Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 February 1891 — BUFFALO BILL’S START. [ARTICLE]

BUFFALO BILL’S START.

Ned BuntHne, of Dime Novel Fame, - Responsible for His Discovery. Kansas City Times. Mr. W. C. Gaylor, of New York, for seven years the companion and agent of Buffalo Bill, is at the St. James Hotel. Mr. Gaylor accompanied the great Cody to Europe and has been with him in many of his trials, adventures and triumphs. Speaking of the “Messiah” craze among the Indians, Mr. Gaylor said: •‘ ‘Buffalo Bill” owes his name, fame and fortune to the newspapers. He was born out on the prairies and hts father was shot down before his eyes near Lawrence during the ‘Border Wars. Buffalo Bill drifted over the West as cowboy, hunter, scout and soldier. He got his name by a daring exploit while the Union Pacific road was building. He had a contract to supply the workmen with ten head of buffalo a day for meat One day he dashed into a herd of buffaloes and was attacked by a hundred Indians who were hunting the buffaloes at the Same time. Bill came off victor and drove the ten head of buffalo into camp and killed them as if nothing had happened. It was daring, dashing, reckless acts like this that won him ■ the sobriquet of ‘Buffalo Bill.’ • T have said that the papers were responsible for the popularity of Buffalo Bill. One day Street & Smith, the publishers of the New York Weekly, ealled Ned Buntline, a well known writer, into their office and said; “We are tired of these stories of Spanish villains and English lords and French women. They are monotonous. Go out into the W est, travel at our expense, take your own time, only find us a man!’ That was a lucky day for ‘Buffalo Bill.’ Buntline wandered over the prairies trying in vain to find his ‘man.’ One day, while riding along with Major North, the only white chief that the Pawnees ever had, that well known character said: ‘Buntline, lam not the man you want Don’t waste any more time with me. But I can tell you' where you can find vour man. He rode leisurely over to a prairie wagon under which Cody was sleeping, kicked •Buffalo Bill’ gently in..theba»k a fashion the cowboys have in the West—and said: "Get up Bill!’ That was another lucky day for ‘Buffalo Bill.* He was the man that Buntline had been trying to find. His name became famous to the reading public, and a* short time afterward he embarked in the amusement business. We all know of the success that has followed his ventures. 'Buffalo Bill’ has cleared f 1,000,000 in the last five years and he is worth to-day $250, - 000,000 at least He might have been worth more, but he is a princely liver and a princely giver. He will give a porter or hackman a handful of gold and silver and never stop to think of the thanks or the change. No wonder that he is popular with all classes,”