Social Victorians/1887 American Exhibition/Gladstones Visit the Wild West

Logistics

• 28 April 1887, before the show opened on 6 May 1887
• American Exhibition grounds in Earl's Court

Related Events

• The American Exhibition, which opened on 6 May 1887

Prior Events

• The "Wild West" company moves from London to Earl's Court.
• Dinner party at Lord Aberdeen's Dollis Hill.

The Event Itself

The Gladstones Visit the Fairgrounds and Encampment in Earl's Court

20 April 1887, Gower talks to the Gladstones about visiting the American Exhibition

<quote>On the 20th of April, I dined with the Gladstones, who were staying at Lord Aberdeen's suburban villa, Dollis Hill. We were eleven at dinner, the Breadalbanes, Sir U. Kay Shuttleworth, Lady Stepney, Lady Frederick Cavendish, and Mrs Drew, née Mary Gladstone. I got the Gladstones to consent to come and visit the American Exhibition.</quote> (Gower 55)

28 April 1887, The Gladstones came with a small party to visit Cody and the Wild West

Cody has a different date: 28 April 1887 according to Gower and Moses; 25 April 1887, according to Cody. Ronald Gower uses "the G.O.M.," the Grand Old Man, to refer to Gladstone. <quote>The Gladstones drove from Dollis Hill to Earl's Court, and arrived at the Exhibition about one, and remained over two hours. Lorne came too, and we were quite a large party. The Gladstones appeared to appreciate highly the whole business, the workmen giving the G.O.M. a very cordial reception. We went everywhere and saw all that was to be seen, the Indians, the riding, etc. After luncheon, Gladstone made a most admirable speech, which will, I think, "go down" in America. Everything went off admirably, and it is a real satisfaction to have been able to have arranged their visit.</quote> (Gower 55)

According to Cody

<quote>We were yet in the throes of our extensive preparations, and the backward English spring was getting in its work with a saddening, soddering supply of surplus fresh water, when I received intimation that the ex-Premier, the Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone, M. P., intended to honor the Wild West with a preliminary call. This visit was fixed for the 25th of April, and although worried almost to death with the exertions connected with "rounding up," I determined to make the veteran statesman's call as pleasant as possible, although, as the track was not completed, a full show could not be given.</quote> (Cody 722)

The Gladstones arrived about 1:00 p.m., welcomed by the band and the members of the company

<quote>Shortly after one o'clock p. m. he arrived at Earl's Court with Mrs. Gladstone, and entered the grounds in company with the Marquis of Lorne (husband of the Princess Louise), attended by Lord Ronald Gower, Mr. Waller (Consul General of the United States), and a distinguished party, escorted by Nate Salsbury. The Cowboy band welcomed the visitors with the strains of "Yankee Doodle," and I presently had the pleasure of shaking hands with and introducing Mr. and Mrs. Gladstone to the denizens of our encampment.</quote> ()

W. E. Gladstone met Red Shirt and engaged in conversation with him

As Cody tells it, <quote>The fine old statesman, looking like intellect personified, glanced around him with an amused expression as the savage Indians came flocking out with their characteristic cries of "ugh, ugh" and engaged at once in conversation with Red Shirt. I explained to the gallant Sioux warrior that Mr. Gladstone was one of the great white chiefs of England, and they were soon on excellent terms. The ex-Premier puzzled him exceedingly, however, by inquiring, through our interpreter, if he thought the Englishman looked enough like the Americans to make him think they were kinsmen and brothers. Red Shirt set us all laughing by replying that "he wasn't quite sure about that." It was clear that the red man hadn't studied the art of compliment to any great extent, but the incident passed off good humoredly enough and the party left the camp for the grand stand.</quote> (Cody 722)

Moses tells a slightly different version of this story

<quote>The former prime minister and current leader of the opposition in Parliament engaged Red Shirt in pleasantries about the weather and national heritage. Red Shirt found that, despite the rain, "he had not much to complain about so far." [fn 20] Ogilasa charmed the "Grand Old Man" of British politics, so much in fact that Gladstone toasted the Sioux at a luncheon held in his honor. The London Evening News cited the "manly frankness of this splendid specimen of American backwoodsman" as the reason for Gladstone's keen interest. [fn 21]

On first meeting Gladstone, it had taken Red Shirt a few moments to take the measure of the man. As they talked, and Red Shirt discerned the politician's oratorical skill, a trait he and other Sioux greatly admired, Gladstone persuaded Red Shirt that he was in the presence of an exalted man. The Times reported his summary of the meeting:

