Title: Letter from William F. Cody to John H. Tait
Date: December 13-14, [1913]
Author: Cody, William Frederick, 1846-1917
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[drawing]
La Salle at Madison St.
Chicago Dec. [1314?] 191__ [1]
Dear Tait.
Your letter just came. Hope you seen Fred Hutchison and asked him for me to put Carlo to work. [2]
We met Mr Spoor. And Tammen and I am to be showen part of the picturers tomorrow Sunday Spoor told us these our picturers would be the best money getters of any moovies ever produced but as there are 26000 feet over five Miles of them it takes time to arrange and finish them. [3]
After seeing the picturers or part of them tomorrow. Some place to exhibit them will be formulated. then Ill let you know. We are liable to be here quite a while Am still short on Muzzaska. [4] Here is 10—
Good luck.
Governor
Note 1: Although Cody did not include the year in his dateline, this letter was most likely written in 1913. References in this letter to his motion picture The Indian Wars as a work in progress suggest 1913, since the film was a sufficiently finished product to exhibit in Washington by February 1914. Cody has overwritten the numeral indicating the day—it could read as either 13 or 14. Later in the letter, Cody indicates that "tomorrow" would be a Sunday. December 14, 1913, was a Sunday; which suggests that the letter was written on December 13. [back]
Note 2: "Fred Hutchison" is probably Frederick Bailey Hutchinson (c.1872-1944), nephew of the famous showman James A. Bailey (1847-1906). Hutchinson served as manager for Buffalo Bill's Wild West during its final European tour, 1902-1906. "Carlo" is probably Carlo (or Carlos) Miles, who had been listed as a "Mexican performer" in 1910-11 route books for Buffalo Bill's Wild West combined with Pawnee Bill's Great Far East. Contemporary newspaper accounts sometimes referred to Miles as an "Indian," perhaps due to his skin tone. Miles (or Myles) is believed to have appeared in Cody's film The Indian Wars. [back]
Note 3: Cody refers to his motion picture The Indian Wars. Principal photography for the film was done in the fall of 1913. [back]
Note 4: "Muzzaska" is Cody's spelling of a Siouan term for "money," likely from the Lakota language. [back]
Title: Letter from William F. Cody to John H. Tait
Source: McCracken Research Library, John H. Tait Collection, MS231.1.23a
Date: December 13-14, [1913]
Author: Cody, William Frederick, 1846-1917
Topic: Buffalo Bill's Wyoming
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