Butch and Sundance: The New York City Celebration
Howdy folks and greetings from the Great Plains of North Texas!
We're in the middle of a series about two of America's most famous and successful outlaws, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. In the last post we saw that Butch and Sundance came to the conclusion that staying in America would ultimately result in their capture or death which would in turn result in their incarceration or death.
Since they fancied neither of those outcomes they decided to set off for South America. Patagonia, Argentina, to be exact. I'm not sure why they didn't choose Mexico but perhaps they didn't think it would be far enough away from those snooping Pinkertons.
They didn't like Canada either because of the cold and the reputation of the Canadian Mounted Police who seemed to always get their man. Plus the Canadian government would work closely with the U.S. government so that was another reason to stay away.
A perfect location was found
But the Argentina option sounded like a dream come true. They found out that Great Brittain had been forced to slaughter almost all their cattle because of a hoof-and-mouth disease outbreak so they would be importing beef at a high price. There were other countries right next door like Chile who were big beef buyers.
And the land down in Patagonia was perfect for cattle ranching with lush pastures and ideal weather conditions. Plus, it was WAY far away and very isolated. They could start their lives over in peace. (they thought)
It was time to leave the country
The decision was made. They agreed to split up for the time being, Butch wanted to go back to Utah and sell the ranch he had there and take care of any other business. He wasn't big on "good byes" so I doubt if he even told anyone that he was leaving the country.
They agree to rendezvous in New York City because that's where the passenger ship would leave from. Sundance went and picked up Etta Place and they traveled to Pennsylvania by railroad as Mr. and Mrs. Harry Place.
Sundance still had two sisters and a brother there in his hometown of Phoenixville so he wanted to see them and to introduce Etta to them. The Pinkertons had been known to stake out the houses of Sundance's sisters and brothers so they had to arrange secret meetings.
After a week or so the couple boarded the train again and made their way to New York City, checking into a boarding house on 12th Street. It wasn't long before Butch showed up, posing as Etta's brother and going by the name James Ryan. He rented a room at the same boarding house.
A gay old time...
I can just imagine what these guys thought when they got to New York. I mean they had been to the cities out West like New Orleans and Fort Worth but they were like quaint little towns compared to New York City. By that time New York had a population of 3.5 million people.
Street lamps and cars crowding the streets...and just think of them marveling at the skyscrapers! A trip out to the Statue of Liberty was made too.
The trio spent three weeks exploring the city...taking in the best broadway shows, the music halls, the famous vaudeville shows, the theaters...dining at the finest 5 star restaurants. Shopping! lol...Sundance took Etta to the famous Tiffany & Co. which was renowned for luxury items, especially jewelry.
They didn't really go nuts there though. Perhaps their goal of being cattle ranchers didn't really match expensive jewelry. We have records of what they purchased though. Remember the Pinkertons came to town later and tracked down their every move.
Butch bought a $40 gold watch and Sundance bought Etta a $150 gold lapel watch and he bought a diamond stickpin for himself, cost not known.
Sundance and Etta also went to a studio and had this photo taken. It's the only photo ever found of Etta. Sundance sent a copy to his sister and the Pinkertons intercepted it.
Here it is:
The time in New York City was glorious. They lived and spent like the millionaires(or equivalent to it) that they were. Spending other people's money. What could be more fun than that?
In the next post they start their new lives in South America.
Thanks for reading folks, God bless you all!
-jonboy Texas
the gentleman redneck
ǝɹǝɥ sɐʍ ɹoʇɐɹnƆ pɐW ǝɥ┴
Guess what movie we all watched tonight! The grandkids had never heard of Butch and Sundance and my son and daughter-in-law had never seen the movie. It was fun to watch it with all of your posts fresh in my mind! You had filled in many of the gaps that the movie never touched upon.
ha! That is too cool Melinda! lol...I just read tonight that Netflix had it now, did you watch it through them?
No! I paid for it on Amazon! I just checked recently and Netflix didn't have it. Well, darn!
you're right, I just checked and it IS available on Netflix but not to U.S. citizens for some reason!
That is strange, isn't it? I'm off to bed.. Everyone one else went to bed at 9, so I know they will be up early! I've promised I will make scones for breakfast.
haha! hey that sounds wonderful, the scones for breakfast, yeah you gotta get some sleep. Talk to ya tomorrow sometime!
Guess what movie we all watched tonight! The grandkids had never heard of Butch and Sundance and my son and daughter-in-law had never seen the movie. It was fun to watch it with all of your posts fresh in my mind! You had filled in many of the gaps that the movie never touched upon.
Isn't it unbelievable how developed New York already was back then. Oh my gosh! Compare to those little towns Butch and Sundance came from, it must of been like going in to the future, lol. I love those photographs you found, even I didn't know New York looked like that already back then. I bet lots of the streets didn't even changed that much. And 3.5 million of people wow!. Not to forget Tiffany, still there and bloody expensive as ever, lol.
Anyway, boys had some classy fun, especially Sundance with his lady. Must of been quite an experience. Well, lets see what the south will bring!
Howdy Miss Lena! I'm so glad you enjoyed the photos, I had more that I found too that were facinating but I didn't want to fill the post with photos. lol. Those two were the years 1900 and 1902 so that was accurately what it looked like then. That is such a good description of how it must have been, like going into the future! Very well put Miss Lena!
They should just settle down and enjoy the good life. Maybe cowboys are not used to city life.
howdy sir Vincent! what, settle down in New York City? No way, not these guys, they loved the wide spaces, it was part of their make up as humans. The good life to them was the freedom of the country and ranch life. You and I might have been tempted but not them, besides they knew that sooner or later the Pinkertons would find them there.
I C. :-)
lol..the world's shortest comment! lol. very good sir Vincent!
Really! :-)
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Hi janton, why not live it up and spend the hard earned cash haha.
haha! I think most people would disagree with you about the "hard earned" part but yeah at that point they might as well!
Only tongue in cheek with the description of "hard earned cash" but it takes a great deal of planning, daring and bravo to rob anything. Certainly don't agree, I have too many morals to do such a thing. Butch and Sundance did not!
howdy tonight angiemitchell! Well, I call their morals Selective Morals. Because they had a problem with killing someone but not robbing them. lol.
I see what you mean. Getting rich at the expense of others is a low moral thing to do particularly in the olden days where there was probably no insurance for the public loosing their money in robberies.
yes do you guys have a government insurance program that covers for a bank if it goes under so the individual citizen doesn't lose his or her money? I'm sure you do. Back then that's why there was such an outcry when a bank got robbed and everyone wanted to join the posse! lol.
I wonder how long they spent in New York. Did they ever make it to Argentina?
Howdy sir mineopoly! yes sir they spent three weeks living it up in the city before the boarded the ship to Argentina which will be the next post, hopefully tomorrows. Thank you sir for reading and commenting!
Hi sir janton you really make the story like i am actually watching the movie and ...WOW...love the way New York city looked then pretty upper class for them days great photos :)
Howdy sir hangin! well thank you so much for the kind words. I liked researching New York City so much that I put more photos of it up today! lol. you might like those.
I don't like the way it is going to end...the story is fun right now.
I know right? I asked people before I started this if they wanted me to do it even though they knew the ending and it wasn't a good one! And everyone that commented said they wanted the story. I guess I could change the tag from history to fiction and write my own ending!
It is one of the better old west stories with all the adventure.
Absolutley rebeccabe because these guys are unusually likeable and most outlaws aren't, not even close! lol.