b'Buffalo continued from page 19It didn\'t help matters that Cody was a spendthrift,several years their joint venture not only played tohorse Isham whom the Denver Sheriff had confiscated.giving or loaning his money to friends andenthusiastic crowds but was able to keep financially fit.On the day of the auction, which would see all of acquaintances who had no intention of giving itLillie was no Salsbury, but he was an honest, good manCody\'s public assets sold, including Isham, the very back. He was also a firm believer in "wine, women,who was conservative in his spending habitsandlast of all of the wonderful horses owned by this and song"and while Salsbury had managed tohe trusted Cody. Unfortunately, Cody could not belegendary horse lover, a desolate Cody was walking curb his drinking excesses, he was unsuccessful intrusted at this time, having accumulated the miningdown a Denver street when he was approached by curtailing the charismatic showman\'s dalliances withdebt and so many others and a very good man fell intoan oldNebraska friend, Colonel C. J. Bills. Bills pretty young ladies and actresses, the most notoriousbad company. asked him if he planned to attend the auction, the of them being the British actress Viola Clemmons.old showman sadly saying he couldn\'t bear to see his Totally smitten with Miss Clemmons to the dismayEnter Henry Tammen, an unscrupulous ex-bartenderIsham sold to a stranger. Bills went on his way to the and white-hot anger of Louisa Cody, Clemmonswho through hook and crook not only acquired theauction, and when Isham was offered for sale Bills rewarded Cody\'s interest in her by proverbially takingDenver Post newspaperbut also the old Sells Circus,promptly bid $150 on the old horse, won the bid, him to the cleaners, having no intention of marryingwhich he renamed the Sells-Floto Circus. Cody hadthen walked back to see Cody.him even if he had gotten a divorce from Louisa.made the acquaintance of Tammen in the winter of While ostensibly an internal squabble, it did have a1912 while the Buffalo Bill-Pawnee Bill show was on"Has Isham been sold?" asked Bill. "Yes," replied the negative impact on the Wild West showsshows thathiatus. Knowing how desperate Cody needed a cashColonel. Bill wanted to know the new owner\'s name. were beginning to see declining attendance and lesscow, Tammen intended to take over this old, frail,"I hope he will treat the old horse kindly," he said. "I revenue as interest in the Wild West faded in thosenaive man by offering him a $20,000 loan pursuantam quite sure Isham will be treated with kindness," first years of the 20th Century. to Cody becoming involved with Sells-Floto. Despitereplied the Colonel, by none other than his master Johnny Baker\'s warningthe young boy was now aof 20 years.It took a moment for Bill to grasp Cody may also have been a savvy showman with ayoung man and still advising Cody(though Codythe truth. The Colonel had bought Isham for him. vision as far as the eye could see, but he turned outwasn\'t listening this time) Cody took the bait, withoutRecalled the Colonel, "(Bill) broke down and tears to be a very unwise investor, pouring much of hiseven letting Pawnee Bill know of the arrangement. Afell from his cheeks. His simple words of thanks were remaining income into a worthless mine just outsidevery upset Pawnee Bill toured with Buffalo Bill for oneworth much more to me than the trouble it took to of Tucson in Oracle, Arizona that would producelast (1913) season, the two old friends barely speakingbuy the horse for his old master" (Fleming, pp. 221-much more heartache than actual gold or copperto one another. When they arrived back in Denver,222; Sell & Weybridge, pp. 248-249).despite all of his optimistic assertions. they found that not only had Tammen and his partner Fred Bonfils taken over their show, forcing Cody intoThe recovery of Isham was the only happy note in Despite his declining health, Cody attempted one lastbecoming a virtual slave of the two crooks, they hada day of complete sorrow for Buffalo Bill Cody. For grab at old glories and regaining revenue when he wentforeclosed on everything Cody owned. Pawnee Bill hadwith the auction his original Buffalo Bill Wild West into partnership with a former employee,his one-timenever signed a thing, and having been warned ahead ofshow was declared bankrupt and defunctall part Pawnee interpreter,friend, and admirer, Gordon Lillie,time, managed to evade Tammen\'s creditors, thus beingand parcel of Henry Tammen\'s Sells-Floto Circusalso known as Pawnee Bill, who himself had a modestable to keep his fortune. Pawnee Bill would eventuallyand Tammen, until Buffalo Bill could pay off his debt little operation known as "Pawnee Bill\'s Great Far Eastreturn to creating his own Wild West show, but sincenow owned the name of the great scoutif not the Show." The two Bills merged the two shows and forCody had accepted that $20,000 loan and was unableman himself. "Farewell, Pahaska!"to take it back, he lost his showand even his beloved GROUNDBREAKINGFROM THEGROUND UP.Versatile. Durable. Dependable. Our tractorsare in their element in every element. 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