COLONEL CODY ((BLIFALO BILL By ELMO SCOTT WATSON SK the average American who was the original “Buf falo Bill" and the are he will without hesit “Why William Cody, of course.” therein he will there were at le irned that title it, William made famous civilized This that Cody de- serve the title, for he won it away from one of the others, fairly and squarely, in one of the most spectacu- Iar contests ever staged on this con- tinent. But it does not detract any from his fame to pay tribute to the prowess of these other two and to set forth their claims to having been the “original Buffalo Bill,” even though Cody was the greatest “Buffalo Bill” vith all that that title implies, The man from whom Cody won his title by “right of conquest” was Wil- liam Comstock, a celebrated guide, hunter and one of the favorite scouts of General Phil Sheridan during the Indian war on the southern plains in 1867-60. Comstock is one of the “mys tery men” of the frontier, in that but little is known of his early career. Pub- lic interest in him has been revived recently by the Wisconsin State His- torical society, as shown by the fol- lowing story sent out by the Univer sity of Wisconsin news service: chances that answer tion be wrong, two other were known Frederick throughout does not for men 151 who e by Cody the mean and before it world. did not Some Wisconsin town 1s entitled to considerable fame as the birthplace of William Comstock, a pony express rider and Indian scout who was a comrade of Buffalo Bill during his romantie pre-cireus days. Comstock is known to have been born in Wisconsin and to have left early to go west and be- come a daring scout. The state historical soclety, accord. ing to Charles E Brown and Alfred ©. Barton, Madison, is anxious to learn where he was born, who his relatives were, and from what part of Wiscon- sin he went west, Colonel Homer Wheeler, " formerly of the Fifth cavalry, who knew Com- stock when he was chief scout and interpreter at Fort Wallace, Kan., de votes part of a chapter of his book “Dufalo Days,” published by Bobbs- Merrill, to Comstock, He is the au- thority for the statement that Com- stock was “born in Wisconsin of good parentage and left home at an early age and was one of the original pony express riders at the time Cody and Wild Bill were similarly employed. He was the first owner of the Rose Creek ranch, situated on that stream, about eight miles from the post.” During his service at Fort Wallace Comstock had gained such renown as a buffalo hunter that for some time he had been known among the officers there as “Buffalo Bill” Comstock. In the meantime, William ¥. Cody, who had done some scouting for the troops at Fort Ellsworth and Fort Fletcher, had been offered a job as hunter by the Goddard Brothers, who had con. tracted to feed the laborers who were building the Kansas Pacific raliroad # west along the Smoky Hill river. proved himself a sk Job 80 well that workers made a jingle ab went as follows: Cody iliful hunter ane his one of t filled he ut him which Buffalo Never ry 1 and Always # and And the company v His fame as a buffalo hunter spread by the officers at Fort Hays and f the offi Bil, Bin, never shoots pays his plo bill was the Wa “Tuffale Bill” Cor } to that title than the Fort Hays ' “Buffalo Bill" Cody. ey ir share of attention « ere l that lace whe lieved y be 5 3 . stock had more a purse of 5% ¢ nner of ! to the w a buff given contest between Cody Soon began posters » stations along ad as fol GRAND EXCURSION to FORT SHERIDAN Kansas Pacifie Railroad BUFFALO SHOOTING MATCH for $300 A SIDE and the CHAMPIONSHIP OF THE between BILLY COMSTOCK (The famous scout) nad W. F. CODY (Buffale Rill) Famous Bufialo Killer for the Kansas Pacific Rallroad. wonLo Since the Kansas Pacific rallroad was arranging the excursion, it was perhaps natural that it should give the title “Buffalo Bill” to {ts hunter, But their confidence In him was soon justi fled. The match was held 20 miles east of Fort Sheridan where buffalo were plentiful and the prairie was level enough for the great crowd of spec tutors (including Mrs. Cody, who had come on an excursion train which had been run from St. Louis) to see the chase, Cody was mounted on his famous hunting horse “Brigham” and armed with his equally famous needle gun “Lucretia Borgia.” Comstock used a Henry rifle which shot faster but did not hit so hard. Having located a herd of buffalo, the two men rode into it, followed by referees, The herd split, with Com- stock chasing one bunch and Cody the other, Cody soon had his bunch run- ning in a circle and he dropped 38 of them, all within a small space, Com- stock, who rode at the rear of his bunch shooting them down, killed 23 but they were scattered over a route of three miles. After a short rest an- other herd was sighted and again Cody was the winner by a score of 18 to 14. The third run of the day was the occasion for a spectacular stunt by Cody. He took the bridle and saddle off Brigham, dashed Into his bunch of buffalos and shot down 12 more, then drove the last directly toward the wagons from which his wife and some of the other spectators were viewing the match. When the great beast was less than 00 yards