<quote>When I saw the great White Chief I thought he was a great man. When I heard him speak then I felt sure he was a great man. But the White Chief is not as the big men of our tribes. He wore no plumes and no decorations. He had none of his young men [warriors] [sic] with him, and only that I heard him talk he would have been to me as other white men. But my brother [Mr. Gladstone] [sic] came to see my in my [lodge] [sic] as a friend, and I was glad to see the great White Chief, for though my tongue was tied in his presence my heart was full of friendship. After he went away they told me that half of this great nation of white men have adopted him as their chief. ... [sic] If he were not both good and wise, so many young men of his nation would never have taken him for their leader.22</quote> (fn 22 The Times (London), April 29, 1887. See also Napier, "Across the Big Water," 395.) </quote> (Moses 49–50)

The Gladstones Watch a Rehearsal

The company performed the Wild West for the Gladstones and their friends. As Cody describes it, <quote>Their astonishment, when the Indians in full war paint, riding their swift horses, dashed into the arena from an ambuscade, knew no bounds, and the enthusiasm grew, as placing myself at the head of the whole body, I wheeled them into line for a general salute. Then the lasso, our feats of shooting, and the bucking horses were introduced, and it was a real treat to see the evergreen ex-Premier enjoying himself like a veritable schoolboy, as the American cowboys tackled the incorrigible bucking horses, sometimes cheering the animal, sometimes the man. At the finish he assured me he could not have conceived nothing more interesting or amusing.</quote> (Cody 722–723)

Luncheon

There is a luncheon. According to Rydell and Kroes,

<quote>Gladstone ... toured the grounds in the company of the American consul general and, amidst great fanfare, met the Indian chief Red Shirt. Over lunch, Gladstone lifted a glass to the future of Anglo-American relations.</quote> (107)

Cody says,

<quote>A luncheon followed in the exhibition building at which I sat beside Mrs. Gladstone.</quote> (723)

At the end of the luncheon, W. E. Gladstone made a speech, followed by American Consul General Thomas Waller. As Cody describes it,

<quote>The Grand Old Man [Gladstone] spoke in warm and affecting terms of the instrumental good work we had come to do. He proposed "success to the Wild West Show" in a brilliant little speech which aroused the enthusiasm of all present. He was highly complimentary to America and dwelt upon the great deeds of its western pioneers in a glowing peroration, and on subsequent occasions, when we met, his demeanor was such that I could quite understand the fascination he exercises over the masses of his countrymen. His is a singularly attractive personality and his voice is either a balm to comfort or a living sword, two-edged and fire tipped, for the oratorical combat as occasion may demand. Consul-General Thos. Waller responded effusively and I began to feel that I was really becoming a factor, in my humble way, in the great task of cementing an international good feeling.</quote> (723–724)

Sala seems to have been present when Gladstone visited

Sala refers to the American Exhibition in his column "Echoes of the Week" for the 7 May 1887 issue of the Illustrated London News; he seems to have been there when Gladstone visited it. <quote>One of the latest visits paid by Mr. Gladstone has been to "Buffalo Bill." A wonderful man: I mean Mr. Gladstone.

At the American Exhibition, after lunch, this phenomenally versatile statesman spoke for full five-and-twenty minutes.

Et patati, et patata / la mis de tout dans ce discourse-là [check accent on "la," not clear on this page]

wrote Béranger in his "Juge de Charenton." Mr. Gladstone talked about most things mundane in his five-and-twenty minutes' discourse; and among his deliverances I note the instructive observation that about "half a century ago some admirable works on America were published by French writers. Since then we have learned but little of America, although she had during that time developed to an extent that was almost incredible."

Half a century ago! Yes; I remember a book, and a very judicious one, called "Democracy in America," written by M. Alexis De Tocqueville. But since his time, unless my memory has utterly failed me, there have been works on the United States written by such authors as Captain Marryat, Basil Hall, Mrs. Trollope, Charles Dickens, William and Mary Howitt, Anthony Trollope, the Duke of Argyll, William Howard Russell, Charles Mackay, and Antonio Gallenga. Have we learned nothing about the Americans from the productions of the not altogether obscure writers whom I have named?</quote> ("Echoes of the Week." G. A. S.. Illustrated London News (London, England), Saturday, May 07, 1887; pg. 512; Issue 2507, Col. C)

Who Was Present

• William F. Cody
• Gladstone
• Mrs. Gladstone
• Consul-General Thomas Waller
• Red Shirt
• Marquis of Lorne
• Lord Ronald Gower
• Nate Salsbury
• Possibly these other people were present as well, as they were at lunch with Gower (he says there were eleven at lunch): "The Breadalbanes, Sir U. Kay Shuttleworth, Lady Stepney, Lady Frederick Cavendish, and Mrs Drew, née Mary Gladstone" (Gower 55).

Bibliography

• Cody
• Gower
• Moses
• Rydell and Kroes
• Sala