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

Colonel Cody has certainly had a great career. I was interested in reading in "The Billboard" an authentic account of it by Frank Winch, who is in a position to tell the world the truth about the adventurous Colonel's life. The Colonel is a fine figure of a man and is by way of being something of a universal hero, with nothing derogatory to his name. There is not a boy in the land who does not know of him by reputation. There is probably not a boy in the land who would not be delighted to see the pictures of him and his troupe on the moving picture screen. I hope every boy will.

So, as I have said, I wish I were a boy again so that I could enter into the spirit of these pictures with all a boy's zest. For the boy is not troubled with any considerations of probability, verisimilitude, truthfulness or the like. His young mind is not confused or perplexed by doubts as to whether the thing written or shown really happened or did not happen. To him Colonel Cody is an immortal hero, and he is not allowed to associate the Colonel's name with sordid matters of commercialism, age, retirement, State rights and the like. Happy boy, happy in your simplicity, enthusiasm and ignorance! Long live Robinson Crusoe! Long live Colonel Cody! "Backward, turn backward, oh, Time in your flight; make me a child again, just for to-night!"