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

THE EARL'S COURT EXHIBITION.

The International Horticultural Exhibition at Earl's Court is rapidly being reduced to order, and the advance already made since the opening day reflects immense credit on the energy of the management. When all is said and done, Buffalo Bill is the great attraction of the exhibition, and the encampment where the wild redskin and the still wilder cowboy can be seen in their habit as they live is drawing large crowds. Some of the braves from the last Indian war are included in the company, and they can be distinguished by their disdainful glances at the pale-faces, though, it must be confessed, that it is very difficult to distinguish the average Indian brave from the average Indian squaw. There can be no doubt that the grounds of the exhibition are far more prettily laid out this than any previous year, whilst the display of flowers, both growing and cut, in the great transept, as well as the specimens of landscape gardening, are very charming. Then, though this part of the work is not yet finished, the old English gardens, as well as those of Rome and Egypt, are most interesting—especially the Egyptian, the leading decoration of which, as of the back garden of the London villa, is—cats. The Egyptians had the pull, however, as their cats were in effigy, while ours, unfortunately, are not. What between the Wild West Show, the display of flowers and horticultural antiquities, the strains of the Grenadier Guards' band, the thousands of coloured lights, and the wild variety of side shows, the International Horticultural Exhibition is essentially a place to be visited.