The William F. Cody Archive: Documenting the life and times of Buffalo Bill

Image: "The Last of the Mohicans" Realized in London from Penny Illustrated Paper (British weekly newspaper, 1861-1913)

Text reads: "The Last of the Mohicans" Realized in London: Buffalo Bill as the Deerslayer; "Buffalo Bill"Col. W. Cody; The Grand Old White Chief and the Red; Accompanying text: THE SHOWMAN. Ladies and Gentlemen,— "Oh, what a surprise!" That, in songful parlance, will be the general exclamation on Monday next, I guess, when visitors first enter the American Exhibition, and behold Fenimore Cooper's "Last of the Mohicans" realized by "Buffalo Bill's" "Wild West" Show at Earl's Court. "Hail, Columbia," and wave the Star-spangled Banner—for "Yankee Doodle's come to town" with an "onparalleled show," and no mistake. 'Tis unique. 'Pon my word, I was fairly staggered at the vast extent of ground transformed by hundreds of busy bees—directed by King Bee John Robinson Whitley—into an industrial Palace of noble proportions, into Pleasure Gardens where toboganning and whirls on the Switchback Railway will soon be the fashion, and into an Indian Encampment vivid and real as the Indian Fights in the arena. I'm sure the American Exhibition will prove the greatest eye-opener in London this Jubilee Season. We gladly offer the hand of cordial friendship to our brethren from across the Atlantic, for we in this Show have ever honestly striven, in storm and in sunshine, to cement the natural alliance that ought to exist between Britain and the United States. Blood is thicker than water. We are kith and kin. Let us foregather, and become firmer friends yet, at the American Exhibition! I own up at once. Candidly, when it was my privilege the other day to stroll among the white tents of the Red Indians and the Texan Cowboys—to see Uncas himself, as it seemed, emerge from his hermetically guarded canvas home, and march by with all the native dignity of his race—to watch a droll little Indian chap being chased and lassoed in fun by a juvenile cow-boy—to interview towering "Buck Taylor" in his snug tent—to hear the praises of the Honourable William F. Cody, "Buffalo Bill" himself, sung by his quiet, masterful General Manager, Major John M. Burke—and then had the good fortune to witness the dashing, fearless, free-and-easy, reckless charges of painted Indians and stalwart "Cowboys" in full rehearsal round the track—why, I had to rub my eyes to find whether I wasn't dreaming. Here was the living, breathing "Wild West" actually before one. Here was the noble Indian who proved as unmoved in the presence of our Grand Old White Chief as Lord Randolph Churchill himself does. Acknowledged Chief of all finally came the here, "Buffalo Bill"—the living embodiment of Fenimore Cooper's "Pathfinder," "Deerslayer," Hawkeye in "The Last of the Mohicans," and the trapper (wasn't he?) in "The Prairie"; and the counterfeit presentment of many a gallant American in the thrilling romances of my old friend Captain Mayne Reid, whose remains I followed to their last resting-place not many miles from here—in Kensal Green. Ah, whose turn next, and next? But away with melancholy! Let's be jolly at the American Exhibition! Success to the plucky American entrepreneurs. Their grand Show is bound to draw "all London"—ay, and thousands from the provinces—to Earl's Court ..... CODLIN.