Title: Letter from William F. Cody to George T. Beck
Date: September 22, 1896
Author: Cody, William Frederick, 1846-1917
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Buffalo Bill's Wild West and Congress of Rough Riders. Col. W. F. Cody. (Buffalo Bill), President. Nate Salsbury. Vice-President & Manager.
of the World.
[photograph]
[photograph]
John M. Burke. General Manager.
Albert E. Sheible, Business Manager.
Jule Keen, Treasurer.
Sioux City Ia
[1]
Sep. 22/ 96
My Dear George
Yours of the 18th recd. You cannot possibly regret closeing down more than I do— And I feel sure its the worst possible thing that could happen the enterprize. But I cant carry it alone— Salsbury has come up like a little stayer— But the others refuse to put up annother dollar— I hope your letter to them will bring good results— You see the Ditch has cost so much more than than they were told it has discouraged thim. We work month after month on the Canal— and the estimates to finish to the Town
[2] gets higher— Honestly I cant see any headway our force is makeing they must be working to a disadvantage or else they are loafing on you— I see McGrath
[3] has taken his invalid wife away George why did you not settle
with him and let him off— he nor no man can take care of an invalid & two small children and do any work— We cant aford to play favorites— $70 a month is to big a salary for a young strong healthy man— its these kind of things that eat up our money— And show poor results— consequently the members refuse to put up— I have written and wired Buffalo
[4] — and Salsbury— Salsbury & I have sent Alger $13,000 in the last two months. I supposed Alger had paid Red Lodge
[5] people & Yegen
[6] part— I asked him to do so when money was sent but cant hear from him— I wish I had the money I would never let the force go until after election if they soldiered on us all the time—
Yours—
Col
Note 1: Buffalo Bill's Wild West performed in Sioux, Iowa, on September 22, 1896. The day's entry in the 1896 Route Diary: "Sioux City, Ia. / Tuesday, September 22. We came into town in three sections last night, last section arriving at 7.15 A. M. One-half mile haul to lot, which was small, and we were much crowded for room. The parade was long and over the roughest kind of streets. Dan Taylor went to Omaha last evening and returned to-night. / There is the toughest kind of times in this town, but business was good at both performances. / Weather fine. / Lot, Fourth and Missouri streets. / Arena, 185 x 364." [back]
Note 2: Cody, Wyoming. [back]
Note 3: "McGrath" may be Thomas D. McGrath (1875-1937), who later worked for a general store in Cody, Wyoming. [back]
Note 4: "Buffalo" refers to the investors in the Shoshone Irrigation Company, including Rumsey, Bleistein, and Gerrans. [back]
Note 5: "Red Lodge [Montana] people" are the suppliers to whom Shoshone Irrigation Company owed money. [back]
Note 6: "Yegen" refers to the Red Lodge, Montana, merchants P. Yegen and Co. to whom Shoshone Irrigation Company owed money. [back]
Title: Letter from William F. Cody to George T. Beck
Source: University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center, Buffalo Bill Letters to George T. Beck (Acc. #9972), ah031406-07
Date: September 22, 1896
Author: Cody, William Frederick, 1846-1917
Topic: Buffalo Bill's Wyoming
People: Beck, George Washington Thornton, 1856-1943
Sponsor: Supported in part by a grant from the Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund, a program of the Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources.
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