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Historical
Society of OG News
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The
Wild, Wild West |
Ocean
Grove, Sunday July 24, 1892 |
By
Rosaleen Myers, Development Chairperson
It was a quiet and peaceful Sabbath morning July 24,
1892. Perhaps all that was heard were the call of the seagulls
and the flutter of the tents as the worshipers prayed and rested
in the Ocean Grove tradition. Their peace was not to prevail
that summer day as Asbury Park, right across Wesley Lake, was
welcoming Pawnee Bill's Historical Wild West Show to the athletic
field.
It was heralded as a colossal combination of cowboys and three
tribes of Indians, along with herds of buffalo and Texas steers.
May Little, champion lady horseback shot of the world prepared
for her miraculous stunts with firearms, roller skates and tricks
upon an elevated stage.
After the Indians pitched their tents at the athletic grounds
they told one of the promoters of the event, J.S. Hoffman, they
wanted to see the “Big Water” meaning the ocean.
Well, that gave Hoffman an idea for a publicity stunt. He herded
a bunch of them together and set out for the beach with Pawnee
Bill at the head of the procession. Hoffman recalled the incident
in the Asbury Park Evening Press on June 11, 1936..
“It was a picturesque parade. Pawnee Bill was a figure
to attract attention anywhere, with his frontier garb and long
hair falling over his shoulders. The braves' costumes were colorful
and so were those of the squaws. Some of the women had papooses
strapped to their backs.”
“...we hadn't gone very far before we had a crows following
us and the father we went the greater the crowd grew. I'm telling
you it got so great I was afraid the police would get after
us, but they didn't. Finally we got to the beach. It was their
fist glimpse of the ocean and they couldn't get enough of it.
'How big was this great lake. Whoowned it? Were there great
fish in it?'
“Their eyes opened when I told them it would take a lifetime
for a man to paddle across in a canoe. I told them of great
storms, when Manitou would puff his cheeks and blow great blasts
from his mouth and his eyes would flash lightening. I pointed
out the great “canoes” of the white man, big sailing
ships of two, three and four masts. They couldn't find words
enough to express their amazement.”
“I had planned the whole thing as a stunt, but I got interested
in my own show. I got a real thrill out of it. We walked along
the boardwalk, the most picturesque parade that the town ever
saw. Feathered head dresses were flying, red shawls fluttering
and yellow moccasins made quite a splattering of color.”
“The crowd milled around us so we could hardly walk, but
finally we approached the boundary line of Ocean Grove, at the
foot of Wesley Lake and started to cross into Ross pavilion
as the North End as it was then called. Pawnee Bill, his hair
blowing in the breeze, was stopped by an officer of the law.”
The officer then explained that they couldn't bring the parade
into Ocean Grove on a Sunday. He told them it was against all
rules and regulations, it was breaking the Sabbath and besides
they needed a permit for a parade. Pawnee Bill responded.
“This is no parade. This is a peaceful group of Indians
dressed in the garb of their race and they are merely sightseeing,
viewing the ocean for the first time. I defy you or any other
man to stop us.”
The officer, perhaps a little fearful of this imposing presence,
then let them pass and told them that they had to be quiet and
orderly. Pawnee spoke a few words to the Indians and they proceeded
along the Ocean Grove boardwalk with the utmost dignity.
The story continues in Hoffman's words. “At last we got
to the foot of a broad street, Pilgrim Pathway I think they
call it, when up came Dr. E. H. Stokes. He was president of
the Camp Meeting Association then, I believe. He stopped Pawnee
and he was very courteous about it. He told the old Indian fighter
that the Indians were very interesting but their presence in
Ocean Grove was upsetting the peace and quiet of the place and
asked Pawnee as a personal favor if he would take his charges
away.”
“Pawnee was always a gentleman and when approached like
that he couldn't say no. Besides the object of the parade had
been accomplished. So he and the Indians marched back to Asbury
Park and watched the ocean some more. Later they enjoyed a ride
on the electric cars around the city.”
Hoffman was 79 years old and still active in business along
the Jersey Shore when he recounted this incident. I have eliminated
some of the stereotypical language that was commonplace in that
era, but I'm really glad Pawnee Bill and his tribe got to see
our beautiful ocean.
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