Letter from William F. Cody to George T. Beck

Buffalo Bill's Wild West and Congress of Rough Riders.
of the World.

[photograph]

Col. W. F. Cody. (Buffalo Bill), President.

[photograph]

Nate Salsbury. Vice-President & Manager.

John M. Burke. General Manager.
Albert E. Sheible, Business Manager.
Jule Keen, Treasurer.

Racine Wis [1]
Aug 29/ 96 My Dear Beck

Thanks for letter and pictures. Send all you can as I can use them talking up our Enterprize. You are ceartainly are going to keep pegging away at the red bluff [2] & sollid rock. Salsbury told me you were and I think the Buffalo men [3] understands you are. And I think you ought to work a force large enough to work to d Advantage at least— As you have a stenographer [4] paid by the Co. You should let each member of the Co know whats going on. And tell them what you would like to do— that would be of benefit to Co. &c— As Alger has paid Paxton & Co [5] kjsahdfkjsdhf

Buffalo Bill's Wild West and Congress of Rough Riders.
of the World.

[photograph]

Col. W. F. Cody. (Buffalo Bill), President.

[photograph]

Nate Salsbury. Vice-President & Manager.

John M. Burke. General Manager.
Albert E. Sheible, Business Manager.
Jule Keen, Treasurer.

And as you have to keep men to run the store. If you can sell anything to advantage how would it do to buy a small stock of goods on 90 days time? Eddy writes he has wholesale prices from different firms. here tofore we have been buying to high. if goods cant be bought right there will be no proffit. Salsbury writes thinks Bonds can be placed after Election. Wish you would write Buffalo parties what you owe out there and that people are worrying you for their pay— it might help to get them to exert their selves. As it pretty tough on two of us to carry this Enterprize—

Yours Col

Note 1: Buffalo Bill's Wild West performed in Racine, Wisconsin, on August 29, 1896. The day's entry in the 1896 Route Diary: "Racine, Wis. / Saturday, August 29. We had a series of small things happen on our run to-night; among them was the falling of a brake-rod and a bad flat wheel, which delayed us so that we did not get into town until 6.30 A. M. One-mile haul to lot. Edward C. Wiebe, of the electric-light department, left to-day to join the Augustine Neuville Dramatic Company, at Louisville, Ky. John Curly left again to-night to go to the hospital in Milwaukee. James Rushenberger returned to-day from St. Luke's Hospital, Chicago. Indian Two Dog and wife closed to-day and left for Pine Ridge Agency to-night. M. Coyle, excursion agent and railroad manager, was with us to-day. To-night closes one of the best weeks of the season, so far as a financial basis is considered/ Weather warm, and everything that could be desired. / Business good at both performances. / Lot, Fair Grounds. / Arena, 187 x 363." [back]

Note 2: Red Bluffs is a hill formation to the south and west of Cody, Wyoming, that stands out among the mountainous formations due to its red color. [back]

Note 3: "Buffalo men" and "Buffalo parties" refer to investors from Buffalo, New York: Bleistein, Rumsey, and Gerrans. [back]

Note 4: The "stenographer" may have been Daisy May Sorrenson, whom Beck hired to work in the office of Shoshone Irrigation Company; Beck and Sorrenson married in 1897. [back]

Note 5: The Paxton & Gallagher Wholesale Grocery Company was founded in 1879 by William Paxton and Benjamin Gallagher. Paxton was being pursued as a potential investor in Shoshone Irrigation Company but later decided against investing. [back]