from the wagon he sent it tumbling to the earth as the grand finale of the hunt. His final score was 69 to Comstock’s 48. Cody continued to hunt for the Kansas Pacific until it reached Sheri dan and in the space of 17 months he killed 4280 of the animals, an addi tional reason for his right to be known as the champion buffalo slayer of the plains, A few months after this match Com. stock's career came to a tragic close, While out on a scouting expedition on Walnut creek with Lieutenant Beecher (Inter killed at the battle of the Arie. karee or Beecher's Island in east. ern Colorado), Comstock and Grover a3 0 the headwaters of the 8S mon to learn | taken part in Saline valley. SCOuts, on r of his people } urderous rald in the reception was very lily Turkey Leg told better leave, sine greatiy e trol them the deepes But i wound and the exhaustion his long jJour- ney. Nor was Comstock the have a claim to the title Bill," prior to Cody's. “Nearly thirty years later, after the name had rocked the arena in every capital in Europe and America, 8 rival claimant was brought forward as the original pos- gessor of the title,” writes Richard J. Walsh in “The Making of Baffalo 3IL" published by Bobbs-Merrill last year, He continues: one to of “Buffalo only He was William Matthewson of Wichita, It was said that in 15860, the year of the great drought, when grass- hoppers darkened the Kansas skies and fell on the crops as thickly as a bliz. gard, Matthewson had gone out to kill buffalo, sending back wagontrains of meat to feed the starving settlers And in their gratitude they dubbed him Buffalo Bill “How did William Cody call himself Buffalo Bill? viewer asked Matthewson, “Well,” he replied, “you see Cody worked for me when he was a young fellow. 1 reckon he had begun to read Indian stories and see how much was to be made by that kind of a reputa. tion, and he was always fond of talk and show. 1 never was any hand to wear my hair long and go swaggering around the country blowing about what 1 had done, Cody knows he had no real right to the name, but if he wants to show off as a dime novel hero, 1 have no objection” The querulous outbreak shocked and grieved the public of 1884, teporters hurried to quiz Cody about Matthews son. He replied: “I never lald eyes on him and of course never worked for him. But this is the first intima. tion 1 have ever had that any reput- able person other than myself has ever claimed the title of Buffalo Bill. A few years ago there were as many claimants for my name as there were wild yellow flowers that gave their name to the state, It reminds me of a portion of a sonnet finishing: But as fondly loves on to the close, As the sunflower gives to his God as he sels The same look he gave an he rose, The aptness of the quotation was not made clear by the interviewer. Considering that in the sixties tne plains were black with fifteen million buffalo and that thousands of men were killing them, It was not strange that many a nickname was based on the magic word, There was Buffalo Jones, there was Buffalo Chips, and there were other Buffalo Bills “But Cody seems to have won the title fairly,” says Walsh in conclusion, and then tells of the famous contest with Comstock, after which “the ref. erees declared Cody winner of the prize money, and, by the same decision, as he claimed, finally confirmed his right to be known as Buffalo RL" happen to an inter. | { | { | INWINTER SEASON Suggestions for Starting Car in Extremely Cold Weather. During the recent subzero blast which swept over the greater part of the country, many thousands of auto- mobiles could not be started after be Ing parked In the open. The mechan- first ald department of the Chl. cago Motor club offers the following starting In frigid tempera- tures. Use Lightest Lubricants, 1. Ask the agency of your car or a reliable filling station the lightest cation, In the crank and box, 2. Before stepping on the to it that the gear shift neutral and the clutch the hand feel throttle the way more, starter case gear starter see lever is in pedal, one-quarter 3. Step on choke sparin 4. If the motor, the spark and pull sharply upward crank. This qui motion quently start $ when depress Open of or the and use the gly. cannot spin the at full retard with the will fre- starter starter set motor the Parking for Long Period. 8 When It is expected that the ear will remain parked in the open for a it is the motor off, to speed it slightly and then off t fgnlt it at the same time. This Causes a long period, wise, when shutting shut the ion and choke pro¢ edure vapor to be present otor gas the n is be the In the cylinder viien next started, his practic hould ' Hsed as der to enjoy Bad Brakes Responsible for Serious Accidents br for than BOTIOUS United equip akes are responsible of the in the defective one-third 1 jents és attributed to nent, £ to a survey made pub Rese mobile accel accordis here rch jassed as the a ulotno le equipment, the coessity in correctis brakes of care variations and testing auto to be re of modern driving and the for quick in trafic, reliable brakes spell the difference between safety and dis aster.” nent intervals if mobil totals are duced, he speed necessity fon