Letter from William F. Cody to George T. Beck, May 17, 1896 Cody, William Frederick, 1846-1917Johnston, JeremyChristianson, FrankSeefeldt, 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.2013William F. Cody ArchiveUniversity of Nebraska-LincolnCenter for Digital Research in the Humanities319 Love LibraryUniversity of Nebraska–LincolnLincoln, NE 68588-4100cdrh@unlnotes.unl.eduLincoln, NebraskaUniversity of Nebraska-LincolnLincoln, NE 68588-4100wfc.css00483BBWW performed in St. Louis, Missouri, May 18-23, 1896. William F. Meyer, John Chapman, and Paul Breteche were the founding partners of Meyer, Chapman & Breteche, a banking company in Red Lodge, Montana, which became Meyer and Chapman Bank upon the death in 1898 of Paul Breteche. In 1889 Orville E. Millis (1857-1935) established a wholesale and retail store in Red Lodge, Montana; Millis was one of three Carbon County Commissioners appointed in 1894. Shoshone Irrigation Company purchased goods from the company. Horace C. Alger (1857-1906) was a banker from Sheridan, 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.Cody, William Frederick, 1846-1917Letter from William F. Cody to George T. BeckMay 17, 1896 3 pagesUniversity of Wyoming, American Heritage Center, Buffalo Bill Letters to George T. Beck (Acc. #9972)ah031347-49
3 hand-written pages
3 pages
Media: black ink
TextsCorrespondenceBuffalo Bill's WyomingBeck, George Washington Thornton, 1856-1943Meyer, William F.Chapman, JohnBreteche, PaulMillis, Orville E., 1857-1935Alger, Horace Chapin, 1857-1906Shoshone Irrigation District (Wyo.)Weakly, Laura K. Added annotationWeakly, Laura K. Initial encodingHouze, Lynn ProofingJohnston, Jeremy ProofingClark, Linda ProofingBoyce, Gary TranscriptionAdams, Deb TranscriptionWM Russell Allen, Prest.J. W. Wallace, Sec'y & Treas.The SouthernAbsolutely Fire Proof.Henry C. Lewis, Manager.St. Louis,May 17 18961My Dear George—
Well from the letters that came in to day Banking house of Meyer-Chapman & Bretche2Red. also Millis & Co3— Red Lodge4— I guess Hymer was right. We do owe thousands in Red Lodge and you never mentioned it. Why did you not tell us in Philadelphia that we owed Millis & Co $2700? God only know how much more that we owe that you dontdon't mention. And I have begged you to let me know— But you wontwon't. George these letters settles it. I cantcan't stand being treated
WM Russell Allen, Prest.J. W. Wallace, Sec'y & Treas.Woodward & Tiernan Prt'g Co. St. LouisThe SouthernAbsolutely Fire Proof.Henry C. Lewis, Manager.St. Louis, __________ 189__
this way any longer— its not justice or even friendship. Every thing else at your end as near as I can find out is being run in a loose careless way. there seems to be no head or tail to any thing.
N And we can get no report on what you are doing. We got a statement to day of dirt moovedmoved. Yes. But we dontdon't know what you are doing out side. Millis bill for instance. I send these letters to Alger to forward to you I want you to know what the best business firms in that country are saying You ceartainlycertainlydontdon't care
WM Russell Allen, Prest.J. W. Wallace, Sec'y & Treas.The SouthernAbsolutely Fire Proof.Henry C. Lewis, Manager.St. Louis, __________ 189__
or wontwon't or are as they say drunk all the time. of all the worry I ever had this caps it all—
You must get expenses down— do what weyou can with our own teams let the rest go— there is no one now to protect your bills but my self. The rest have all quit— dissatisfied with management they are allsoalso getting letters from the best men in that country. And claim they can get not no report from you. George itsit's not right—
Still your discouraged friendCodyNote 1: Buffalo Bill's Wild West performed in St. Louis, Missouri, May 18-23, 1896; no performance was held on Sunday, May 17. The day's entry in the 1896 Route Diary: "St. Louis, Mo. / Sunday, May 17. Arrived in town at 1.30 P.M., a good run considering distance traveled. Everything on the lot at 4.30, and all up before dark. Byrns, the Irish soldier, who left at Cumberland, Md., joined us again to-day and went on duty. Nate Salsbury, manager of the Wild West, came on from Chicago, and met us at the lot to-day. We found the lot large but uneven, with every indication of being bad in wet weather. J. Allen Darnaby tells an amusing story, much to the delight of Messrs. Hutchinson, Showles and Stanton." Note 2: William F. Meyer, John Chapman, and Paul Breteche were the founding partners of Meyer, Chapman & Breteche, a banking company in Red Lodge, Montana, which became Meyer and Chapman Bank upon the death in 1898 of Paul Breteche.Note 3: In 1889 Orville E. Millis (1857-1935) established a wholesale and retail store in Red Lodge, Montana; Millis was one of three Carbon County Commissioners appointed in 1894. Shoshone Irrigation Company purchased goods from the company. Note 4: Red Lodge, Montana, lies 65 miles north of Cody and the closest rail line to Cody, Wyoming.