by war whoops, prairie fires, temperance addresess, blazing faggots, timely arrivals, invocations to the great spirit, scalp dances, and all the ta-ra-ra boom-de-ay incidents characteristic of from-tier drams, ending with the triumph of the American scout.
Big Drawing Card.
" The intial performance was witnessed by an audience that was only limited by the capacity of the house and each succceeding repersentaion of the play was greeted by crowded auditorim and galleries. The sucess of the piece was instantaneous and pronunced. Buffalo Bill therefore, enjoying a national reputation in his special field of endeavor, became at once famous, the talk of the day and an object of very-special and considerable interest to mangers and the universal public here and across the continent.
Colonel Nate Salsbury, of the Buffalo Bill Wild West Show, who is vice president of the Forty Club, is to entertain the members of the club and their friends at the Sixty-thirden (dr?) nex Thursday afternoon.
The (dr?) will meet at the Wellington Hotel at 1:30 p.m. and proceed in a body to the wild west camp, where Colonel Cody and Colonel Salsbury will meet them and do the honors.
" After a month's engament in Chicago the company opened in the Olympic theater at St. Louis, then Managed by Dr. Spalding.
The success of Chicago was repeated and, barring the arrest of Ned Buntline for particpation in political riots in that city years previous, nothing happend to impede the finacial and histrionic progress making.
" After playing in the leading western cities and runing the gauntlet of Boston culchaw, the combination began an engament at Niblo's in New York city, which continued for weeks. There, as elsewhere, Cody and his players were the topic of conversation, comment and commendation ; such particularly was tie case with respect to the former. His magnificent presence, gracful movements, | 205CODY THE ACTOR
History of a Theatrical Ven-
true Started in Chicago.
-----------
Star Engagment Played Here
Twenty Years Ago by the
Heroes of the Plains.
Buffalo Bill, Ned Buniline, Texas Jack, Sid France and Others who Conceived and Produced the First Wild West Attraction Ever Put on the Stage--The " Scouts of the Prairie " and the Cast that Presented It---Immense Finacial Success---Houses Crowded to the Doors.
" Do you know, " inquired a well- known
New York alist, with the air of a Private Secretary, " do you know that Buffalo Bill made his first appearance on the stage in Chicago twenty years ago? Its a fact, "
he continued, " and I may recall the circurstance to some of the old campaigners who used to sit around Kid Hyland's desk down at the old rookery years and years ago.
" Bill's" histrionic aspiration were undoubtedl inspired by Ned Butline.
The latter used to haunt the wilds of Wyoming less than a century since and chase the antelpe over the plains of Nebraska drag up drowned honors, so to speak, from the swamps of Iwoa, and drink Anbeuser-Bush beer in Chicago before the fire. We'd met Cody on one of his western trips at O' Fallon's Bluff's on the North Platte and at the time suggested that the latter would succesed before the public in the character of a typical resident of wooliy weat. Later on Cody came to Chicago accompanied by Major Burke, who is still manger of the company, on a tour of inspection, and determined to venture upon a dramatic career. Buntline met the part here, and a acnvass of the situation participated in by Butline, Burke and John Allen, or " Long" John Allen, as be was styled,
the same man who afterwards managed the Adelphi, when " Old Fel" Grover operated that institution in the building located on the site now occupied by the First National bank, decided that a play of the wild western type would be the proper medium for Cody's introduction to the public.
" Cody, J. B. Omohondro (better know as Texas Jack) and Buntline, were guests at the west side Briggs house, corner of Madison and Clinton streets, where it also happened that Mile Morlacchi, who was filling an engagement in the city, was also entertained.
" So after sleeping over the suggestion, Buntline, Burke, ' Long John ' Allen, Major Andy Burt and Cody assembled in one of the 10x14 sleeping rooms of the hostery, since know as the Washington hotel and proceeded to business.
" The Scouts of the Prairie. "
" Buntline, who had written 'The Scouts of the Plain,' a story setting forth Cody and Omohoundro's military powess and Navarre-like achivements, for Street & Smith's New York weekly , toghter with Major Burke, mapped out of a plan of operations while ' Long John' Allen arranged the R. U. E. and L. U. E. and other stage entrances and exits from The Tormentor to the Finale, being specially familiar with stage topography, methods and history. By this time it was about 11 o'clock and the wilerateurs adjourned for lunch. Upon resuming deliberations, and outsider, who had smuggled himself into the confernce, became very lippy' and advised that someting classic ought to be ' wrapped up in the business.' The suggestion was the first intimation the party had of his presence and he was ejected from the room by Buntline accompanied by benedietion The classics be durned !' These preliminaries, inculding the naming of the piece, having been disposed of, the literary grind was inaugurated, and by 3 o'clock in the afternoon of the same day the first act of ' The Scouts of the Prairie' was brought into the world.
" On the morning following the company, which had been engaged, assembled in the greenroom of Nixon's amphtheater on Clinton street, near Randolph, and while the rehearsal of the first act proceeded the remaining two acts were dashed off and sent to the theater, page by page. Its is said that the entire play was completed in six hours.
However this is, of course, I am not specially informed. The cast in The ' Scouts of the Prairie' was substatially as follows :
Buffalo Bill (by the orginal hero), Hon. W. F. Cody Texas Jack (by the orginal hero). J. B. Omohondro Cale Durg........................................Ned Buntline Dove Eye ( her first appearance in speaking part.................................... Mile. Morlachhi Razel Eye................................................Senorita Floe Carfano
Big Eagle, Wolf Slayer and Little Bear, three bloodthirsty and uncomproising " Injuns" were assigend, respectively, to Joseph J. Winter, once heavy man at the old Bowery theater. Sid France and George Beach. Harry Wentworth enacted the role of a Mormon, Walter Fletcher that of Carl Pretzel, and George Daveport the character of Phelim O' Flaherty. Twenty five Pawnee Indians in paint and feathers were introduced to execute the realistic business.
There were fifteen scenes in the three acts, all vivdly lifelike, as the playbills have it, supplemented by war whoops, prairie fires, temperance addresess, blazing faggots, timely arrivals, invocations to the great spirit, scalp dances, and all the ta-ra-ra boom-de-ay incidents characteristic of from-tier drams, ending with the triumph of the American scout.
Big Drawing Card.
" The intial performance was witnessed by an audience that was only limited by the capacity of the house and each succceeding repersentaion of the play was greeted by crowded auditorim and galleries. The sucess of the piece was instantaneous and pronunced. Buffalo Bill therefore, enjoying a national reputation in his special field of endeavor, became at once famous, the talk of the day and an object of very-special and considerable interest to mangers and the universal public here and across the continent.
Colonel Nate Salsbury, of the Buffalo Bill Wild West Show, who is vice president of the Forty Club, is to entertain the members of the club and their friends at the Sixty-thirden (dr?) nex Thursday afternoon.
The (dr?) will meet at the Wellington Hotel at 1:30 p.m. and proceed in a body to the wild west camp, where Colonel Cody and Colonel Salsbury will meet them and do the honors.
" After a month's engament in Chicago the company opened in the Olympic theater at St. Louis, then Managed by Dr. Spalding.
The success of Chicago was repeated and, barring the arrest of Ned Buntline for particpation in political riots in that city years previous, nothing happend to impede the finacial and histrionic progress making.
" After playing in the leading western cities and runing the gauntlet of Boston culchaw, the combination began an engament at Niblo's in New York city, which continued for weeks. There, as elsewhere, Cody and his players were the topic of conversation, comment and commendation ; such particularly was tie case with respect to the former. His magnificent presence, gracful movements, |
