Title: Delighted Twenty Thousand | "Buffalo Bill's" Great Wild West Show and Congress of Rough Riders

Periodical: New York Times

Date: May 13, 1894

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DELIGHTED TWENTY THOUSAND.

"Buffalo Bill's" Great Wild West Show and Congress of Rough Riders.

"Buffalo Bill's" great Wild West Show opened at Ambrose Park, South Brooklyn, yesterday afternoon, in a blaze of glory and amid a shower of ringing coin thrown by the 20,000 people who occupied seats in the grand stands.

Col. Cody has unquestionably in this exhibition surpassed all his former efforts in the show line, and to miss seeing his Congress of Rough Riders of the World, in their most wonderful and daring feats of horsemanship, which, by the way, are perfectly natural, and contain no circus play, is to miss one of the finest educational exhibitions ever given.

The great ampitheatre was well filled when the show opened at 3 P.M. but the crowd continued to pour in until every bit of standing room was occupied. There was a noticeable absence of the rough elements, who had been given to understand that any show of boisterousness on their part would be met with prompt reprisals by the management, who wish to cater to the better class of the people of the metropolitan district. The spectators yesterday were all they could desire, both in the way of quality and quantity.

The entertainment began with an overture by the Cowboy Band, led by William Sweeney. This was followed by a grand review, introducing the wild Indian riders from the Sioux tribes of the Brule, Yankton, Uncopapa, Cheyenne, and Pottawottomies, Comanches, Arapahoes, and other tribes of horse Indians from El Ilana Estacado. In the grand review were introduced the American cowboys, Russian Cossacks, Mexicans, Riffian Arabs, American negroes, and cavalry detachments from the regular armies of America, England, France, Germany, and Russia. The picturesque costumes and uniforms of the various participants made a kaleidoscopic spectacle of the most brilliant kind, and was much enjoyed by the spectators.

The entertainment consisted further of rifle shooting by the celebrated woman rifle shot, Miss Annie Oakley; horse races between a cowboy, Cossack, Mexican, Arab, and Indian on the horses of their native lands; an exhibition of the famous old pony express, an immigrant train attacked by Indians on the plains, exhibitions of horsemanship by Riffian Arabs, cowboys, Mexicans, and others; hurdle races, races between Indian boys on ponyback, the battle of the Little Big Horn, illustrating Custer's last stand; the attack on the Deadwood coach and settlers' cabins by Indians, buffalo hunts, a military musical drill by the cavalrymen of all nations, and Col. Cody's wonderful exhibitions of sharpshooting at glass balls with a rifle while riding at full speed.

During the performance Sergt. Bryan E. Lynn of the Fifth Royal Irish Lancers representing the English Cavalry, was stricken with heart disease. He died in about two hours. The body will be sent to his friends in Dublin.

On the steamship Paris, which arrived yesterday, came eight South American Gauchos, who will soon be seen among the rough riders. They are expert in the use of the bolas, a rope weighted at the ends. They hurl this missile at a fleeing animal as a cowboy does his lariat. The ends wind around the prey and render its capture easy.