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

THE WILD WEST SHOW.

To imagine that the present exhibition illustrative of life in the far West is like anything tha[t] has had the advantage of a similar description in the past is to be guided by a wrong assumption altogether. So complete a realisation of prairie scenes was never attempted until Colonel W. F. Cody, or to give him his better known title, Buffalo Bill, originated the show which is now attracting thousands of people to the ground adjoining Newsham-park. [1] He has around him a large body of Indians of various tribes, and although there has been an impression in the minds of some of the spectators that many of the grotesquely painted individuals were white men, closer observation has convinced them of their mistake. As a matter of fact, a number of the Indians who take part in the performance were associated with the last Indian rebellion and assisted the American Government on that occasion. They are in charge of a gentleman—Mr. George C. Crager—who was the special correspondent of one of the most popular daily newspapers in America and who converses in thirteen dialects. His services as interpreter are necessary because there is a wide distinction between the different tribes represented. The show will finish in Liverpool on Saturday next, as it is due in Manchester a week to-day. Therefore those who desire to visit it must take advantage of the next few days. Nor should intending visitors forget one important fact—that it is essential, if they wish to see the most interesting feature of the proceedings, to be present at the commencement, when the Indians, cowboys, vaqueros, and other performers are introduced separately. It is an exceedingly pretty ceremony and at once fixes attention and excites the interest of the audience. Apart from the descriptive scenes there are marvellous feats of horsemanship by cowboys and vaqueros, and a display of extraordinary skill in shooting by Miss Oakley and Johnny Baker, but their performance is equalled if not surpassed by Col. Cody who, whilst riding around the arena fires at glass balls which are thrown into the air by an Indian attendant. There is no item in the programme which is at all uninteresting, and the very favourable opinion which has already been expressed by the audiences is the surest indication of the good merits of the exhibition. This afternoon a horse belonging to Mr. Wm. E. Nelson, of Oakhill-park, Liverpool, which has given its owner considerable trouble and cannot be ridden, is to be experimented with by some of Col. Cody's clever horsemen, who declare their ability to ride it, notwithstanding the bad character it has received. The gilt Maltese Cross medal worn by the cowboys is the gift of the Bovril Company, [2] who have a booth on the ground.