Letter from William F. Cody to George T. Beck, July 14, 1896Cody, William Frederick, 1846-1917Johnston, JeremyChristianson, FrankSeefeldt, Douglas, 1964-Supported in part by a grant from the Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund, a program of the Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources.2013William F. Cody ArchiveUniversity of Nebraska-LincolnCenter for Digital Research in the Humanities319 Love LibraryUniversity of Nebraska–LincolnLincoln, NE 68588-4100cdrh@unlnotes.unl.eduLincoln, NebraskaUniversity of Nebraska-LincolnLincoln, NE 68588-4100wfc.css00493BBWW performed in Newark, Ohio, July 14, 1896. "Meade" was misspelled by WFC: Elwood Mead (1858-1936) was appointed Wyoming territorial engineer in 1888, and was Wyoming's first state engineer, serving until 1899. As such, Mead was intimately involved in the drafting and administration of Wyoming's water laws. Mead's engineering reports on the Shoshone River provided crucial backing for William F. Cody and his partners in the Cody Canal project. Horace C. Alger (1857-1906) was a banker from Sheridan, Wyoming, mayor of Sheridan in 1889, and candidate for Governor of Wyoming in 1898. Cody, Beck and Alger were responsible for developing the Shoshone Irrigation Company.Cody, William Frederick, 1846-1917Letter from William F. Cody to George T. BeckJuly 14, 18962 pagesUniversity of Wyoming, American Heritage Center, Buffalo Bill Letters to George T. Beck (Acc. #9972)ah31376-77
2 hand-written pages
2 pages
Media: black ink
TextsCorrespondenceBuffalo Bill's WyomingBeck, George Washington Thornton, 1856-1943Salsbury, Nathan, 1846-1902Mead, Elwood, 1858-1936Alger, Horace Chapin, 1857-1906Weakly, Laura K. Added annotationWeakly, Laura K. Initial encodingHouze, Lynn ProofingJohnston, Jeremy ProofingClark, Linda ProofingBoyce, Gary TranscriptionAdams, Deb TranscriptionBuffalo Bill's Wild West and Congress of Rough Riders.of the World.John M. Burke. General Manager.Albert E. Sheible, Business Manager.Jule Keen, Treasurer. Newark O1
July 14th 96My Dear George
I heard from Mr Salsbury several times but he is so disgusted with the country his letters give me a pain. from what I can hear itsit's very dry out there this year. that would help to disgust any one coming to see a new country. And its a pittypity that the drouth struck in this year— but all arid countryscountries are subjected to dry seasons— and it does not make me weak or con the country— I dread the liars and back biters mooremore than the drouths and I have quit beleiveingbelieving them— I heard enough about you to fill a book— Say George— come to remember did we not agree to pay Flood2 $100 per months
Buffalo Bill's Wild West and Congress of Rough Riders.of the World.John M. Burke. General Manager.Albert E. Sheible, Business Manager.Jule Keen, Treasurer.
from Mar. 1st if so he should have it. Thats is while he done good honest work but not while he was drinking. I dontdon't see how a man can drink. I am still getting it from Salsbury because I took a few drinks out there the last time I was there. I am going to get the State legislature to pass an act allowing me to find some secluded canon where I can be allowed to go to and take a drink if I choose to— Salsbury says New York and long Branch is good enough for him. then I dontdon't see why I cantcan't be allowed to say that country is good enough for me— Every mans likes are not exactly the same— I expect Meade3 & Alger are with you—
Your friend Cody Note 1: BBWW performed in Newark, Ohio, on July 14, 1896. The day's entry in the 1896 Route Diary: "Newark, Ohio. / Tuesday, July 14. Arrived in town 4 A. M. Three-quarter mile haul to lot. A Newark paper of this evening, in commenting upon the parade, said 'that the Show had two steam caliopes, but they could not play either one of them, but that the people appreciated them just the same.' Kinura, the Japanese magician of the Annex, closed to-day on account of ill health and left for New York. This is the French Fourth of July, and the French soldiers did all they could in a small way to celebrate. Just as the audience was dismissed this evening we had the hardest rain of the season. It was more severe than any of us had ever witnessed--old showmen having never seen its equal. It put out a beacon-light, and, as is quite a common case, the electric street railway was disabled just as the people desired to get home. All our teams had to be doubled in order to get our stuff all off of the lot, and the last wagon did not leave until 12.30. / Business in the afternoon big, in the evening light. / Lot, 14th and Church streets. / Arena, 181 x 386."Note 2: "Flood" is likely D. P. Flood who wrote to Beck in 1896 and is mentioned by Cody in correspondence to Beck. Flood may have been a foreman or livestock handler employed on the irrigation project; his exact role is not known.Note 3: "Meade" is Elwood Mead.