2932 Lafayette St. [1]
Denver, Colo. July. 27th 1913 Dear ClarenceH. B. Cifford says Edison is now ready to do business they are putting up two mills here near Denver. And Claim they can mill ore for 75c per ton. [2] You Know how I have a contract with them for a mill. This should help to sell the Cody Dyer mines. Canadians write they can finance the mines. [3] But Ladd writes the estate will hold me responsable for one half those notes that I was on— Clarence how can they do it when Col Dyer received stock for all that money. And told us he would take care of those notes. [4]
Lillie went home to Pawnee & left me to face everything here. [5] Soon as I get all our people taken care of. I am going to Cody Wyo— please write me there.
Your friend W. F. Cody
2932 Lafayette St.
Denver, Colo.
Denver, Colo 1913 Jul 28 1030 AM
U. S. Postage 2 Cents 2
Clarence. W. Rowley Attorney at Law 638 Old. South. Bldg. Boston Mass.
Note 1: The address on the stationery William F. Cody used to write this letter is that of his sister, May Cody Bradford Decker. Cody died at his sister's home in 1917. [back]
Note 2: "H. B. Cifford" is Henry B. Clifford (1859-1915), an experienced mining executive whose company had numerous mining claims in Colorado and other western states. Clifford is known to have corresponded with the inventor Thomas A. Edison (1847-1931) regarding ore-milling technologies and equipment. [back]
Note 3: Cody refers to mining ventures near Tucson, Arizona, co-owned with Daniel Burns Dyer. In 1912, the partners realized that the earnings from their mines were unlikely to recoup their initial investments. Dyer died soon thereafter, and Cody tried without success to find a buyer for the mines. [back]
Note 4: The "estate" mentioned here is that of Cody's business partner, Daniel Burns Dyer, who died in 1912. [back]
Note 5: Cody refers to the final closure of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Combined With Pawnee Bill's Great Far East in Denver on July 22, 1913. The local sheriff seized and sold the show's assets, ostensibly to satisfy debts owed to a printing company. As Cody indicates, Lillie went to his home in Pawnee, Oklahoma after the seizure. [back]