stops AUTOMOBILE NOTES The lengt life of a car can be greatly hened by keeping it tightened. - . . Be considerate at all times. Other users of the road have equal rights. . - * Rusty rims should be cleaned with a wire brush and then painted with red lead. * - - The first tourist camp for motorists in Norway is to be established on the main highway Into Trondhjem. » » LJ Stop—when In doubt—at railroad crossings, behind street cars taking on or discharging passengers, Better to cause a delay than an accident. » - * The battery should be kept at its maximum charge at all times, and nev. er permitted to stand in a discharged Ye We He He He HH RRR R RWW RRR RV RRNA THE MOTOR QUIZ How Many Can You Answer? Q. Under what conditions is horn blowing useless and when should liberal use of the horn be made? Ans. Horn blowing is useless in trafic jams because it not only falls to clear the jam but causes confusion and many times angers others concerned. The proper place to make lib- eral use of the horn is when passing other cars, driving on curves, mountain roads and blind intersections country roads, Q. What shorten the Ans, Turning speed, thereby weight the sudden stepping on the acceler. the FENN RENN NNN * on bad practices of corners at high shifting the car to one side; three life ? fires? of ator, causing wheels to gpin ; rushing up to corners and slamming the Q. If spark plugs what particular be likely Ans, Owing to Incomplete com bustion go by the pistons On brakes, missing would are trouble to develop? gasoline and rings crankcase, wi may the dilution, causing arts, bearings, and pi vt or moving inder to l It Is of walls, niso 3 power on hard pulls, hs ing, slow pick-up, and speaking It produces a siugg Acer ird start generall engine, Q. What gasoline consum ports for the of 1920 period Ans, Consumg 6 per cent and export HNN NNN EE 2 0 # wns the as same 14 cent. RW NNN NNN We Be Tr Be Te Be Br We Wee BB WB We Fe We We We WR Fe » i Powder Coated Rag Will Prevent Short Circuits A short f n wv ding to the the high t« r in ; bs noisture, usually wires tered When 1 one at g tl placed a ger powder are «iu his happens me, with a clot! Crous an soapsione or f It i distribu preferably soapstone wires entering the careful not to remove mo Jp— SOAS TONE OF BNR FACE POWDER 2 a VELD On RAD . \ ton a 5} ls RAE wets” (J A Ps shan a 1 His OS TIRUTOR 2 “LAD With Short Drying High Tension Wires Powder-Coated Rag Avoids Circuits From Moisture, wire at a time unless | stood to replace then wires and CAD eX how Keeping the of the clean and using soapstone it ner described will result in the rubber insulation In good tion and no trouble will be experi enced from rain. Of course, this sug gestion applies only te ordinary rub bercovered high tension wire. Spe. enl high tension wire covered with varnished fabric should not be treat. ed in this way. Such wiped with a clean dry cloth enly.— Popular Science Monthly, distributor Commandments Made for Those Who Drive Cars Just what motorists should do to by the Automobile Club of Southern ments.” They are: Keep your car In sound condition: keep your car under control ; keep your eyes on the road; never fight for the right of way; go along with the pro cession ; be courteous ; know your local traffic rules; take pride In your driv- ing skill; don't mix liquor, worry or anger with gasoline; study local maps and experiment for shorter asd less congested routes. REMOVAL a " The removal of snow by chemical AMARC .og hhc ib eth process Is demonstrated on ice-conted an which may be easily washed away, i i { { i { i WHEL RRB BRUNER BERR BELEN FRPP ENEB ESERIES NNN NNN INNES E NN 2 SE 000 0 0 —— Ah AIS Cot Polen of system. . . . Doctors know that this modern scientific laxative works efficiently in smaller doses because you chew it. Safe and mild for old and young, int ~~ Feena: there with ire Mon 18 are ws of origin neglect a COLD ISTRESSING cold in chest or D throat —that so often leads to something serious—pgenerally responds to good old Musterole with the first ap- plication. Should be more effective if used once every hour for five hours. Working like the trained hands of a masseur, this famous blend of oil of nustard, camphor, menthol and ether pful mgredients bn relief nature ly. It penetrates and stimulates blood 3 ps to draw out infection ns for 20 years. ors and nurses, ¢ handy —jarsand cubes. To Mothers—-Musterole is also made in milder form for babies and small children. Ask for Chil- dren's Musterole. Few Musk Oxen in Canada There is but ene herd of musk oxes upon the Can: and. There are about 250 in the berd which i= now kept in the Theion game sanciuary pear Great Slave lake. Used to It Henry—Can you hith a liar, a fool and a he never said a word! Thomas—Force of habit, old chap He's a football referee. — Answers, it? 1 crook —and beat called Deal Promptly with Kidney Irregularities. JF bothered with bladder irrita- tions, getting up at night and constant OS Sieache. a, take r k wi Doan's Pills, Used for more than 40 years. Endorsed the world over. Sold by dealers : 50,000 Users Endorse Doan’s: burned wedimen tired cut and had no energy. Doan’ Ae
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers