Mind-numbing Statistics

Where do 529 people employed by a traveling Wild West sleep?

Scrolling through the list of names of staff in the Route-Book for Buffalo Bill's Wild West for the year 1899 is like watching the credits of a sci-fi movie’s special effects roll by. It’s mind-boggling.

Here are a few more statistics from that book:

“Starting from Bridgeport, Connecticut, on April 14, the Wild West traveled a distance of 11,111 miles, using the tracks of forty different railroads.

“The show was on the road 200 days, during which time 341 performances were given, 132 towns visited in twenty-four States, viz: one stand of two and one-half weeks, four one-week stands, five two-day, and 122 one-day, on seven of which only one performance was given… The shortest run from one stand to the next was seven miles, from Lawrence, Mass., to Haverill, the longest, 205 miles, from Kirksville, Mo., to St. Louis.

“There were 529 people employed in all departments, the Wild West stable contained 325 horses, and the baggage stock numbered 119 head…”

Seating for spectators was also hauled on the trains. “The show carried eighty lengths of blue seats and eleven sections of reserved seats, giving seating accommodation to approximately 13,000 people.”

For transportation purposes “the show used thirty-five baggage wagons, two band wagons, two water tanks, two engines for electric light, four buggies, two field pieces and caissons and one Gatling gun. The trains consisted of sixteen flat cars, fifteen stock cars and eight sleeping coaches.” (https://codyarchive.org/item/wfc.route.1899#body-wrapper)

Speaking of sleeping arrangements

Cowgirl Goldie Griffith remembered that when the show stayed in one location for several days there might be hotel rooms, but when they were doing one-day stops, they would either sleep “out” (on the ground, outside) when the weather was good, or on the train. The sleeping coaches for the cowgirls were cramped and overcrowded.

Another Wild West, the 101 Ranch Real Wild West, traveled via a train that included Pullman sleepers, one for the single cowgirls, then some for the married performers, followed by one for the single cowboys. In spite of the separation of the train cars, and the sharp eyes and ears of their ‘chaperones’, the cowgirls and cowboys always tried to move between the two cars specifically for singles.

I can only imagine the shenanigans when they ‘slept out.’

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Cowboy/Cowgirl lingo of the day:

Parkers, suggans, or soogans – A cowboy’s bed was made of blankets and parkers which were heavy comforts often made from the patches of pants, coats, and overcoats, which, if stuffed with feathers, were called hen-skins.

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A sizeable moose visited the other day and looked for tidbits in the bird feeder.

I am the author of seven non-fiction books, including The Last of the Wild West Cowgirls: A True Story. I’m currently working on a novel about cowgirl spies. Follow me on Cowgirl Cocktail by subscribing.