The William F. Cody Archive: Documenting the life and times of Buffalo Bill

 

FROM THE HOLY CITY

A Larimer County Cowboy's Impression of Rome—Buffalo Bill's Show.

We are permitted to copy the following portions of a letter written on the 24th of February, by a Larimer county boy, W. G. Vincent, who is now with Buffalo Bill's "Wild West," in Rome, Italy, [1] to his mother and brother of this city:

DEAR MOTHER AND BROTHER:—Your kind letter received. I was pleased to hear from you and to learn that you were together in Fort Collins. The photograph also came all right. Lib looked real funny with his cane. The cowboys, to whom I showed it, wanted to know if he was proud or a cripple.

We left Barcelona, Spain, soon after I last wrote you and went direct to Naples, where we spent three weeks. I took time to visit Pompeii, the city that was destroyed nearly 2,000 years ago, by an eruption of Mount Vesuvius. They have been digging it out, as you know. It was a great sight to see a great city that had been buried so long and then dug out. They got people out of the ruins that were petrified and turned to stone still, looking nearly as natural as in life.

The old mountain still throws out fire and smoke and, in my estimation, it is only a question of time when it will bury Naples out of sight as it did Pompeii.

Tell Mr. Patterson that the horses he sent out are bucking nicely at present—especially the $75 horse. I am riding him now. We gave the opening show in this place on the 22nd inst., and had an immense house, a larger crowd being in attendance than at any time since I joined the outfit. Yesterday the queen of Italy attended. We gave a great show. I rode Gray Dog in the bucking horse act, the day the queen attended. The bucking horse act is a great act, but very dangerous. The horse they call "Billie Patterson" kicked me on the leg while I was trying to mount him and caused me to go lame for a few days. That will tickle Patterson. Tell him I shall never forget him for the opportunity he gave me to see Europe. I am seeing thousands of things that history tells about. I cannot begin to tell you on paper all that I have seen since I left home, but we take in a whole city as fast as we can when we once get into one. I have been roaming around Rome the past four days and have seen nothing yet compared with what there is to see. There are a great number of Americans here. It is very warm, and the grass is green as it can be. I see things every day that I have read about, and did not believe existed and am satisfied now that there is nothing impossible. I shall have a great many stories to tell you when I return home. Do not know how much longer we shall be here, but you can continue to address my letters to Rome, in care of Buffalo Bill's "Wild West." Hoping to hear from you soon, I am as ever your son,

W. G. VINCENT.

Banner image: Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming, U.S.A.; Original Buffalo Bill Museum Collection, P.69.118