Letter from William F. Cody to George T. Beck, July 5, 1896 Cody, William Frederick, 1846-1917 Johnston, Jeremy Christianson, Frank Seefeldt, 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. 2013 William F. Cody Archive University of Nebraska-Lincoln Center for Digital Research in the Humanities
319 Love Library University of Nebraska–Lincoln Lincoln, NE 68588-4100 cdrh@unlnotes.unl.edu
Lincoln, Nebraska
University of Nebraska-Lincoln Lincoln, NE 68588-4100
wfc.css00488

BBWW performed in Dayton, Ohio, on July 6, 1896. Sweeney is William Sweeney, cowboy band director of BBWW. Snyder could possibly be W. O. "Okie" Snyder who was WFC's ranch manager [Bonner; p278n75] and "...one of the Colonel's men who had taken 160 acres near Irma..." [Bonner, p64]. Baker is Lewis H. Baker, a/k/a Johnny Baker (1869-1931), who was Cody's foster son and a sharpshooter in BBWW. Cody spells the name "Berch" but this is likely BBWW Chief of Cowboys George Burch, who also tended stock at winter quarters [Russell, p416]. Bonner also misspells as "George Berch" [p73]. Edward Robert Goodman (1868-1949) was Cody's nephew, son of Julia Cody Goodman. Cody wanted his nephew to act as an agent for new colonists and receive commissions for his work [Bonner, p73]. In the index of Bonner (p314) Goodman is listed as E. A. Goodman but it should read E. R. Goodman. Horace C. Alger (1857-1906) was a banker from Sheridan, Wyoming, mayor of Sheridan in 1889, and a candidate for Governor of Wyoming in 1898. Cody, Beck and Alger were responsible for developing the Shoshone Irrigation Company. "Polhamus" remains unidentified but is also mentioned as "M. F. Polhamus" in WFC's letter to Beck of July 7th. "Irma" likely refers to Irma Flats, which is located south of the Buffalo Bill Reservoir along the south fork of the Shoshone River. Cody, William Frederick, 1846-1917 Letter from William F. Cody to George T. Beck July 5, 1896 2 pages University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center, Buffalo Bill Letters to George T. Beck (Acc. #9972) ah031360-61

2 hand-written pages

 2 pages

Media: black ink

Texts Correspondence Buffalo Bill's Wyoming Beck, George Washington Thornton, 1856-1943 Sweeney, William, 1856-1917 Snyder, W. O. "Okie" Baker, Lewis H., 1869-1931 Burch, George Goodman, Edward Robert, 1868-1949 Alger, Horace Chapin, 1857-1906 Polhamus, M. F. Shoshone Irrigation District (Wyo.) Weakly, Laura K. Added annotation Weakly, Laura K. Initial encoding Houze, Lynn Proofing Johnston, Jeremy Proofing Clark, Linda Proofing Boyce, Gary Transcription Adams, Deb Transcription
F. E. Van Devort,E. H. Bunstine.Hotel Beckel,Under New Management.Dayton, Ohio. July 5th 18961 My Dear George

The contracts for Sweeney.2 Berch.2 Snyder.3 Baker3 & Polhamus4 arrived and it will be attended to morrowtomorrow Monday. would be done to day but itsit's Sunday. You say to Send the $640 to Alger. I may not be doing right. And if so correct me— These parties want E. R. Goodman to act as their agent. And Goodman expects to get the commission. But I dontdon't think the agent should take out but half his commisssioncommission on the first payment So that the company should get something out of it. Now if itsit's not right for Goodman to have the commission. You explain the reason to him. And dontdon't give it to him. But if itsit's right that he should have it give him half of the first payment and he can take half of second payment. You see those parties are going to have Goodman build houses for them & look after it. they are now corresponding with him. As Goodman is to be their agent I dontdon't see why he cantcan't have the commission. But if itsit's not right. let it go I dontdon't want to do a thing that is not agreeable to every one of our co—

Yours— W. F. Cody

PS. How I would like some photographs of things out there. Irma.5 Shoshone6 &c—

 Col Note 1: Buffalo Bill's Wild West performed in Dayton, Ohio, on July 6, 1896; no performance was held on Sunday, July 5th. The day's entry in the 1896 Route Diary: "Dayton, Ohio. / Sunday, July 5. Arrived in town at 3.30 A. M. Two-mile haul to lot. Everything was put up in the morning. J. T. McCaddon, Jule Keen, Fred and Charles Hutchinson, and Orator J. J. McCarthy went to Cincinnati and paid a visit to the Pawnee Bill Wild West Show. They were entertained by Pawnee Bill, May Lillie, and Chief of Cowboys Heck Quinn, who is an old Wild West man. Annie Oakley remained over in Piqua last evening and joined us again to-day. James P. Anderson was seen sitting in the marque to-day for several hours figuring faithfully: he left the ground covered with paper and one piece was picked up containing the following figures: 4 days 96 hours, 5,760 minutes, 345,600 seconds. It was passed around the camp all day and no one solved the problem until it came to Mrs. George Fursman, of the Annex; to her, she said, it was as plain as day, and that Mr. Anderson was going home to Columbus, Ohio, next Friday, to see his wife. She was correct, for he left on Friday for Columbus. Heavy rain at 2 P. M., which lasted until 4 P. M. Orders were issued to-day that no employee would be allowed to ride on wagons either to or from lots." Note 2: "Sweeney" is William Sweeney (1856-1917), a cornet player who organized and directed the Cowboy Band in Buffalo Bill's Wild West and was with the band from 1883 to 1913; "Berch" is George Burch who was Chief of Cowboys for Buffalo Bill's Wild West during 1896 and later. Cody sent his own money and directed Horace Alger to pay the water rights and state fees for both Sweeney and Burch for Big Horn Basin land parcels. Note 3: "Snyder" is William "Okie" Snyder (b.1856), one of Cody's men and a cowboy in Buffalo Bill's Wild West during 1896. Snyder and Johnny Baker were the next two people for whom Cody paid water rights and state fees for land parcels in the Big Horn Basin. Note 4: "Polhamus" is not identified but may have been next in line to receive a land parcel courtesy of Cody. Note 5: "Irma" may refer to Irma Flats, an acreage in the South Fork Valley outside Cody, Wyoming, that was named after Cody's daughter, Irma. Note 6: "Shoshone" likely refers to the Shoshone River or the area lying along the river.