GORDON W. "PAWNEE BILL" LILLIE - TYPED LETTER SIGNED 08/12/1932 - HFSID 252466

GORDON W. "PAWNEE BILL" LILLIE. ALS: "G W Lillie", 1p, 8½x11. Pawnee, Oklahoma, 1932 August 12. On letterhead of Pawnee Bill's Oldtown to "Friend Maynard". In full: "Today I am mailing to Mr. Lew Wentz a letter of introduction to you and I also suggested that he call you up at your home address and make an appointment as he is very anxious to meet you. I believe that his secretary is with him as it was her mother who called up and asked me if I wouldn't kindly mail a letter of introduction for Mr. Lew Wentz and to send it to him at the Biltmore Hotel, Las [sic] Angeles, California, where he is now stopping. Ken, I am very glad to have this privilege of bringing you and Mr. Wentz together because he is one of the highest class and most influential citizens in Oklahoma. You have probably heard of him. He is a bachelor and I saw a squib in the papers during the war that he was either the third or the fourth richest bachelor in the world, but it is not for the riches that I am recommending him. It is for the many good things that he has done for the State of Oklahoma and the poor and needy people that reside within our borders. I am writing this because I suggested that Mr. Wentz call you up so that when he does you will know with whom you are talking. I have a very encouraging letter from my representative in Chicago this morning so that it now looks as if there is going to be something done with me in reference to the Chicago Wild West Show. As soon as there is something important comes up I will take the matter up with you. With best wishes to you and Mary, I am, your friend,". In 1883, GORDON W. LILLIE (1860-1942) joined the newly formed Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show as an interpreter and performer. In 1888, Lillie, who was known as Pawnee Bill, formed his own Wild West Show. In 1908, he merged his Wild West Show with Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. The combined show, which became known as The Two Bills' Show, was billed as the entertainment triumph of the ages. It traveled all over the world, entertaining audiences with both realistic and fantasy views of the Old West. The show closed in Denver, Colorado in 1913 after touring for five seasons as Buffalo Bill's Wild West and Pawnee Bill's Great Far East Show. Maynard was likely KEN MAYNARD (1895-1973), a Western movie star of the 1920s-1940s who had his own wild west show in the 1930s. LEW WERTZ (b. 1989) made a huge fortune in the Oklahoma oil business in the 1920s and then had the foresight to sell all his shares shortly before the stock market crash of 1929. Lightly creased. Shaded at blank right and lower margins. Pinholes at blank left margin, nailhead-size stain at lower margin. Overall, fine condition.