| Buffalo Bill & Chief Iron Tail, DuBois, PA, June 1908 |
|
It was in June 1908 that Buffalo Bill came, with his biggest and best Wild West. He had with him 150 Indians and the same number of horses and ponies. We had known each other for several years, and of course our new Rambler automobile of 1907 grade was prominently spirited around town by the oldest boy, Don. At noon he pulled up in front of the house, loaded with Cody and Chief Iron Tail. Monroe McCanles was our house guest, and stood on the walk answering questions put to him by Cody about his father Dave McCanles having been shot by Wild Bill Hickok. |
 |
|
The driver in
the front seat is Donald McCreight. The small boys are Don's twin
younger brothers, Jack & Jim. The man standing is Monroe McCanles,
son of Dave, whom Wild Bill Hickok shot. Monroe was twelve years old at
the time and saw the shooting. Dave stood in the doorway while Hickok
hid behind a blanket hanging to divide the room into two sections. Bill
took down Dave's rifle from the wall and shot through the blanket.
Monroe saw his father fall. Then Hickok started after the boy and
actually killed two other men. Monroe, in desperation, ran to his home
several miles to tell his mother. Monroe is reciting to Cody the
details which he had never heard before. The Colonel said he would put
it in his new book but never got it out. The Indian beside Cody is Chief Iron Tail, (head on the nickel), whom Cody said to me more than once, "He is the finest man I know, bar none." Both dined at my home that evening and it was a rare time of old time west for us all. The photo was taken in front of my home in DuBois. This rare scene was caught in the camera, and has become a noted picture, the Saturday Evening Post having paid $50 for a copy. (signed) M.I.McCreight |